Fall is in full swing, and we're piling on the plaid: snuggly flannels, buffalo-check coats, tartan blazers, patchwork wool skirts. But, while the checkered pattern has proved one of the most enduring sartorial trends ever — worn in 16th-century Scotland before being embraced by lumberjacks, beatniks, preppies, and grunge rockers — one iteration tends to scare even the most plaid-mad: the tartan trouser.
A favorite of golfers and British punks, the plaid pant is not for the timid. It is loud. It is bold. It can easily veer into the ridiculous. But, it's also a perfect statement piece and actually much more versatile than you might think.
Here, senior style editor Annie Georgia Greenberg takes the pant outside the country club — mixing it with stripes, blouses, and vintage tees for three totally different non-preppy events. Even Chuck Bass would be impressed.