Bad Plaid

Photo Credit: Jak & Jil Blog

3.1 Philip Lim Plaid Shirt, $215 at Net-a-porter

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When did plaid become cool? To me, plaid conjures up images of rolled-up prep-school kilts that never kept me warm in the winter; huge, burly lumberjacks mercilessly sawing through an enormous tree trunk; tacky, cheap, vinyl table cloths at the local pennysaver; and sanguine Scottish men with bagpipes. Somehow, plaid seems wrong.

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And yet, everywhere I turn, there it is. At first, I reluctantly accepted them on uber-gorgeous models ("they can get away with it," I would grumble). Then it slowly began creeping up on me, until at last I see that Net-a-porter, my go-to website for all things chic, has even predominately featured it as a must-have item. Apparently, it's rocker-chic, as Little J would say and sport.

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Argh. I remember a time back in college of a certain Thumbelina who was not so fashionable. A time when she wore an oversized flannel plaid shirt with jeans. And every time I remember it, I cringe.

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While the rest of the world may subscribe to the temporary madness of plaid, I prefer to decidedly abstain. The only problem with this resolution is that in the humble corner of my closet, an orange and brown plaid skirt patiently waits to be worn. And although I haven't the heart to throw out something of my mother's from the 1970s, I'll at least allow it to quietly exist.