The casual plaid shirt, which was probably the biggest fashion trend of the ’90s, made a comeback in 2009. When I posted about casual plaid shirts then, there was not much love for the item. Too grungy, too masculine, too lumberjack, too high school, too shapeless, too sloppy, or just too much pattern. Although I LOVE tartan type plaids in wardrobe items like jackets, coats, trousers, dressy blouses, skirts and scarves, my feelings for casual plaid shirts at the time was subdued. I neither loved nor loathed the look. 

Over the last few years, my affection for tartan type plaids spilled over into casual shirts. I love lumberjack style shirts all over again, just like I did in 1993. I don’t want to wear my shirt with a lace camisole, Levis 501’s, a studded belt and Dr. Martens again. But I do want to wear it in more unexpected combinations like with sparkle, a striped pullover, a dressy clutch handbag, fancy heels, a men’s tie, a flirty skirt, metallic skinnies, leather bottoms, tailored trousers, harem pants, slouchy skinnies, or slouchy trousers. 

I did bright red flannel in a big way in the early ’90s so it was time for a change. I chose an ivory tartan from J.Crew this time round because the visual effect is softer than a dark or bright. I almost bought a light pink tartan, but stuck with ivory for now. I might add in a pastel pink plaid shirt for Spring. 

Casual plaid shirts are also available in tailored fits if oversized is not your thing. The structure will help to feel less sloppy in the look. I prefer plaid shirts boxy because the vibe is more boyish that way, which makes for an interesting juxtaposition alongside girly items like pretty clutch handbags, lipstick and metallic skinny jeans. 

You are all invited to the plaid shirt party. Have you warmed up to the item since 2009, or since the ’90s? If so, how will you wear your plaid shirt? Do any of the unexpected juxtapositions tickle your fancy?

Legendary fashion house Christian Dior has created four animated window displays for the Paris luxury department store Le Printemps. The 74 stunning handmade dolls are dressed in specially created iconic Dior outfits and are, of course, sporting amazing accessories.

Barneys Madison Avenue has teamed up with Disney for “Electric Holiday“, an animated short film featuring Minnie Mouse and her friends strutting the runway in designer clothes by big names like Lanvin, Rick Owens and Proenza Schouler.

Are you thinking of doing a child-friendly tour of the many enchanting holiday store windows in New York City? Stephanie over at Mommy Poppins has done the legwork for you and shares her must-sees in this blog post.

Fab Links from Our Members

Laura says you haven’t seen the awful-est of truly awful Christmas sweaters until you’ve checked out these.

While browsing the current and past tweed collections from Scottish tweed specialists Walker Slater, Vildy was transported to the British countryside and could just see the mist rising.

Heels, short hemlines, low necklines, and “extra tight” are not the only style recipe for outfit hotness, Angie points out, and this extremely alluring outfit proves her point.

Courtney Shea chose to wear the same outfit for an entire week and wrote about her experiences in The Globe and Mail. She found it freeing. Much as Suz enjoys repeating her favourites, she doesn’t think she’d feel the same.

Acrylic knitwear is unpopular for three reasons. First, its appearance looks somewhat flammable. Second, the texture is “spongy” as opposed to luxurious, soft and cashmere-esque. And third, it pills like crazy. 

I’ve been looking high and low for a Winter white, extra chunky-knit, cabled turtleneck pullover, and almost came home empty handed despite being prepared to spend a reasonable amount of money on the item. Almost all the styles were itchy and scratchy. Except, that is, for the ones with an acrylic-rich fibre content. I eventually found two extra chunky knit turtlenecks that look and feel great. The fibre content of the one is 45% nylon, 27% wool and 28% acrylic, while the fibre content of the other is 22% wool and 78% acrylic. My skin is relieved and I’m thrilled to be participating in the chunky cabled knitwear trend. I’ve worn both styles a few times already and am very pleased with the darlings. My cashmere knits are not pulling up their noses at their new acrylic-rich wardrobe mates.   

Of course, neither of these sweaters has been laundered yet, and they might pill after their first clean. But my hopes are high that they won’t because they are blended with fibres other than acrylic. I’ll keep you posted on how these chunky knits wear throughout the season. 

The undesirable attributes of acrylic knitwear are there, but I’m sticking up for acrylic-rich knitwear. When acrylic fibre is blended with fibres like wool, it creates a non-itchy, more affordable alternative.

Snakeskin is often more subtle than cheetah, leopard or zebra patterns, which might be more your cup of tea. Wear it in the form of an accessory and it’s one way of adding depth to your outfit because it represents both pattern and texture. The snakeskin bag and belt below are great value and pretty good quality. But above all, they are versatile because they can be dressed up or down, pattern mixed, and have high longevity. 

• Natasha Couture Foldover Snake Embossed Clutch: This clutch shape is fab because it’s structured, lightweight and roomy as far as clutch handbags go. It also has an optional short shoulder strap, and comes in green, blue, pink and tan. 

• Calvin Klein 1 1/4″ Reversible Polished Nickle Logo Buckle Belt: A simple modern classic design that is great with jeans or trousers. This style is reversible, so you’ll score an additional simple black belt for the price of one. 

It has reached the stage where I think of a subtle snakeskin pattern, like the one shown in the belt, as a “false plain”. A false plain is a subtle monochromatic texture or pattern that acts like a solid. I think of glen plaids and some tweeds and houndstooth patterns in the same way.