If you’re still enjoying the final days of summer, you may not have heard that plaid will be trendy for fall. Traditionally a more serious look, plaid is perfect for work. However, if it has been a while since you actually wore plaid, you may need a refresher course on ways to wear this pattern. For tonight’s post in this series, I thought I’d put together some plaid outfits and share some of my tips on how to wear it. Plaid can sometimes be seen as a stuffy, masculine and traditional fabric, yet, if you approach it in ways that bring in some modern femininity, it can look very powerful, strong and even playful for the office. Let’s take a look at some outfits.
Professional Plaid Outfits
Look #1
Let’s start with a business-casual plaid look using these pants from Anthropologie. Like I said earlier, plaid can be playful and I chose these black and white plaid pants to explain that a plaid like this can be treated like a pair of solid black pants. You are not limited to just wearing black with them and can bring in any color that you’d like. In this case, I chose this marigold colored sweater from Mocloth and accented the look with teal ballerinas, also from Anthropologie and handbag from BODHI. Lastly, a simple pair of onyx quartz earrings finishes the look.
Look #2
Plaid is a perfect fabric for a corporate environment, however, you have to be careful when wearing it as you run the risk of looking too serious and overly masculine if you don’t bring in some feminine touches. Here, using this gray and tan plaid blazer from J. Crew it works perfectly with a classic pair of heather gray charcoal pants by Anne Klein. To feminize the outfit, I chose this delicate layering piece from Adrianna Papell in tan and, instead of a dark, heavy pair of shoes and handbag, I picked up the tan in the jacket and styled this look with nude shoes from Rockport and bag from Banana Republic. The final feminine touch is the beaded necklace and earrings from Stella & Dot. With these touches, a balance is created and the outfit is femininely powerful and strong.
Look #3
I think the easiest way to embrace the plaid trend is to purchase a plaid skirt, like this figure flattering, gathered one from Anne Klein. Because of the waist details, this skirt makes enough of a statement that you can keep the rest of your outfit simple but not boring. This simple black turtleneck from Mango was paired with the skirt and a versatile pair of Frye boots, a gold necklace from Stella and Dot and bracelet from Nordstrom adds some subtle interest. For a punch, a red tote is the perfectly statement carry-all. Once the weather gets cold a pair of opaque tights can be mixed in to the outfit. Personally, I love Spanx Tight End Tights. I recommend them because I have used and abused a pair for three years (I even throw them in the dryer) and they have yet to fall apart.
