ALL IN THE DETAILS: Plaid on Plaid

Black on black, denim on denim and finally plaid on plaid. Doubling or tripling up on patterns and textures is a great way to make an outfit really cohesive and super interesting at the same time. It’s so easy to waltz out of your dorm with a total outfit mistmatch, but mixing multiple plaids in one outfit is the best way to look put together. Plaid are available in a ton of textures and colors and definitely as multiple pieces of an outfit. Scarves and flannels are everywhere, but if you look hard enough super cool shoes, skirts or accessories will be easy to find.

Mixing different patterns—stripes and polka-dots—have been a thing for years. Pairing up similar fabrics and colors for denim on denim looks and monocrhome outfits was huge in 2015. Plaid on plaid has really emerged this winter as the staple trend, especially while we’re looking for warmth. Additionally, this trend has appeared everywhere from the runway to the websites of fashion bloggers. It can seem kind of tricky and unaccessible at first, but as long as you keep up your confidence and keep the rest of the outfit neutral it’ll be a cinch.

So how can you make sure it’s the perfect match? You have a few options. As our Fashionisto demostrates, one great way to do it is by separating your pieces with solid colors. He put his first plaid layer under a cozy black vest and popped his second plaid layer on as a scarf on top of his jacket. The rest of his outfit complements the two patterns. His blue pants match the scarf and his black vest makes the flannel pop. The matching colors of the other pieces really pull it together.

How To: Always wanted to go for plaid on plaid but been intimidated? Start simple with neutral pieces to break up your plaid items. Complement your plaid’s pattern with similar colored bases.

Author