7 Ways to Wear a Plaid Shirt in 2026 And Past

Dressing for transitional weather can at all times be difficult, however particularly if you dwell within the UK. One minute, you’re contending with balmy temperatures, the following, there’s an icy chill within the air or a sudden downpour. Whilst we have now had our fill of layering over the previous few years (be it dresses over jeans, polo over polo, or doubled-up T-shirts), in 2026, there’s one piece which feels brisker and cooler, layered or not: the plaid shirt, a piece everyone is styling in 2026.

Now extra not too long ago a signifier of prep and polish (Ralph Lauren, anybody?), the plaid shirt’s roots are a bit extra humble. Made common within the 70s and ‘80s as ladies more and more adopted males’s sensible workwear, by the point the ‘90s rolled round (and plaid shirts met visionaries like Vivienne Westwood and Kurt Cobain, Lorelai Gilmore, Dolly Parton and, after all, the solid of Friends), their transition right into a barely rebellious, grunge Americana was properly and actually cemented.

Whether you name it flannel, plaid, or a easy checked shirt, fast-forward 30-odd years and the laidback button-down has grow to be the most popular layer to put on. It’s newest reinvention by the hands of Matthieu Blazy period Bottega Veneta (the Spring/ Summer 2023 present, to be precise), reworked the examine from boring to one of the vital luxurious items going. And who higher to carry a few shift than supermodel Kate Moss herself? Sauntering down the runway in croc-print ballet flats, low-waisted washed jeans, a white tank top and a plaid button-down, its easy proportions and attention-grabbing hues immediately made it a favorite. I imply, Jacob Elordi adored it so much he wore the look in the last season of Euphoria.

After The Row’s viral pink checkered iteration garnered a cult following when it strutted down the runway for S/S ‘2025, a rotation of vibrant lumberjack-inspired silhouettes lined the excessive road, and it couldn’t be clearer that plaid shirts are again on the style agenda. But when you’ve discovered the one, the following massive query turns into: how do you model it?

For Amy Shaw Creative Director of London based mostly model Fuchsia Shaw, the attraction of the throw-on-and-go layer at all times been there. “I first got here out with shirts in 2020 and once I relaunched in 2024, I at all times obtained questions on whether or not we’d carry them again. They are fairly a timeless piece that individuals by no means tire of!” And with regards to styling, Shaw has a refreshingly unfussy method. “I’m at all times tying one round my waist over a extremely simple outfit, normally a long-sleeve fundamental with corduroy trousers, as a result of it provides one thing with out feeling overdone and it’s there if I get chilly.”