Fashion ArchivesFASHION ARCHIVES: CHECKERED DELIGHT

A borrowed term from the popular abstract board game chess, and a prized pattern for just about anybody with the smallest penchant for staying up to date with the fashion world, check, plaid & tartan is back with a bang for SS/AW22. A tried-and-true choice we can turn to, to bring together just about any outfit, check moves back and forth, like waves, on the fashion trajectory, so we thought we’d take a closer look at what the newly trending pattern is all about and why, on the subject of style, it’s never really out.

History of Check

Making its entrance soon after the second world war ended, the iconic pattern went down a storm with style-savvy shoppers and ‘up & coming’ high fashion designers, alike. The British heritage label, Burberry saw instant success with its widely celebrated Nova check linings featuring in an array of impeccably tailored garments across Britain. And most notably, several decades later, Vivienne Westwood gave the status symbol a new lease of life with a subversive spin that lives on today.

When Westwood first stepped into the fashion scene, and then continued to triumph with her eccentric designs, it was her 1993 ready-to-wear Anglomania collection that really stood out as emblematic of all things check. Spanning everything from richly paletted tartan kilt styles to exaggerated shoulders and pussybow neckwear, there really is no denying how adaptable and ever-changing the staple pattern was then and is now.

A prominent feature throughout the punk scene that ensued Westwood’s arrival in the early 70s’, different looks and trends, as always, disappeared and came back around with fresh new elements. The 90s’ unveiled check patterns incorporating denim on catwalks thanks to the likes of Dsquared2 giving girlband, TLC and the cast of Clueless vibes! These are perennial looks that can be slotted into the present day but, still, steeped in nostalgia.

And, well, the noughties turned check on its head with an eclectic display of florals and brocades. It just keeps on evolving and we love to see it.

Check Today

We’ve an appropriate mishmash of check on site – each piece nodding to cherished bygone eras but with a deftly progressive edge, fast forwarding us to the present. Bringing the patchwork game to the forefront of our new season vision and embracing vivid injections of colour all over the shop, expect big personality and bursts of energy… This is an exciting time for kids’ fashion!