R.A.G. New York

Wearing plaid shorts was not always the thing to do. These days, urban plaid shorts and plaid Bermuda shorts have taken off. Almost every major brand including American Eagle and Abercrombie & Fitch carry them. Here at R.A.G., we wanted to take a look back at the history of plaid and how it came about becoming such a fashion statement.

Full Plaid –
The word plaid itself means blanket, most often a wool cloth with a pattern on it. It comes either from Gaellic (Plaide) or a Scots language. Full Plaid refers to the skirts that accompany traditional highland dress uniform. Its pleats are sewn to keep them from opening. The length of the plaid is twice that of the man wearing it. (Usually only seen on members of pipe bands)
The Kilt –
The most well-known kilt is the Scottish kilt, with its unique design and construction. It is worn at the “natural waist” – above the hip, and below the lowest rib – and has a distinctive tartan pattern (sett), which are individualized for clans and families . Underwear optional. The kilt dates back to the end of the 16th century.

Flannel-
Flannel, which is made from loosely spun yarn (wool or cotton), originated in the Midwest, but similar fabric is traced back to Wales. It was mainly associated with workers in cold climates, such as woodsmen, lumberjack, and farmers.
Then came grunge. Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain (along with much of the grunge scene) made flannel cool again by wearing it on several performances. (photo from www.solarnavigator.net)
Subsequently, West Coast gangster rap began making a fashion statement out of it, making it cool for basically anyone who wanted to wear plaid – as long as it wasn’t tucked into your pants – to do so.

Plaid Shorts –
They became popular around fall 2007, just as the summer season was winding down, and now in preparation of the summer season, any type of summer short can be found in plaid. That includes plaid Bermuda shorts, plaid cargo shorts, and urban plaid shorts. Now even David Beckham can be seen wearing plaid shorts.

Why did they get so cool? Tell us below by commenting on this post!