Check Mate!

Last season’s sharp lines and minimal colour steps aside for the Autumn/Winter colour check craze. At this season’s fashion weeks, there is one trend which took the stage by storm – Tartan is back! No longer had a style set aside for the Highlands or Rod Stewart tribute acts – but indeed, the biggest fashion craze this winter. The cheeky checks are available to wear for everyone, with a bit of knowhow and a creative mind, embrace your inner Scotsman and go tartan!

Tartan Do’s and Do Not’s

Tartan can place and edgy spin on most classic combinations, whether it be formal wear or casual wear. The amount of tartan worn can range from minimalist scarves or accessories to more extravagant dresses or blazers – choose them at your peril! But to wear tartan as a fashion trend, pretty much anything goes! Particularly the clashing of checks or patterns, or the combination of toned colours this winter. Go for a tartan pattern which blends in with your wardrobe, making it wearable more than just once! Reds and forest greens are ideal for a splash of bold colour in these colder months. A bold check scarf can really bring to life the sea of plain black winter coats, and if you’re really brave then a tartan tapered trouser or pencil skirt can be teamed with a plain blouse for that on-trend office look. For evenings, jazz it up a bit! Use tartan in a more feminine manner by teaming it with lace or leather, or even opting for a full plaid dress. It will guarantee to turn heads.

History

Punk rockers in the 80’s, grungy teenagers in the 90’s and even the more formal manner of hunters in the 50’s all succumbed to the versatility of the trend. It seems not just 2013, but every decade previous is peppered with the Scottish check. Tartan was once seen as a rebellious trend synonymous with rock bands and edgy celebs, however today the designs and looks showcased by designers, and dressing our store mannequins, present a more wearable, more fashionable and more versatile approach.

From high street to high end, this quintessentially autumnal pattern is accessible and wearable by all. Retailers such as Topshop, ASOS and Urban Outfitters have revelled in the check trend, throwing out key statement pieces to mix and match between. Particularly Topshops’s ‘90’s Antwerp’ trend, which modernises this popular pre-millennium appeal. The high streets aren’t the only ones throwing our tartan, though. Mirroring the high-end likes of Chanel and Valentino, not forgetting fashionista Henry Holland, it’s becoming apparent that plaid is perfect for anyone. Paris Fashion Week boasted bold tartan coats, tailored blazers, intricate accessories and feminine layers which all encompassed our trusty tartan.

This Season

So whether you’re male or female, young or old, this winter is your chance to embrace this ever-growing check trend. Keep your eyes peeled for up and coming statement pieces online or in your high street store windows. From the highlands to the high street… let’s go TARTAN this season!