Fashion Article Series: The Wonderful World of PLAID

1960's: Plaid

For my second article for the fashion series, I decided to focus on plaid because it’s a pattern and fabric that dates back very far and is still fashionable to this day. I wanted to share the journey of a piece of cloth, originating as a sign of rebellion into a modern day fashion statement. 

Plaid first came into fashion in the late 17^th century in Scottish society.  Plaid was a symbol for rebellion against England and was banned for four decades (wow). Wearing plaid after the Scottish rebellion in 1746 was forbidden. By the 1960’s, plaid fabrics were used in skirts and shirts for women and sometimes seen worn by men, usually worn for business or working looks. 

Because of its fascinating past, plaid tends to be conceived as a style associated with rebelling against society in some way - living on the edge. During the punk rock era, the 70’s - 80’s,  plaid was a staple!

During the Seattle music scene of the 90’s, plaid was seen again as somewhat of a rebellious symbol. Kurt Cobain from the band "Nirvana" often rocked a plaid flannel shirt, and he got that trend going for 'trendy' males too. Plaid went quiet for a while after that, but recently has made a comeback with both hipsters and main stream fashion.

Written By: Rebecca Eames [Principal Blogger]