Checks, please: How to wear the tartan trend now
Tips and tricks for refreshing this timeless print
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We’ve had polka dots, leopard print and espresso martini dressing – but if there’s one headline AW25 trend, it has to be tartan. Yes, it may be a style perennial, never quite going out of fashion, but this season it was simply unavoidable, with runways awash with checks, plaids and tartans of all descriptions, colours and fabrications.
First up, what’s the difference between the three? In essence, all tartans are plaids but not all plaids are tartans. Plaids are any pattern with intersecting lines of several colours, while tartans traditionally have an association with a specific Scottish clan or community. Checks, on the other hand, tend to be simpler, evenly spaced patterns with only two colours.
Fashion’s modern love of tartan has one designer to thank: Vivienne Westwood, who injected Scottish plaid with a punk sensibility in the 1970s, transforming it from traditional country clothing to cool urban attire. Her 1993 Anglomania collection was also seismic, elevating checks with her signature tailoring and corsetry. “I can’t help using these fabrics that had a purpose and a story. They’re so terribly attractive,” she said.
Louis Vuitton AW25
Kent & Curwen AW25
For AW25, we saw everything from vibrant, Crayola-coloured checks at Miu Miu to more muted, traditional plaids at Burberry, Ralph Lauren and Eric Bompard. There were also plenty of fresh ideas at play, including blowing checks up to oversized proportions, as seen at SS Daley, Bally and Louis Vuitton, and clashing unexpected, acid-bright hues (see Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood and Anna Sui). More classic is the Prince of Wales check, traditionally used for men’s tailoring, and reinterpreted at DKNY and Brunello Cuccinelli.
So how to make AW25’s tartans work for you wardrobe? Here’s three stylists on how to wear it well this season.
Pick One Hero Piece
By far the easiest way to wear a check is to make it the star of the show. Select a standout piece – a picnic blanket-checked dress, like at Louis Vuitton, or a tartan skirt in a statement hue, as at Bally – and keep the rest of the outfit sleek, chic and low-key.
“To make tartan feel modern it’s all about balance,” advises fashion stylist Alice Liberty. “If you’re wearing a statement tartan piece, keep the rest of your outfit clean and minimal; you don’t want to overpower the look. Think classic shapes, tailoring and a mix of textures like leather, wool or denim.”
“Style it by making the tartan the focal point, and don’t overdo it,” agrees personal shopper and stylist Victoria Genevieve. “Wear it with your capsule neutrals, whether that’s a plain knit or a plain shirt. Keep it simple and chic around the tartan.”
Opt for a slick, structured bag, and pair of this season’s heeled loafers (perhaps with knee-high socks, if you’re feeling brave), and you’ll have a failsafe outfit formula for fall.
Unexpected Pairings Feel Fresh
If you’re feeling more adventurous with your wardrobe this season, the freshest way to wear tartan is to create unusual combinations within one outfit.
“Instead of the typical tartan shirt, look for modern silhouettes, unexpected fabrics, abstracted tartan, or clashing tartan prints,” recommends personal stylist Suzanne Delahunty. “A draped tartan skirt worn with a nylon athletic jacket, clashing tartan shirt or a high-neck leather jacket. A boxy jacket in a structured tartan fabric, worn with barrel-leg jeans and sling backs. Or, take your tartan shirt and tie it around your waist to punctuate an outfit.”
You can also layer different checks and plaids. Delahunty’s favourite AW25 look was from Burberry, and involved “a traditional pleated tartan skirt over tartan trousers, clashing tartan shoes and a voluminous knit on top.”
Burberry AW25
Antonio Marras AW25
When in Doubt, Look Back
From vintage Westwood to Nineties grunge and Noughties indie sleaze, fashion history has a plethora of tartan style inspiration to pull from if you’re stuck for ideas. “The tartan trend is a bit of a throwback trend for me,” said Genevieve. “It takes me right back to being at London College of Fashion, circa 2000-2003.”
This era was all about plaid mini skirts, slip dresses layered over jeans, and, of course, the oversized flannel shirt. To nail the look, Liberty suggests that “tying a tartan shirt around your waist with a windbreaker and pedal pushers feels very Y2K, which I’m very here for. It brings that effortless, slightly undone energy back into fashion in a really fun way.”
Liberty also recommends looking back at the outfits of Noughties icons Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen: “They really defined that effortless look, a flannel shirt tied around the waist, a Balenciaga City bag, tights, and ankle boots.”
However, she warns against “chasing trends” for the sake of it. It can “make it easy to lose your sense of style without realising. I always tell my clients to have fun with trends, because that’s what fashion is all about, but make sure you put your own spin on them. Incorporate the trend into your wardrobe, don’t build your wardrobe around the trend.”
She suggests the ultimate easy way to dip your toe into the trend in a way that is timeless: “If you want something a bit more polished, wearing tartan as a scarf is chic and versatile. It adds interest to a simple outfit without feeling too trend-driven.”
The Final Word on Tartan
So, whether you go for a plaid, a check or a tartan this season, and however you decide to wear it – whether sleekly minimal, cool and contemporary, or inspired by Noughties icons – you’re on to a winner.
And the good news is, any investment purchases (the Ralph Lauren jacket below should be at the top of every wish list) can also be worn every season hereafter. Tartan never really goes out of style, you see.
