Nothing quite says autumn like a good plaid piece in your closet. This cozy-chic style season is ordering us to "square" up every corner of our closet, with every play on plaid, tartan and check you can imagine! Style expert Natalie Sexton shares four looks to help you discover fabulous ways to wear it all.
Houndstooth
Swedish in origin, houndstooth squares are notched and pointed, resembling a canine tooth, hence the name! This check is traditionally seen in black and white during fall seasons, but it’s now found in varieties of colors that work all year-round. The cut is flattering for every body type and can be worn just as easily with denim as it can with your dressy pieces.
Shop the Vera Moda Maria Houndstooth Self-Tie Coat, $155 at The Bay
Shop the Wilfred Only Turtleneck, $58 at Aritzia
Shop the Command Cropped Pan, $148 at Aritzia
Shop the Fabric Heeled Ankled Boots, $79.50 at Zara
Shop the Jude Merino Rib Knit Toque with Tonal Patch, $130 at Mackage
Shop the Clutch Croc, $95 at AI Toronto Seoul
Tartan Plaids
Tartans were the original plaid. You can distinguish a tartan plaid from another plaid by looking at the pattern itself. In a tartan plaid, both vertical and stripe patterns have to match evenly- creating perfectly symmetrical patterns. There are really traditional colour combos with hues like red, black and grey but we have also seen every combination under the rainbow over the years - you can go as bold or as subtle as you like. A really fun and stylish way to rock it is with fall's must-have layer: the shacket! This length hits at the hips making it easy to pair with anything from denim to leggings to chunky sweaters underneath. Natalie's tip: Go up a size in this fit! We often think of the shacket as super casual, but you can easily elevate them with trendy, dressy accessories.
Shop the Olivia Plaid Shacket, $89 at Vero Moda
Shop the Brialliant Turtleneck Sweater Dress, $59.99 at Vero Moda
Shop the Jenna Black Leather Studded Boots, $228 at Lintervalle Shoes
Green Bucket Bag, $39.99 at Winners
Shop the Icon Hoops, $90 at Jenny Bird
Glen Plaid
Also known as Prince of Wales, this is a pattern with a woven twill design that features small and large checks. Glen plaid is typically rendered in black, grey, and white. Think of it as the "dressier" plaid—it's very popular on men's and women's suiting too! This plaid carries a minimalist appeal, so this is a great way to sport "plaid" without it feeling overwhelming or too "fall seasonal" looking. And don't be afraid to think outside of the box with styling details. We often think of pants like these as something for the office, but they can be worn in a relaxed casual way too.
Shop the Eva Paperbag Plaid Pants, $48.75 at Vero Moda
Shop the Doffy Colourblock Roll Neck Sweater, $55 at Vero Moda
Shop the New Balance 327 Shoe, $120 at Browns Shoes
Black Slouchy Bag, $24.99 at Winners
Checks/Checkers
Check patterns are much simpler than plaids— literally, think checkerboards! Checks are always symmetrical, consisting of crossed horizontal and vertical lines that form equally sized tiles. So, while plaids create a cross-hatched look, checks actually resemble miniature boxes. You can rock this pattern in any scale from small to large checks, depending on how bold of a statement you want to make. It's definitely one of those fun pieces to rock through the fall and winter months!
Shop the Wide Checkered Jeans, $59.50 at Zara
Shop the Soft Feel Cropped Sweater, $39.50 at Zara
Shop the Beige Square Toe Mid Flare Block Heel Ankle Boots, $100 at Pretty Little Thing
Shop the Mini Croc, $150 at AI Toronto Seoul
