From that hard hitting newspaper, The Wall Street Journal
Q: You’ve seen a lot of plaid around lately and you like what you see. But is this rough blue-collar material ready to be dressed up for a Friday night on the town? Or the office?
A: The fabric pattern known as plaid comes in many variations — with tonal combinations ranging from two shades of grey to yellow and lime green — so to find one for almost any occasion is likely possible. Just keep in mind that not all plaids are created equal.
The word comes from Gaelic, the Celtic language of Scotland: A
plaide is a woolen blanket with a checked pattern. That pattern — now known as tartan in the U.K. — has traditionally been associated with warming, wintry fabrics and a thick woolen weave that makes it both durable and amenable to the outdoors. First popularized in North America by lumberjacks in Canada, plaid was later applied to all sorts of fabrics and became standard outdoor attire. Whenever man — or woman — was outside, plaid was suitable.
And for the record, there is nothing wrong with looking like a lumberjack...
I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay...
And I can assure you most men will attest that not enough plaid is being worn.
