Trend Spotting: Tartan Plaid Is Having a Moment This Fall
If there is one print that has truly stood the test of time, it’s tartan plaid. The criss-crossed pattern, which is often associated with Scotland, actually has its roots in the outer British Isles, where tartan-makers flourished as early as the eighth century B.C.
Today, it’s no less popular, with designers from Marc Jacobs to Tommy Hilfiger incorporating the graphic print in their Fall 2013 collections.
Tartan plaid’s influence this season has extended from the runway to the streets, and has been incorporated into both high-fashion looks and street-wise outfits. The more grunge-inspired version of the look—tying a plaid shirt around your waist or wearing it traditionally with the front open over a vintage T-shirt—can be spotted on street style bloggers from Shine by Three’s Margaret Zhang to We Wore What’s Danielle Bernstein.
The best news when it comes to tartan plaid: it’s not that hard to pull off! Click through the gallery above to see ideas on how to incorporate the pattern in your look from both the runways and the streets, plus pieces you can shop now!
The Marc by Marc Jacobs Fall 2013 collection is packed with classic tartan prints.
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IMAXTREE.COM
Marc Jacobs focused on the print in red and blue colorways.
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IMAXTREE.COM
Suno's Fall 2013 collection featured a smattering of full-length looks in the Scotland-born pattern.
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IMAXTREE.COM
Preen's Pre-Fall 2013 collection dabbled in the trend, including this chic tartan jacket with leather sleeves.
Hive & Honey Vegan Leather Plaid Jacket, $129; at Piperlime
Blogger Danielle Bernstein of We Wore What rocks the trend in the form of a tartan button-up tied around her waist, '90s-style.
Free People Plaid Top, $168; at Shopbop
Karl Lagerfeld's Fall 2013 collection for Chanel featured its fair share of tartan, a print the French fashion house has long been enamored with.
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Alessandro Lucioni/IMAXTREE.COM
Emerson's Fall 2013 collection took an appreciation for Tartan to a new extreme, with full-length ball gowns in the pattern.
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Alessandro Lucioni/IMAXTREE.COM
Boy. by Band of Outsider's Fall 2013 collection combined the pattern with luxurious fur shawls to give a very Scotland-ready look.
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IMAXTREE.COM
Even iconic American designer Tommy Hilfiger chose to include the print in his Fall 2013 collection.
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IMAXTREE.COM
Gucci's Pre-Fall 2013 collection featured this chic pencil skirt, which looks perfect paired with a set of black leather elbow-length gloves.
Tartan Asymmetrical Skort, $68; at Topshop
Blogger Margaret Zhang of Shine by Three rocks a tartan top draped over her shoulders.
Marc Jacobs' Fall 2013 collection for Louis Vuitton featured the tartan plaid print on chic coats and jackets.
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Alessandro Lucioni/IMAXTREE.COM
The Vuitton collection also prominently displayed the pattern on tiny slip dresses.
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Alessandro Lucioni/IMAXTREE.COM
Phillip Lim's presentation of the pattern for Fall 2013 was decidedly more subtle—he lined his trench coats using the plaid.
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IMAXTREE.COM
Even dogs know how trendy tartan is, if this poodle at the Mulberry Fall 2013 show is any indication.
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Armando Grillo/IMAXTREE.COM
Rebecca Minkoff went with a more abstract version of the print in her Fall 2013 collection, accenting it with some equally trendy neon piping.
Photo:
ANDREA ADRIANI/IMAXTREE.COM
