Tartan Plaid Clothing for Women – Is it Hip to Be Square?

Dear Tartan,
I’m sorry that I hated you for 50 years, but I never really got to know you. It’s not your fault that Catholic schools turned you into ugly, polyester, plaid skirts and jumpers. And, how could I have overlooked your fashionable role in the British punk movement… and, later, your powerful influence during the angst-filled grunge era. Plaid, you are beautiful, I love you, and I promise to wear you often.
Sincerely,
Tina Boomerina
Plaid Was Square & Dorky in the 50s and 60s
When I was young, plaid was often worn by ugly young schoolchildren who had to wear what their mothers bought them. And, back in my childhood, it was a common joke that used-car salesmen, with less taste than Kate Gosselin, would often wear plaid polyester suits… probably in an attempt to make people feel sorry for them and purchase some kind of wretched beater.
So, I want you to know that there were good reasons why I hated tartans as a girl. Of course, I also hated saddle shoes, and I’ll never outgrow the true horror of wearing those things.
Elegant Tartan Plaid Outfits
I always knew there was a way to wear plaid in a casually elegant way... however fine plaid clothing usually involved some sort of beautifully crafted Scottish or Italian woolen fabrics in conjunction with compulsively perfectionist tailoring (in which all of the patterns lined up at every seam).
Yes, there were beautiful tartans that came from Pendleton and other American and Canadian factories, but the really fabulous plaid outfits were not related to those horrid things found in crappy Sears Catalogs. So, unless an American shopped in San Francisco or New York, most tartan-wearing Yanks looked like New World pretenders… hoping to appear as equine-obsessed gentlemen or ladies of the manor. And, most of the time, the effect came across as an affectation.
And, that’s why I rebelled, during my formative years, against the wearing of anything mildly resembling plaids or tartans. It was so… so... working class to wear plaid in the mid 60s in the US. And, those rigid, checked designs were much too masculine for me. So, instead, I drifted more towards pop-art florals and swirling purple paisley prints that were cheap knockoffs of Twiggy-and-Janis wear. Sure, my clothing was somewhat middle class in its essense, but it was not quite as pretentious and bourgeois as lowly plaid.
Good Girl Plaids of the 60s
In my day… in my part of the world… the only chicks who wore plaid were clueless wannabe cheerleaders... dippy high school girls who wore traditional plaid jumpers (pinafores) with knee socks and loafers… ugh. But, nowadays, there’s a nostalgic resurgence of faux “good girl” plaids, and I don’t mind that at all.
It’s all rather sweet and retro in a Marcia Brady (from the Brady Bunch) sort of way. And, sometimes plaids and checks are worn in a tongue-in-cheek fashion, ala hipster-style. Well, hipster plaid, like sexy-librarian eyewear, is fine by me.
I won’t wear nerd glasses, because people would laugh, but I like the look on others. (article continues)
Read about punk tartans & grunge plaids (& more) for women on page two.
kay kerns
Hi Tina, I enjoyed this article very much. Plaid is both cool and uncool at the same time! I often feel too masculine in it so when I try on something plaid I scrutinize myself very carefully indeed. I tend to like the plaids with smaller squares or offbeat colors.
Tina-Boomerina
Kay,
It sounds like you're a bit like me when it comes to plaids. I definitely prefer the offbeat colors, too.
Best,
Tina Boomerina
KATE
Your website is interesting and seems as it could help us over 50 women . One little thought though ...the phots of the clothing are so teeny it is frustrating trying to view....try changing your picture format. Also the words on the page just seem like they go on and on......kind like an old lady in menopause talking too much.....you may want to slim down the coments ....less wordy. I'm 57 and it turns me off. Thank you otherwise for the hard work.
Tina-Boomerina
Hi Kate,
This article was a bit of an experiment. You can see larger versions of these clothes on my pinterest page.
Sometimes... I just go on and on. I read that longer articles get more backlinks (hits), but I will chop up the articles into two sections from now on, just for you... because you are right.
If you want to see the clothes, they are on this link: http://www.pinterest.com/boomerinas/tartan-plaid/
My experiment was to see if it was worth it to send readers to my pinterest page. I will take your advice and make some changes when I have time. (I have a very big screen and I sometimes forget that others don't.)
Tina Boomerina
Tina-Boomerina
Kate, I got part of it redone, but it takes a lot of time. I just wanted to make sure that you know you can click on the images to make them larger. Right?
Tina
Tina-Boomerina
Also, you can mouseover (put your cursor over) the photos to get the credits.
Stelz
"Plaid" is such an umbrella term. Somehow, I don't consider my nice tartan wool mufflers to be related in any way, shape or form to my1973 history teacher's cheap plaid polyester Sansibelt(TM) slacks. :D
Tina-Boomerina
Stelz,
Somehow, I would have to agree with you. I think I remember your history teacher's plaid polyester slacks. Of course, some hipster is wearing them now and everyone thinks they're very cool.
Tina