Getting it Together: July 2011

Anyone who looks at childhood photos from the 70's can tell you that plaid and tartan were a popular pattern in fashion and many of us cringe at the sight of it. But what exactly are plaid and tartan? In the very cool, coffee table book, about clothing designer, Jeffrey Banks' obsession with tartan, called, Tartan: Romancing the Plaid, (CBS Sunday Morning did a segment, Going Mad Over Plaid, about the book), co-author, Doria De La Chappelle, writes a great explanation of the definitions of and differences between the two:

A tartan plaid, first of all, is Scottish, as opposed to American or English. It's Scottish...
Which means the instantly recognizable Burberry pattern on the company's coats and scarves may look like a tartan plaid, but is in fact officially just "a check" because Burberry is actually English.

In addition, a tartan pattern has to be made up of perfect squares. Technically, a tartan plaid can be turned 180 degrees and is exactly the same.

You can take it and literally turn it upside down and it will look exactly the same, right side up or upside down...

A Plaid, on the other hand, can have stripes that clearly run in a specific direction. In other words: all tartan is plaid, but not all plaid is tartan.

When I was a teenager in the 80's, plaid was no longer for only associated with flannel and lumberjacks, and tartan was a big part of the street punk style which I loved, but for home decor, I thought of it as conservative and preppy. As I entered my twenties, I developed an appreciation for the classic pattern, and at one point even bought a plaid bedding set. When I was decorating my son's room before he was born, I decided that Gwen Stefani's style would be my inspiration, and went with a yellow, orange, red and black plaid fabric. I don't know why they reminded me of Gwen Stefani, but I guess I just could just picture her wearing skin tight pants or a jacket in the same pattern. The first cell phone case I bought was an imitation Burberry plaid and it made me very happy until it fell apart. Boooo! One reason I like plaid is because it can take on so many personalities, just as stripes or polka-dots can, but with even greater variation.

As De La Chappelle puts it:
Whether authentic tartan or simply plaid, the stripes and squares seem to have a lasting and universal appeal.

He also adds:

Plaid is very organized. It has grids. It's possible that these grids make you feel organized.

Is it any wonder I'm a fan?

So, in conclusion, if you've ever had reservations about using plaid in your home, I urge you to give it a shot. A throw, some coffee mugs, dishtowels, whatever, and if you didn't like the patterns before, maybe you'll discover that you're glad there's plaid!