I love any plaid, but gingham is one of the trickiest for me to wear. Due to the smaller scale and regularity of the pattern, it can feel a bit busy on me. That said, I have found a few gingham pieces that are true keepers. My first was a dress from Pyne & Smith, a small maker based in California using imported European linens in limited edition weaves; this one works for me because it's three colors rather than two, and it's earthy and tonal rather than high-contrast. The effect is more subtle than a traditional white-based gingham. The v-neck, short sleeves, and knee length mean there's enough skin (effectively a solid colour) to break up the pattern and provide some visual relief.

My next addition was a chartreuse/black coord set from Not Perfect Linen, a Lithuanian maker using linen produced in their region. I love the "punk prairie" vibe of this set, sort of Laura Ingalls Wilder shops at Hot Topic. And it's easy to take into the fall/winter with a black top and boots. It's quite a statement worn together, but the pieces are great team players and work well with so many other things in my closet. I love the waistcoat with washed black jeans, and often wear the skirt with a tomato red top, inspired by the model pic below.

Any other offbeat gingham out there?