All about Tartan and Checks

Plain colour prints can be boring and if you want to add some colour in your life without looking garish, plaid and checked prints seem to be the way to go. In this article, I going to talk about plaid prints and how they can look good on you. Let's see, first I am going to talk the origin of tartan/plaid prints and then show to you why plaid prints are the way to go and lastly tell you the future of plaid prints

Plaid Patterns are " the plaid is a box layout of stripes, usually horizontal and vertical, and almost always crossing at right angles" To be sure, doesnt that sound like check prints to. To be abit more descriptive, these definitions is more appropriate "The difference between plaids and checks lies in these repeating patterns. Checks are two colors and have the same stripe pattern in the warp and the weft. The finished cloth is always symmetrical. Plaids have more than two colors and more variety in their stripe layouts. They sometimes have the same pattern in the warp and the weft, but not always."

Plaid

Checks

These means that plaid prints have more colour but and they do not have repeat patterns but that doesnt mean that they are asymmetrical. The patterns repeat but they do not have same mirror image. What this means they not just easy on the eye, they are also, formal and quite genius actually.

It is complicated and yet not so complex that it is jarring on the eye. Checks are easy on the eye but quite staid. If you are looking for something that is colourful but retains some order, plaid might be something for you.

Plaid sits in the third way of having order and chaos. It is repetitive, and yet the splash of colours makes it such intriguing pattern. This is so much so that the Royal Stewart Tartan is made the personal tartan of the late Queen Elizabeth 

Royal Stewart Tartan

The story of tartan is such an intriguing story that it has an history of power, politics and identity. You can read the story of tartan at the National Museums of Scotland 

Of course, plaids predate that of the Scottish Tartans but it is currently associated with them in today's pop culture. Plaids especially Tartan plaids has such contentious history that it is more than looking sartorial. But well, even if you dont care about the history, well, plaids look good right.

Right now, what is the future of plaids, you might ask. Plaid can and will be used to symbolize politics and history. They will continue be used to reinvent itself to show the future forward is be looking into history. It can be used political identity to symbolize power and it can be used to symbolize rebellion by upending the traditional colours. As it goes, how will you wear plaid?

Start by getting our sartorial bamboo socks to start your plaid story today!!