Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette!
In today's video, we'll be discussing the category of patterns in menswear known as
tartan, their illustrious history and how to incorporate them well into your outfits.
So let's start today by answering the basic question, what is tartan?
In the most general terms, tartan is a type of checked pattern.
As a reminder, a check is a pattern of horizontal and vertical lines that create small squares
and that can incorporate multiple colors though it doesn't necessarily have to.
It can also be further enhanced by an overcheck in a different color.
For more information on different checks, you can check out our video on these patterns
here.
More specifically, tartan is a pattern of intersecting horizontal and vertical bands
in differing widths and colors and in its most traditional weave, would be considered
a serge twill.
Tartans alternating weave forms visible diagonal lines where different colors cross and can
also give the appearance of creating new colors where these lines intersect.
Tartans originated almost exclusively in woven wool but today, you can find them in a variety
of other materials.
And while the definition of a tartan was originally one that was made only from woven material,
you can also find tartans today that are printed instead of woven.
In traditional Scottish Gaelic, tartan is known as breacan which means multiple colors.
As late as the 1830s, a tartan didn't actually have to be made up of any pattern at all,
just multiple colors but since then, the meanings of tartan and breacan merged over time to
become known as a certain pattern in a certain type of weave.
So you may be asking at this point, where does the term plaid come into play?
Especially in the United States, Tartans are generally referred to by the more generic
term plaid.
In Scotland, a plaid is a garment, not a pattern.
Specifically, it refers to a long rectangular strip of cloth worn over the shoulder usually
the left and that can be folded or unfolded to be used as a blanket.
Also, these cloths can be hand pleated and worn with a belt in which case, they'd be
referred to as belted plaids and are worn in place of a conventional kilt which has
pleats sewn in.
Since these types of garments almost always sport different tartan patterns, the confusion
between the words tartan and plaid likely has its source here.
Also, plaid cloths in a particular tartan pattern known as the Rob Roy became commonly
traded in the American West in the 1880s.
This pattern which came to be commonly associated with cowboys, as well as Lumberjacks, came
to be known as buffalo plaid in the United States further cementing the confusion between
the two terms.
Outside of Scotland, the term plaid can now also refer to any type of checked pattern
in two or more colors.
Phrased another way, plaid is a synonym for check in fabrics and while all Tartans are
plaids, not all plaids are Tartans.
Also, here's an important definition that we will be employing later on, the specific
pattern on any given tartan is referred to as a set.
The shades of color in any given tartan set can also be varied to produce different variations
on the same general tartan.
So where did the tartan pattern come from originally then?
It's a bit of a long story but here's a brief overview.
The earliest documented tartan found in Scotland referred to as the Falkirk tartan dates from
the third-century CE and features a very simple check pattern of alternating dark and light
natural wool.
Tartan, as we know it today, is not thought to have existed in Scotland prior to the 16th
century.
The dress act of 1746 attempted to bring the warring Scottish clans under British government
control by banning tartan entirely as well as other elements of Gaelic culture.
When this Act was repealed in 1782, tartan was no longer just an everyday fabric but
was then decided that it should be made the national dress of Scotland.
In 1842, Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert traveled to Scotland themselves and
purchased Balmoral Castle there.
Prince Albert personally took care of the interior design of the castle himself and
he incorporated lots of tartan into it.
Queen Victoria designed the Victoria tartan and Prince Albert designed the Balmoral tartan
and both of these still see wide use today by the Royals and by commoners.
Because of its association with British royalty and aristocracy around this period, tartan,
in general, started developing an air of dignity and exclusivity to it.
This trope has occasionally been subverted however, for example, the punk rock scene
of the 1970s in Britain, saw widespread use of tartan as a kind of mocking
anti-establishment symbol.
Also, the grunge music scene of the 1990s, particularly in the United States, saw lots
of tartan patterns used as well.
All this being said, Scotland is where tartan really took root to the extent that different
Scottish clans adopted clan tartans over time.
The naming and registration of specific clan Tartans began in 1815 upon a resolution from
the Highland Society of London.
Today, however, almost all Scottish clans have several types of Tartans associated with
their name and several plans also have official Tartans as documented by various official
societies.
So there you have it, now that we've covered the wide and varied history of tartan patterns,
let's talk about how to wear and pair them well in your outfits.
Given its heritage, tartan is an ideal choice for autumn and winter wear as well as for
the business casual dress code.
Conversely, it's a little too rustic to be worn in a traditional white-collar business
environment and while it's too loud to be worn with white tie ensembles, conservative
Tartans such as Black Watch have had a history in Black Tie dress codes since at least the
middle of the 20th century.
On that note, you can take a look at our videos on dressing for the office and a general dress
code primer here and you can also check out our PDF ebooks on black tie and white tie
in our shop here.
With that in mind, let's dive into some of its more specific applications starting with
probably the most widely seen application of tartan in clothing, shirts.
In the realm of casual wear, especially in the cooler months, it's hard to beat a flannel
button-up in tartan or in a more general plaid pattern.
It can be worn with denim corduroy or khakis and even layered under a sport coat perhaps
in a fabric like a muted wool tweed.
Now let's talk about tartan suits.
While full suits in loud red and green tartans are available, these types of ensembles are
really more at home in the world of high fashion than in traditional menswear.
Instead, we suggest opting for a more subtle and largely monochromatic tartan which is
to say really more of a general plaid or something that's dark yet colorful such as the Black
Watch set.
Layers underneath the suit's jacket should ideally be subdued and monochromatic such
as a white or light blue dress shirt or a dark turtleneck sweater.
Similarly here, your accessories should also be tasteful and uncomplicated so as not to
clash in focus with the tartan pattern.
Tartan sport coats can be a little bit more bright and bold than full tartan suits can.
As with suits and sweaters though, it's best when wearing a tartan sport coat to make sure
that the other elements of your outfit, including your trousers and shirt, are more subdued.
Also, tartan wears well as the pattern on an odd waistcoat or vest.
Though if you're wearing one of these, it's best to pair it with a plain or very subtly
patterned jacket so that the two patterns don't clash.
Tartan trousers worn without a matching jacket should generally follow the same principles
we've just outlined for solo tartan sport coats.
A subdued set paired with a muted jacket, either plain or faintly patterned, will be
your most versatile option.
Whereas something bold and loud in tartan patterns on trousers would situate them firmly
within the realm of go-to-hell pants.
On that note, you can find our article on this particular type of ostentatious pants
here.
Let's move now to neckwear starting with tartan ties.
You're probably beginning to sense a pattern here and I don't just mean the tartan pattern
itself.
A tartan necktie can be even more colorful than a jacket or trousers can be but the louder
the tartan pattern on an accessory gets, the more muted your other garments should be to
help balance things out.
A plain dark suit or sport coat perhaps in navy or charcoal will work best with a boldly
pattern tartan tie.
If you're feeling a bit more adventurous, these garments can also incorporate subtle
patterns of their own though remember that balance is key.
Still within the realm of neckwear, a great way to introduce tartan into your outfits
is through an accessory that's primarily designed to be functional.
As such, a tartan scarf is perhaps the poster child for this principle.
As before, it's easiest to opt for subtler Tartans with more neutral based tones.
Take for example the Black Watch tartan scarf that's available in the Fort Belvedere shop.
You can click the link to take a closer look.
For tartan pocket squares, the same rules generally apply as for neckwear.
Tartan pocket squares either in wool or silk can add a pop of color to another more muted
outfit and out of all the types of garments we've discussed today, you've got the greatest
liberty to be really bold with a pocket square in tartan.
Regarding hats, flat caps are a traditional choice that remains stylish today.
They're great for fall style and they come in various materials primarily tweed and also
different kinds of pattern and color combinations including tartans and generally plaids.
On a related note, you can take a look at our video on flat caps here as well as our
video on the long and storied history of the tweed fabric here.
Some more casual men's shoe designs might also feature tartan patterns directly incorporated.
Tartan shoes aside, here are a few tips for pairing more conventional shoe styles with
tartan patterned garments.
As we've said in the past, brown is the most versatile shoe and boot color for outfits
consisting of a combination of sport coats and odd trousers.
You can get away with an informal shoe in black as well such as perhaps a horse bit
loafer if the tartan patterned elements in your outfit are especially bold.
If you're wearing more muted tartan accessories with a charcoal suit however feel free to
wear a conventional black Oxford shoe.
Regarding one final type of accessory today, let's discuss boutonnieres.
Of course, with any type of outfit, boutonnieres are a great way to add that special touch
of sprezzatura.
Choose a flower that isn't too large as tartan can already be a relatively bold pattern on
its own and go for something in a color that echoes something in the tartan or elsewhere
around your outfit.
Of course, you can take a look at our wide selection of boutonnieres that could go with
any outfit in the Fort Belvedere shop here.
In conclusion then, there are over 5,000 different individual sets of tartan available so any
man should be able to find a particular tartan pattern that suits his tastes as well as the
occasion, provided he follows the advice we've outlined in
today's video.
What were you most surprised to learn learn about the history of Tartans and plaids in
menswear in today's video?
Let us know in the comments section below and as always, don't forget to subscribe to
the channel and hit the little bell icon so these videos can come straight to your inbox.
In today's video I'm incorporating tartan into my outfit in a fairly safe and standard
way which is to say in my accessories the vintage bow tie features a tartan
set primarily in white and red with accents in green black and yellow meanwhile the set
of the pocket square is primarily red with accents in black white and green we wouldn't
normally suggest that you wear two different tartan pieces at one time but because these
two pieces feature different principal colors in their sets and also because they're at
slightly different scales we're just showing you that in principle it can be done of course
don't ever wear a tartan tie and pocket square in the exact matching set as they're just
going to look like you bought them together at the store and that'll come off as pretty
amateurish following the advice we gave several times in today's video the remaining elements
of my outfit are conservative and muted to balance with the bold tartan patterns my sport
coat features a very faint houndstooth pattern in navy and a slightly lighter blue on that
note you can take a look at our video on houndstooth patterns and menswear here my shirt is a plain
light blue to complement the jacket my trousers are plain charcoal and my socks are plain
Navy also to compliment the jacket my dark oxblood penny loafers echo some of the red
tones that are found in the different tartan sets my other accessories today are from Fort
Belvedere we'll start with my platinum-plated sterling silver cuff links in an Eagle Claw
design and featuring malachite as the stone I could have gone with red cufflinks for a
more typical look but I decided it might be a smart choice to go for something in to echo
the secondary colours of the tartan sets finally my white phlox boutonniere is small and understated
so that it doesn't get in the way of the plaid tie and plaid pocket square of course you
can find our wide selection of both cufflinks and boutonnieres as well as lots of other
kinds of accessories in the Fort Belvedere shop
here