Why tartan is the perennial print you need in your wardrobe
Tartan’s associations with comfort and cold weather are the essential ingredients of this tried and tested print's enduring appeal. Picture chunky woolen blankets, tins of Scottish shortbread and linings of waxed Barbour coats and tartan’s charisma is immediately evident. The iconic print is timeless - and so it should be, it’s been around for long enough.
The first tartan fabrics were thought to have been created in the 7th Century and tartan-style leggings were even found on the "Cherchen Man", a 3,000-year-old mummy discovered in the Taklamakan Desert. And yet on Burns Night - and any other wintry day or evening - it still looks as good as ever.
So, how does this ancient textile manage to retain its relevance season after season? Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood and Burberry have long been using tartan in their collections. In the Autumn/Winter ‘18 shows, British designers including Emilia Wickstead, Simone Rocha and Isa Arfen all featured tartan looks on their catwalks. Versace got in on the action too, incorporating some form of tartan - albeit a Nineties fluorescent version - into almost every look.
But the real beauty of tartan is in its versatility- the look can range from ‘Queen Elizabeth at Balmoral’ to ‘Johnny Rotten on stage with the Sex Pistols’. Like many modern classics, plaid gained its never-out-of-fashion status thanks to Queen Victoria. “In the 19th century, the royal family were the trendsetters, so whatever they wore that immediately set trends for people,” says Caroline Young, the author of the book Tartan and Tweed. “I think her love of tartan came because she loved Balmoral. It was a fairytale kingdom, so she really absorbed herself in everything that was Scottish and everything that romanticised it.”
If you’re hoping to get in the spirit of Burns Night with a dose of tartan, the best starter buy is a classic scarf - preferably in cashmere. Johnstons of Elgin does lovely traditional styles while Acne Studios offers a more experimental take. Feeling brave? Look to The Duchess of Cambridge for some inspiration on how to embrace tartan fully - her postbox-red Emilia Wickstead skirt and green Miu Miu coat were bold but impactful choices.
The Duchess of Sussex has done the look more casually, teaming a Black Watch Burberry coat with wide-legged trousers. On the high street, Marks & Spencer and J.Crew offer all sorts of tartan treats - from shoes to hair bows and everything in between.
5 of the best tartan buys to try now:
Clockwise from top left: Belted tartan coat, ￡159, & Other Stories; Cashmere scarf, ￡59.95, House of Bruar; J.Crew cotton-blend shirt, ￡80, Net-a-Porter; Baum und Pferdgarten blazer, ￡370, My Theresa; Checked a-line skirt, ￡35, Marks & Spencer