Plaid Dress Pants
Plaids are one of the oldest known patterns in men's clothing fashion. The style has been in fashion for centuries and still manage to stay relevant. The plaids are considered to be the patterns of the fall. Chances are high that you already have a fragment or two that has plaid pattern on it. This is because of the fact that plaid continue to be one of the most successful patterns when it comes to mens fashion. Usually men hesitate to go with patterns but plaid is one of the safest options available in the market.
Plaid was said to be out of style for a time being but every style goes out of trend to return again after some time. Same is true with the plaids and there is no reason for you to avoid it. The plaid is one of the easiest patterns to style and hence if you don't have a plaid patterned garment right now in your wardrobe then it may be time that you start purchasing for it. When it comes to plaids most of the time men tend to go with plaid shirts. This is the easiest one to style and hence plaid shirts are always popular. Another good option is go with plaid overcoats. Plaid overcoats almost look good with any outfit whether be it formal or casual.mens Plaid suits are slightly rare but people who love the style still go with it even for professional use. What is really rare in plaid is the mens plaid pants. Most men tend to avoid purchasing a pair of plaid pants since it is considered to be a fashion forward choice. There is a certain level of confidence required to rock the plaid pants and most men shy away from that. There is also the fact that one mishap and you can look clownish or like a golfer. But it isn't a very hard style to pull off. With some effort and some tips it is very easy to style the mens plaid pants. It is always better to give a try before totally neglecting the style. Before we go into the details of
plaid dress pants and how to style them let us know a little history of the plaids and how it became one of the most used patterns in the mens wear.
You would have heard the plaids widely being known also as tartans. This is because of the fact that the patterns that we know of now as plaids were originally called tartans. Tartan is the name given to the weaves of alternating bands that are woven at the right angles. But plaids referred to the heavy woolen clothes that bore the tartans on them. These cloths were originally used as blankets by the Scottish people, and they were worn sling over their soldiers. When the tartan became famous all over the world the words tartan and plaid became synonymous and now the patterns are also called as plaids.
The plaids are older that you think. It is said that a mummified body with is believed to have been from the 8th century B.C. was identified to have worn a twill tunic and tartan leggings!!! But the plaid pattern that we have now has its origin from the 18th century Scotland. At this time the Scottish Highlanders were short of money and thus decided to rent out their estates to the English people and some even sold these estates. When the English acquired these estates they extensively used them for relaxing and outdoor sports like hunting and such. For these activities they designed garments that blended with the surroundings of the estates. The patterns varied with the geographical area and soon it became territorial. Each estate had their own unique pattern with unique color combinations. The people belonging to that estate always wore these designated garments, and they were identified even if they were outside the estates.
Soon the plaids shifted from being a family garment to being the military uniform. They were used in the Jacobite uprising that was focused against the English monarchy. Black watch was the pattern these soldiers who marched wore regardless of their families or clan. However, the rebellion was a failure and soon the English enacted the Dress act of 1746 which then banned the plaids to be used except as a military suit. But the act when repealed had different results by only becoming the symbol of Scottish unity.
By the end of the 18th century when the Scottish immigration began the plaids started becoming popular in the United States. Many kinds of styles were available in plaids and thus the men soon became obsessed with the plaids. Till the 20th century though plaids being popular they were not very mainstream. They were used for specific purposes like in Scotland it was meant to be the symbol of a culture that was oppressed by the monarchy and the United States plaids were mostly worn by the working class men. But by the 20th century the plaids started reaching out to more people and soon became a mainstream pattern. In 1924 Pendleton mills released their first design of plaid shirts. This soon became so popular and many people purchased the style.
By the 1940s plaids became unisex patterns with the Pendleton's releasing their
plaid dress pants for men. Till then the plaids were only manufactured in wool but soon they were also incorporated in other textiles. This only increased the popularity of the plaids and soon Hollywood joined in. Loose fitting plaid shirts became one of the most famous styles and became the identity of the slacker generation. With all that history the plaids have managed to stay in style even today after almost three centuries of varied history. It is one of the special kind of styles that have longevity and which can be styled in both extremes. The thing with plaid is that you will have to properly style it so that you look appropriate for the event.
Now coming back to mens plaid pants, it is a rare style that is most versatile when you learn to style it right. If you are a person who loves fashion and intently follow fashion then you are going to be in love with the
plaid pants. We advise every man to have at least one pair of plaid pants and give a try to this style. There are a lot of styles when it comes to plaid dress pants and you can choose the style that fits your personality the best. Some of the styles that you can wear with mens plaid pants are being discussed below.
The most obvious style that looks great is the mens plaid pants with blazers style. With this style you can style the outfit as you like. You can go with formal look or casual cool look. For example if you pair the gray and black
plaid dress pants with a white button down shirt and a striped tie combined with a gray blazer you can get the classic look that you can even wear to your casual day at office. Otherwise, if you feel that the style is too formal then you can also go with the mix of both formal and casual styles. For this you can style a tweed plaid pants with purple suede blazer, white button down shirt and a brown dress hat. If you are not considering the formal outfit and want to go with casual cool look then you can go with a pair of blue and green plaid pants paired with a black shirt and an emerald blazer. You can forgo the tie and accessorize the outfit with sunglasses and ankle boots for a stylish look.
The formal look is considered to be the hardest to pull off when it comes to mens plaid pants. But if you have a basic sense of style and color combination then it is not an impossible feat. The color is the most important when it comes to styling the plaid pants for a formal look. You can go with gray and black plaid pants or any dark colored plaid pants. You do not want your colleagues to stare at your pants all day. Therefore, it is best to go with subtle shades that do not stand out too much. Make sure that the garment that you wear on top matches the
red plaid pants and balance the whole look. You can go with usual button down shirt style or you can go with a dark colored roll neck. As for the shoes go with a string one like the English Brogue. It is best to keep themens blazer for mens plain and simple. You can elevate the outfit with a dark colored overcoat or a topcoat.
Smart casual is a great look when it comes to plaid pants. Nowadays most organizations accept the smart casuals as a work wear. You can go with knotted polo or any knitwear and wear a blazer or sport coat over it. Based on the occasion that you are dressing for you can select the colors on the plaid pants and the garments that you wear on top. Now if you are thinking of wearing this outfit to your office or any formal environment then as we said before it may be best to stick with the classic colors like black, navy and gray. Plaid pants in itself is a statement piece and bright colors on it will only make them stand out more. Therefore, for the formal events go with subtle colors. But if you are dressing for a fun event like parties or beach weddings you can be more liberal with colors of the plaid pants. Light colors on the plaid pants work well for these events. You can go with light shade of gray plaid pants with a black turtleneck and black overcoat for a stylish yet subtle look. You can pair this outfit with a clear sunglasses and navy suede desert boots. You can also go with a look of gray plaid pants with mens white dress shirt and navy blazer for a formal yet stylish look. You can wear a navy and white print tie with the mix and complete the look with black leather loafers. Grey is a great color when it comes to plaid pants. With the variations in shades it is easy to style and offers much more options compared to the other colors. Also, they are subtle and do not stand out too much. This is an important aspect because you do not want the plaid dress pants to garner all the attention hence fading out the other parts of your outfit.
As for the casual look there are a lot of options on plaid pants. You need not worry about color appropriateness much and hence go with the ones that you like the best. For example an outfit as simple as a light blue plaid pants with a white polo shirt is a stylish look. You can add sunglasses, beige suede tassel loafers and a black watch to further elevate the look. For a more pronounced look you can go with khaki plaid pants with tan crew next t-shirt and a dark brown leather watch. As for the shoes you can choose to go with burgundy leather tassel loafers. The loafers look gives you a stylish and cool appeal to the plaid dress pants. Another great option with
plaid dress pants is the turtleneck. They are both functional and also look great when paired together. For a more casual look you can also go with plaid pants that have stripes that run along the sides of the legs.