No longer exclusively the uniform of farmers and tradesmen, in 2025, plaid has shed its practical origins and officially entered fashion's lexicon.
On recent runways and in new season collections, it was impossible to miss. The Row gave us clean check shirting for Spring 2025, in unconventional-but-always-chic shades of reds and purples. Acne Studios' love affair with the print du jour is well documented — on the Spring Summer 2025 runway, plaid adorned everything from flirty mini skirts, to pencil dresses, and just about everything in between. At Bottega Veneta, the pattern has been gaining momentum since Spring Summer 2023, when it appeared on the runway in various forms, from three-piece suits, to breezy shirting worn effortlessly unbuttoned by Kate Moss with loose-fit jeans.
And that same season, both Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren proved plaid can be preppy — the former with cute capris (expertly paired with matching shirts, blazers, and baseball caps), and summer dresses that would look at home on the white sands of the Hamptons; the latter with plaid cut from moody hues of summertime blue.
It’s also surprisingly versatile — plaid has become something of a new neutral in some of the chicest wardrobes of late. You’ll see it in the form of everything from sharp tailoring in the winter, to draped silk dresses and oversized shirts as the weather warms. It can ground a look or interrupt it, pairing well with leather, denim, sheer fabrics, and even other prints.
As we farewell the last of winter dressing here in Australia, there's no time like the present to introduce a checked shirt, sublty plaid trouser, or perhaps even a cashmere scarf into your wardrobe. Or, if you're holding out for warmer weather, look to silky plaid sundresses, and floaty skirts that will carry you through summer. Whatever your preference, shop the plaid pieces we're currently coveting, below.
CAMILLA AND MARC Pasphae Check Shirt
PROENZA SCHOULER Bronwen Top
DÔEN Quinn checked cotton-poplin midi dress
BURBERRY Fringed checked cashmere scarf
GOD'S TRUE CASHMERE Checked cashmere shirt
ACNE STUDIOS Checked woven shorts
LIONESS Sweet Escape Cami and Sweet Escape Maxi Skirt
Polo Ralph Lauren Plaid Cotton Drawstring Maxi Skirt
RAT BOI Keyhole Camisole and Easy Bloomer Short
ISABEL MARANT ETOILE Neyla Top and Nicole Skirt
LOVERS AND FRIENDS Gale Maxi Dress
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