Hello all you lovely people, it’s September already! Can you believe how quickly this year blew by? Alas, I can’t take a break from blogs just yet! I’m not sure why, but September and autumn always make me think of plaid, so why not make that my topic today?
Plaid got its start in the 18th century among, you guessed it, Scotsmen. Back then, the name of the pattern was known as “Tartan,” until it became more popular with their English and American counterparts and “Plaid” was born. These tartans would have been made by a local textile maker who would use wool and natural vegetable dyes that were readily available and weave the pattern in bulk. There were regional variants in color due to limitations in the dye making process, which is why Scottish clans would end up with unique tartan colors and patterns.
Fun fact: Although Scotland gets the credit when it comes to tartan, the oldest example was actually found in Western China dressing a Caucasian mummy known as the “Cherchen Man.” How ironic is it that the oldest tartan wasn’t even found in Scotland?
Anyways, American and English textile manufacturers began copying the patterns with disregard for cultural significance (shocking, I know), starting a movement among the masses in the name of fashion by the 20th century. While tartan was originally made of wool, the plaid of today no longer has such exclusivity, making it more all seasons friendly. Burberry is one brand long known for their iconic pattern, called the Burberry Check, which has been around since the 1920s.
However, plaid (as it was now commonly known), really started to take off in the 1970s and 1980s with designers like Vivienne Westwood, whose style spoke to the disillusioned youth of the time. Its popularity slightly diminished before coming back strong again in the 1990s thanks to movies like Clueless and Airheads, not to mention big name bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Among these younger generations, plaid became a simultaneous fashion staple representing comfort and rebellion.
These days, whether designer or not, it’s common to see plaid flannel shirts and occasional scarves when the weather starts to cool. So, thank you Scotland for the pattern, sorry about taking it out of context though!
