The history of Plaid goes back further and deeper than many people truly know. Here, we provide a detailed look back at its origins and impact on the world.
Plaid is a fabric pattern characterized by a grid of vertical and horizontal stripes that intersect at right angles.
It has a rich history that spans several centuries and has been associated with different cultures and time periods. Here’s a brief overview of the fascinating history of plaid:
Prehistoric Plaid.
If you thought that plaid began with the Scottish, think again!
As far back as the 8th century B.C., tartan designs were unearthed with the discovery of the Cherchen Man found in Central Asian mountains.
The mummified corpse wearing the distinctive pattern in a twill tunic and tartan leggings proved how long humans have worn the style
Another rare find, 3,000-year-old mummies found near the Tarim Basin in western China, still wore remains of plaid leggings. These Urumqi mummies wore plaid in primarily red and blue fibers.
In the 1st century, Celts wore checkered cloaks at the waist that fastened at the shoulder with a brooch.
By the 5th century, Greek women wore their version of kilts — peplos — which were pleated garments made from wool belted at the midsection and draped over the shoulder.
This style then traveled across other areas of the Mediterranean. Not too far away in Hallstatt, Austria, remains from the people living there around 1,000 B.C. were also discovered to be wearing plaid.
Plaid in the Middle Ages
By the Middle Ages, the Celts had established their presence in Europe, and so had plaid. Scotsmen of this era wore plaid blankets that were skillfully pleated, cinched with a belt, and elaborately draped over one shoulder, secured with a brooch.
Progressing towards the 1700s, plaid fashion had become popular throughout Scotland.
Scottish spinners at this time utilized locally sourced plants to dye their yarns. These earth tones served a dual purpose — to reflect the natural beauty of each region and act as camouflage for hunters.
In Scotland, certain plaids became known as hunting plaids. These hunting plaids primarily featured muted earth tones, perfectly blending with the colors of the forest.
The Dawn of Dress Plaids
Just as hunters acquired their own particular plaids for their activities, so did people for everyday wear.
In contrast to the camouflage of hunting plaids, Scottish weavers created dress plaids with their striking and distinctive appearance.
These dress plaids featured the same intricate designs as hunting plaids, but skilled craftspeople intentionally transformed the background color into a white or yellow hue.
Dress plaids of this period were reserved for festive occasions such as dances and formal occasions. Their vibrant and eye-catching checkered patterns were considered too loud for hunting (and probably weren’t a great choice for camouflage).
Enter India and Madras Plaids
In the 1200s, India introduced another type of plaid known as Madras.
The lightweight, colorful plaid was well-suited for the hot climate of the Indian city it originated from, known today as Chennai (formerly Madras).
According to historians, Madras plaid has ancient origins, similar to its presence in the Tamil Basin.
By the 13th century, South Indian fishermen and laborers favored Madras plaid for its exceptional lightness and affordability.
By the 1700s, Madras plaid had become increasingly more common and traveled throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
What set Madras plaid apart was its vividly dyed patterns. However, the dyes used in Madras plaids were known for bleeding when washed, earning Madras plaid the nickname bleeding plaid.
Madras plaid featured distinct designs with wider stripes and a vibrant palette of hot colors, offering a more exotic range compared to traditional Scottish tones.
The accessibility made Madras Plaid a common choice for people in economically disadvantaged regions and less affluent individuals in wealthier countries. Workers across various continents, including groups like the Kalabari in Nigeria and the Igbos, incorporated Madras plaid into their wardrobes.
The slave trade in Africa during this time also played a pivotal role in spreading the Madras plaid. Many Africans were enslaved and then transported to the Caribbean while wearing Madras plaid, leading to the widespread adoption of this distinctive pattern in the Caribbean region.
The Emergence of Scottish Plaids
Fittingly, plaid patterns evolved uniquely wherever they could be found.
Even the slightest alteration in a single thread or spacing created a distinct design.
In the 1700s, the Scottish military embraced plaid for their uniforms, elevating its significance to a political level due to its association with battles.
After the Battle of Culloden in 1745, the final conflict of the Jacobite uprising, plaid became associated with the Highlander.
As a result, from 1746 to 1782, the English Parliament enacted the Dress Act, which prohibited the wearing of plaid in contexts other than military use. Under this legislation, Scots suspected of supporting the Jacobite rising were forced to take an oath.
In 1782, James Graham, the 3rd Duke of Montrose, achieved the successful repeal of the ban. Subsequently, in 1815, the Highland Society of London acknowledged and officially documented all the tartans associated with various family clans.
Nevertheless, the prohibition of tartan had effectively suppressed the traditional Highland dress, causing it to lose popularity for at least one generation. During this time, numerous skilled traditional tartan weavers had passed away, resulting in the decline of this craft.
The Grand Ball and The Tartan Revival
In 1822 King George IV embarked on a historic journey from mainland England to Scotland.
This visit represented the first royal excursion to Scotland in almost two centuries, prompting numerous clans to commemorate the occasion with a series of ceremonies, during which they prominently wore plaid garments.
The King was deeply enthralled by these patterns and subsequently introduced them into various aspects of English culture.
George IV sparked a revival of interest in tartan when he encouraged those attending the Grand Ball to wear their respective clan tartans. However, these tartans’ original designs and records had faded with time, making it impossible to duplicate them faithfully.
Consequently, local tailors began to handcraft fresh tartan designs for Scottish families. This newfound fascination with tartan’s history served as a unifying force between the high and lowlanders, ultimately cementing tartan as an integral part of Scotland’s national identity and traditional attire.
Subsequently, people began to make concerted efforts to preserve records of clan tartans.
By the 1850s Queen Victoria wholeheartedly embraced plaid, ordering numerous yards of plaid fabric to be fashioned into garments, lampshades, upholstery, and more for her residence at Scotland’s Balmoral Castle.
Queen Victoria’s fascination with plaid reached new heights, culminating in specially designed tartans installed in each room of her estate.
At this point, Scottish plaid came to be associated with English royalty and thus a symbol of high society.
Breaking Down Tartan Design
The patterns of lines and squares, known as ‘setts,’ make each clan tartan distinctive, but several variations exist. Common variations within a given family clan tartan include:
Ancient
Crafted, using understated colors to emulate the appearance of tartans made with natural dyes and aged over time.
Modern
Sharing the same set as the ancient tartan but features more vibrant colors achieved through modern chemical dyes.
Weathered:
This design is an extension of the ancient tartan plaid, with further subdued colors to replicate the fading that occurs due to exposure to the elements.
Hunting
Worn during outdoor sports and hunting, it is often characterized by green and brown tones to blend into the natural surroundings.
Hunting tartans are especially relevant for clans whose primary tartans are bright in color, such as red. Clans with tartans predominantly in green and brown may not have a distinct hunting tartan.
Dress
Traditionally worn by women for Highland dance ceremonies, often featuring white as one of the primary colors.
Mourning Tartans
Consisting of black and white, these tartans are specifically associated with mourning attire.
Plaid Comes to America!
Scottish immigration towards the close of the 18th century contributed significantly to the popularization of plaid in the United States. One Scotsman, in particular, played a particularly pivotal role in this process.
Jock McCluskey, a descendant of the legendary Rob Roy MacGregor, embarked on a journey from Braeval to the rugged wilderness of Canada in search of employment. Subsequently, McCluskey played a key role in the settlement of Montana and the Dakota territories by establishing trade with the Sioux.
He engaged in the exchange of pelts with the indigenous people for woven blankets sourced from Scotland, featuring the distinct red and black plaid of his MacGregor clan.
This pattern is the one we now recognize today as buffalo plaid.
The History Of Plaid Flannel Shirts
Another origin story associated with this same iconic pattern, however, hails from Pennsylvania.
Founded in 1830, Woolrich Woolen Mills stood as one of the oldest manufacturers of outdoor clothing in the United States.
During the same period, Northern and Central Pennsylvania experienced a lumber boom, prompting founder John Rich to journey to the lumber camps and sell clothing to the wives of lumberjacks.
In 1850, Woolrich introduced the buffalo check shirt, which was named after the designer’s own herd of pet buffalo. This pattern enjoyed huge popularity during that time and is still a part of the brand’s logo today.
Plaid Enters the Mainstream
Prior to the 20th century, plaid carried distinct cultural associations in various parts of the world.
In Scotland, it symbolized a culture that had faced oppression under a monarchy, while in America, it functioned as the uniform of pioneers and the hardworking lumberjacks who were shaping unchartered territory.
However, for plaid to become a staple in the wardrobe of the average American consumer, it required the influence of an advertising professional named William B. Laughead.
Hired to create pamphlets for the Red River Lumber Company, he was one of the American manufacturers that took a unique approach by narrating the legendary tales of Paul Bunyan, an iconic lumberjack figure known primarily through oral tradition at the time.
Laughead transcribed these stories into written form but also illustrated them, depicting Bunyan in his now iconic heavy brown boots, blue jeans, and a flannel shirt adorned with red-and-black plaid. The images took off, and a new trend swept across the region.
The widespread acceptance of plaid took another significant step forward with the release of Pendleton Mills’ iconic plaid shirts in 1924, one of the earliest forms of sportswear.
These shirts achieved such remarkable success that a relatively unknown vocal group from California chose to name themselves The Pendletones after them. This group later gained fame as The Beach Boys.
Catholicism Incorporates Plaid
Catholic schools and plaid have a longstanding and distinctive relationship that is both traditional and recognizable.
Plaid uniforms are a common sight in Catholic educational institutions around the world, and often feature plaid skirts or jumpers for girls and plaid ties or trousers for boys, creating a sense of uniformity and discipline among students.
The use of plaid in Catholic school uniforms reflects the schools’ commitment to fostering a sense of community, discipline, and respect for tradition.
It also highlights the influence of Scottish heritage in Catholic education, as many Catholic schools adopted plaid patterns reminiscent of traditional Scottish tartans.
Beyond being a symbol of uniformity, plaid in Catholic schools can also be seen as a representation of the values and principles upheld within these institutions, emphasizing the importance of faith, knowledge, and community in the lives of their students.
Plaid: From Postwar to Punk
In the 1940s, plaid underwent a transformative shift by transcending gender boundaries, notably when Pendleton introduced plaid shirts for women.
Subsequently, plaid became a ubiquitous presence, extending its influence from woolen fabrics to a wide array of textiles. Plaid designs began to appear not only in clothing but also on consumer products, car seats, wrapping paper, footwear, and even wallpaper.
This surge in plaid’s popularity prompted a countercultural response, with the punk movement adopting plaid as part of its iconography.
In the United Kingdom, punk enthusiasts specifically chose the Royal Stewart Tartan, the official tartan of the queen, to juxtapose with their distinctive styles, including mohawks, safety-pinned shirts, and motorcycle jackets.
Over time, plaid has become an essential element of anti-establishment fashion.
Its appearance in iconic films on the silver screen and its association with the emerging grunge scene in places like Seattle exemplified its enduring appeal. With each new iteration, plaid marked its rich history and solidified its status as a timeless classic.
During the 1990s, the punk subculture experienced a resurgence that reinterpreted tartan, which had long been associated with authority despite its subversive origins.
When worn ironically by a group of nonconformists and rebels, tartan became a symbol of anti-establishment sentiment.
With fashion designer Vivienne Westwood serving as its ambassador, the punk music scene acquired its distinctive uniform. In 1993, Westwood even commissioned her own tartan, the McAndreas, named after her husband, Andreas Kronthaler.
The Enduring Appeal of Plaid
Plaid stands as a unique enigma in fashion, known for its enduring appeal and iconic status. Plaid manages to maintain a dual identity, possessing both a bold and flashy presence while exuding sophistication and understated charm.
To further drive home the point of how integrated plaid is in society, there is now an official Tartan Day celebrated annually by Scottish people worldwide.
Coincidentally, April 6th is the same date that marks the independence of Scotland.
It’s not only in Scotland that plaid is celebrated officially, the United States signed a resolution under President George W. Bush. Through the signing of Senate Resolution 155 in 1998, National Tartan in the U.S. has been officially observed annually since April 6th, 1999.
The move cemented the importance of plaid on the American calendar for everyone to celebrate.
How widespread is tartan in the world today?
Presently, there are approximately 7,000 distinct tartan patterns worldwide, and the number continues to expand. Given the vast array of unique designs, it’s hardly surprising to see the extensive commercial use of these patterns in the market.
Plaid’s Place in History
Plaid stands as a remarkable testament to the enduring influence of fashion on human history.
Its rich and multifaceted journey through the ages reveals not only its adaptability but also its power to transcend boundaries, both cultural and temporal.
Plaid has served as a symbol of identity, rebellion, and tradition in various corners of the world.
From its origins in ancient cultures to its adoption by modern countercultures, plaid has continued to evolve, adapting to the changing social and political landscapes. Its resilience and ubiquity have made it an indelible part of our collective sartorial heritage.
Moreover, plaid’s ability to bridge different eras and demographics underscores its cultural significance.
Whether it’s the traditional Scottish tartans representing clan identity or the punk-inspired rebellion of the 20th century, plaid proves the notion that fashion also serves as a storyteller of our times. It resonates with people from all walks of life.
Its continued presence in our contemporary wardrobes is a testament to its timeless allure and its capacity to transcend generations.
In essence, plaid is not just a pattern; it’s a reflection of our ever-evolving societal tapestry, a reminder of our shared history, and a symbol of our enduring individuality. Plaid is entrenched into humanity’s fabric — yesterday, today, and forever.
What’s your favorite plaid clothing item? Let me know in the comments!
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