The Dress Act of 1747 is often said to have banned tartan outright, but it restricted Highland dress for men and boys and exempted women. It was repealed in 1782. This is how to wear a plaid skirt in a way that feels modern and not like a school uniform.
The Plaid Skirt, and What the 1747 Dress Act Actually Banned
Tartan and the myth of the ban
Tartan has a political history that is often told wrong. The Dress Act, part of the Act of Proscription, took effect in 1747 and was repealed in 1782. It restricted Highland dress for men and boys, and women were exempt, so it did not ban tartan outright. After years of plain neutrals and minimalism, a plaid skirt brings pattern back without feeling loud. It is the one piece that works with a black turtleneck as easily as a denim jacket.
Scale and color
The size of the plaid changes everything. A large check feels bold and casual. A small check reads as classic and polished. Burberry makes a pleated check skirt in wool blend, Zadig and Voltaire does a tartan pleat with a French edge, and Whistles and Hobbs offer lighter versions. For the most flexibility, choose a plaid in navy, forest green, or burgundy with a bit of black. Bright red is the most traditional, and a good grey plaid goes with everything.
Pleats, wrap or pencil
A pleated skirt moves beautifully and feels youthful. A wrap skirt, like the wool and cashmere one from Guest in Residence, is more relaxed and adjusts to your waist. A pencil skirt in plaid, like the one from Favorite Daughter, is sharper and more office appropriate. Picture her in a pleated midi, a black turtleneck and a pair of knee-high boots, walking through leaves on a crisp afternoon. The skirt does the talking.
Pair it without the uniform
The danger of a plaid skirt is looking like a costume. To avoid it, keep everything else plain. A fitted knit, a leather jacket, and boots are the grown-up way. In our fashion dreams she wears a tartan skirt with a gray sweatshirt and white sneakers, and it feels more like a magazine than a school yard. Choose a hem at the knee or longer, since a short plaid skirt reads as an outfit from a different decade.
What I would skip
I would skip matching your plaid skirt to a plaid jacket unless you can carry it. I would skip very synthetic fabrics, which shine under light and do not hang properly. And I would skip anything with fringe or safety pins unless you are sure about the punk reference. A good plaid skirt should look like it has been in the family.
