You and me could write a plaid romance.

Long gone are the days when plaid was a pattern reserved primarily for cowboys and lumberjacks, and I, for one, couldn’t be happier. While I wouldn’t say that plaid was ever necessarily “out” , there’s no doubt that it’s fallen back into favor among the general, fashion-forward population. Now, before I continue, I would like to emphasize that I hold plaid in such a high esteem only insofar as it is limited to plaid shirts. Although I’ll admit to having myself owned a pair or two of plaid shorts in the past, I am now of the opinion that plaid should only be worn on the top half of the body.

Much of the appeal of plaid, as far as I’m concerned, lies in the fact that, even though it can be a somewhat bold pattern, it is surprisingly versatile. When taking the form of a flannel shirt, plaid comfortably finds itself among a young hipster’s staple wardrobe pieces. However, when paired with a solid tie, the right plaid shirt offers a modern twist on the traditional “nerd” look and is perfectly capable of appearing both trendy and professional. Few patterns are able to transition so smoothly from casual to classy, and with a couple of small adjustments, a plaid shirt can easily go from a day at the office to a night on the town. In fact, in a recent article on “How to shop like a GQ editor,” the fashion magazine placed a plaid shirt among the ten must-have items for the fashion-conscious man, further emphasizing the pattern’s superiority.

As a result of this huge spike in popularity, it’s nearly impossible to go to a clothing store and not find a multitude of plaid shirts in a slew of bright colors. Unfortunately, I fear that the “mainstream” appeal is likely to cause plaid to soon fall out of favor with those who consider themselves ahead of the trends (if it hasn’t begun to do so already). In this particular case, however, I strongly feel that abandoning plaid would be a terrible mistake for any aspiring or established fashionista to make.

I am not, by any means, suggesting that everyone wear plaid on a daily basis nor am I claiming to be some sort of fashion authority. However, there’s no doubt that a few plaid shirts make excellent additions to any wardrobe. AND it is incredibly easy to customize to create a look that’s 100 percent unique. With the right assortment of outerwear and accessories, the possibilities are as endless as the varieties of the pattern itself.

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