Plaid Clothes Loved by the queen and the royal family

Plaid Clothes Loved by the queen and the royal family

The plaid pattern has always been unfailing in the fashion circle. Behind the seemingly ordinary plaid, there are many stories closely related to British culture, and plaid is also a must-have in the cloakroom of the Queen and the royal family.

Queen Elizabeth II smiling in a plaid skirt

Origin of Plaid

The most well-known plaid is probably the tartan.

The prototype of the plaid first appeared in central Scotland more than 1,700 years ago, and at that time there was only a checkered pattern composed of brown and white.

Later, plaid appeared widely in Scotland, Ireland and Wales, and became the favorite of the Scottish people in the 16th century.

three men and a women are wearing plaid clothes talking happily

At the very beginning, plaid was a symbol of identity, and a person’s identity was judged by the difference in colour matching on the pattern and the thickness of the lines.

Around the 17th century, warriors of the Scottish Highland tribes used the plaid pattern of their kilts to distinguish between enemy and foe.

When King George IV of England visited Scotland in 1822, everyone who visited the king was required to wear “the plaid of his clan”. But since many clans did not have unique plaid marks at this time, many novel patterns were created overnight.

Early Scottish Plaid Clothes

By the end of the 19th century, plaid has become the cultural blood of Scotland. Most families in Scotland have their own plaid pattern, which has gradually become an important part of British traditional culture.

The Scottish plaid is the most common plaid in the British royal family. It is even regarded as a “national treasure” pattern. There is also a saying that “Scottish plaid is equivalent to a history of the British Empire”.

What’s the first fashion snapshot that comes to your mind when considering the royal family? This pattern appears in many of their fashion choices, making it a key part of their overall look.

Among the many plaid styles, the most common is Royal Stewart, which was once the personal exclusive plaid of Queen Elizabeth II.

Royal Stewart

Royal Stewart tartan is a traditional plaid pattern that originated with the royal house of Stewart in the 19th century. It is still worn by the royal house of Windsor today. This particular plaid is very red, with green, blue, and gold accents.

Queen Elizabeth II wearing a Royal Stewart plaid shawl

But now, this plaid is no longer just for the royal family, anyone can wear it, and many designers apply this plaid element to various fashion items.

The Queen of England’s love for Scottish plaid is reflected in her daily wear, which is simply a walking plaid spokesperson.

Queen Elizabeth II walks in a plaid skirt

The Queen of England in plaid is both stylish and elegant.

elegant queen in plaid dress

If it is said that the Queen who “loves” to wear plaid is the Queen of England, then Princess Diana is the one who “will” wear it the most!

Princess Diana in a plaid shirt

Princess Diana in a plaid trench coat

Princess Diana’s plaid outfits have chosen very bold colour schemes, but because of her own beauty bonus, no matter how you wear it, you can’t go wrong!

Princess Diana shakes hands with people in red plaid dress

In addition to the traditional plaid pattern, tartan’s colours and patterns are increasingly bold and youthful.

Many big names in the fashion industry love Scottish plaid, such as Burberry’s classic plaid, which not only uses black, white and red, but also beige and camel, which is more in line with modern people’s style. Aesthetics and matching needs.

a man and a woman are wearing buberry plaid shirt and face mask

Glen Plaid

If there are grades of plaid, then the Glen Plaid must be at the top of the plaid pyramid.

Glen Plaid

The Prince of Wales pattern was first born in England in the 19th century. It is a fabric pattern intertwined with dark and light-coloured threads.

Glen plaid is a wool fabric with a checkerboard pattern of different-sized checks. The colors are usually muted, such as black, grey and white.

 Prince of Wales

It is said that Edward VII accidentally discovered this texture when hunting in his private manor at that time, and immediately improved it and named it after his title - Prince of Wales.

But it was his grandson, the Duke of Windsor, who really popularized the plaid pattern. The Duke of Windsor insisted on marrying the second-married Mrs. Simpson because he disregarded the opposition of the outside world. He was very unpopular in the British royal family.

The Duke of Windsor in a plaid suit

But he applied the Prince of Wales style to clothing design, taking this fashion to the extreme.

As a 20th century “hipster”, the Duke of Windsor introduced three fashionable revolutions to the fashion industry - the Windsor knot, the Windsor collar and the Prince of Wales grid.

The Prince of Wales plaid is very low-key and restrained, and is most commonly used on suits and coats. But compared with plain suits, the interwoven texture adds a touch of nobility to the whole.

Houndstooth

With the continuous innovation and development of the plaid pattern, the Prince of Wales plaid has derived the ** Houndstooth **. Houndtooth in English means “hound’s tooth”, so it is also called “houndtooth”.

The checks are woven into wool cloth one threads up and two threads down and are most commonly seen in black and white, with a traditional pattern that originated in Scotland in the 1800s.

In 1946, Hollywood actress Lauren Bacall (Lauren Bacall) wore a black and white houndstooth coat and a black painter’s hat in the movie “Big Sleep”, and was named a big screener. One of the most classic fashion looks on the screen.

houndstooth coat in movie big sleep

The first houndstooth to appear on the fashion stage is Christian Dior. In 1948, Dior used the houndstooth pattern on the perfume packaging and named it houndstooth.

Christian Dior Houndstooth fragrance

Houndstooth is a veritable “noble” pattern, which has always been loved by nobles. Compared with ordinary plaid, houndstooth is full of rich retro style, which is extraordinarily smart and elegant.

In the British royal family, Princess Kate is also particularly fond of houndstooth coats.

Duchess Kate in a houndstooth coat

In addition to the three most common plaids above, there are Vichy, windowpane and many other innovative plaid patterns.

plaid patterns

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