Plaids are something that will never go out of style, so they are a good thing to incorporate into a wardrobe, especially if you are on the traditional side. Lately, designers have thrown us off “KILT-er” this season with their modern twist on plaids. They’re showing the classic Scottish staple in large-scale checks and bright, eye-popping colors.
If you have decided to pass on this trend because you couldn’t imagine such bright, wild plaids, let me reassure you runway is not always reality. Now, this trend has hit the stores there are many very wearable options that only flirt with the idea of the bright color.
Still, there are 4 Things to Consider Before Wearing Plaid
1) Plaid Can Make you Look Heavy
Plaids are not Fabulous after 40, or at any age, if you have weight issues.
Plaids are busy, bulky, and can make you look larger than you are, especially when the cut is loose or boxy as plaid shirts often are.
Also, be forewarned that many plaid shirts are flannel which also packs on the pounds.
“But, What if I’m slim?”
Baggy is baggy after 40. Loose boyfriend lumber jack shirts may be hot now and are supposed to make you look sexy, but after 40 this is an extremely hard look to pull off, no matter how fit you are.
You don’t want to look like you are a grown woman trying to play dress up. It can easily backfire into just looking sloppy. Instead…
2) Fitted Plaid Looks Best
After 40 your body softens up, and you need some definition, so if you are going to wear a plaid shirt find one with a slim cut that nips in at your waist to give you some shape.
3) Big, Bright Plaids Trump Traditional Plaids
Traditional plaids come in old world colors like navy, forest green, gold, and burgundy, but these days those color combinations can look pretty drab and dated, especially on a 40+woman.
Today’s plaids come in vivid contrasting, colors and large-scale prints. To look more modern and youthful in plaid try a:
- Single brightly colored plaid garment like a trench coat or dress.
- Combination of a bright plaid shirt and + a bright, contrasting sweater or jacket.
If you are not a fan of a lot of bright colors, then go for a
- neutral colored plaid garment, accented with a pop of color to look current and in style. A bright purse or shoe, for example, is exactly the pop of color you need with this taupe plaid dress.
Finally….
4) Painterly Plaids are Chic
Some of the newest plaids (like this one above and right) have a brushstroke feel that makes them appear hand painted. This is an elegant and chic way to wear plaid and feels more contemporary.
Want to know more? Check out these bloggers who are mad about plaid!
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Woohoo!!! This is one old Ozark Farm Chick who is glad I found ya’ll. I just celebrated my last birthday in my fifties last week and this is one gal who can use all the help she can get.
Ya know there ‘ain’t a one of us gettin’ any younger. I like to take my DIL, the Latin Lovin’ Hillbilly or my daughter, The Social Butterfly shoppin’ with me, they’re totally honest if I lean to datin’ myself.
From the amazingly happy hills and holler of the Missouri Ponderosa, ya’ll have a wonderfully blessed and beautiful day now…ya hear? :o)
I have enjoyed your posts on plaids. As a designer, I would offer the following suggestions:
The problem with plaids for over-40’s has nothing to do with age, but everything to do with the woman’s figure. If you have gained that last extraneous 20 lbs., you would do well to keep contrasts in colors soft as in Cute Car Coat. Size of plaid should be small as in Glen Plaid above. Strong horizontal effects as in Painterly Plaid would be better run vertically.
The diagonal effects in Modern Twist are a great way to camouflage figure faults and suggest that we might do well to look for garments where the plaid has been cut on the bias, a treatment that usually results in soft drape and figure hugging shapes.
Another possibility might be to select garments made from plaids cut with slenderizing dark color panels in strategic places. For example, a princess-line dress with the sides cut in a dark solid would push the more slender shapes of a coordinating plaid forward and could actually make a women look slimmer than she is, despite wearing a plaid!
If your figure is anything like those of the young women shown above, then wear plaids as they do, by all means! Get your colors tested by someone certified to do so, and then you only need to worry about wearing plaids in the best colors for you!
Hi Dena,
Right on…I agree with all you all the way ! Thanks for your comments…keep them coming!!