Plaid FashionVocabulary and Expressionspreppy worsted yarn

Plaid Fashion
   Thinking about plaid brings a number of different images to mind. Some might think about the Scottish Highlands, others might imagine preppy school girls in boarding school, still others might think of edgy, punk rockers, or even lumberjacks. Plaid is ubiquitous; you can see it anywhere and everywhere nowadays.
   The pattern actually has a very interesting history. Plaid arrived in Scotland in the 16th century and since then it has become a prominent part of Scottish culture. In fact, the word "plaid" is actually derived from the old Gaelic word "plaide", which means blanket. Certain patterns became associated with different parts of the Highlands and individual families began to associate themselves with different patterns. To this day, plaid is still a celebrated part of Scottish history.
   Perhaps the most popular form of plaid is the flannel shirt. Flannel is a soft fabric woven out of wool or worsted yarn. Somehow, over the ages flannel shirts began to be printed with plaid, and they have been inseparable ever since. In popular culture, lumberjacks are always pictured with a long-sleeved plaid flannel shirt and suspenders, possibly because many early lumberjacks wore flannel for its warmth. Flannel shirts are also associated with Southerners, as the style was very popular with farmers in the American South.
   In the later part of the 20th century, plaid became associated with a number of different groups. Plaid became an important aspect of prep fashion as they began to branch out into more colorful clothing. However, plaid was also important in the punk rock movement, with many wearing plaid skirts or pants to imitate the style of their British counterparts. And, who can forget the contribution of plaid to nerd culture? The stereotypical nerd wears thick glasses, suspenders, and a short-sleeved plaid shirt with a pocket protector.
   Despite all the different ideology, cultural value, and fashion sense, plaid seems to have worked its way into all social groups. Perhaps the versatility of plaid is what has led to its recent comeback.