First of all, I’ve never used the term “check” when looking at any of these patterns, but it turns out that “checked” or “checkered” patterns are much more common than plaid, which is the blanket term I’ve always used for the following designs. We will get more into the differences between plaid and check in a second, but this post is really about learning these different patterns, their names, and how to differentiate between similar patterns.
I have often asked myself, “What is the difference between gingham and plaid?”, ” What makes tartan, tartan?”, and “What is the name of this pattern on my pants?” It is because of moments like these that I decided to do a deep dive into plaid and checkered patterns, and more specifically, what makes certain types of plaid different from others.
Because I am a generous person, I am sharing what I’ve learned with you so you too never have to question, “I wonder if this specific plaid design has a name?” because now you will know! At the very least, you’ll be able to impress your friends by saying things like, “Isn’t this windowpane scarf lovely?!” And guess what, there are just as many types of stripe patterns as check patterns, so there is potential for a part two! 😂
Let’s get into it! First, lets explore the difference between plaid and check:
I’m going to be honest– even after doing a ton of reading on this, I’m still not 100% sure what the answer is because people use the terms so interchangeably. From what I can tell, the rest of the world calls plaid “tartan”, and everything else is check. Plaid is a design of crossing bands of different widths in two or more colors. The small difference between the traditional Scottish tartan pattern and the everyday plaid pattern is that tartans are often uniform in width and regularity (see tartan below) and plaid can be unevenly spaced (see madras below).
What makes a check pattern different is the forming of even squares in the crossing lines. It seems to be as simple as that, and yet, SO many of the patterns below fall under that description, making check much more common than plaid.
Now, here are some of the most common plaid and check patterns:
Windowpane is a widely spaced check pattern that looks like the panes of a window! The stripes that cross to form the windowpane pattern are larger, or farther apart, then other similar patterns (like graph checks) creating a bold pattern. This check is easily found in a wide range of colors and is often used on home decor items, like pillows and bedspreads. It is also often used on suits, shirts, and dresses. I have this pattern in many dresses and scarfs, myself.
Gingham is created by overlapping stripes of the same size, with intermediate squares that are 50 percent lighter. The even check and white background are often trademarks of this pattern. It was first woven into the recognizable check pattern during the mid-18th century, with blue and white being the most popular choice in color, although you can now find it in any color! It is a pattern often used in the farmhouse style and is famous for being the pattern on Dorothy’s dress in The Wizard of Oz.
Checkerboard is a classic check pattern, so of course it has to be included in this list! Including it also helps illustrate the difference between a basic check pattern and gingham, or shepherd’s check. The pattern is formed by having two different colors placed in alternate positions. It is most known for the checkerboard (of course) and the Formula One race flag. I would also say that it’s known for being the pattern on the classic Vans shoes.
Tartan is a pattern with various widths and colors of stripes, duplicated in both directions creating different sized checks. It is most famous for being the pattern used for Scottish kilts, with each distinctive pattern designating a specific Scottish clan. Because of its heritage, it is often done in a twill fabric, but can also be found in shirts, dresses, and shoes. Don’t miss my family’s clan’s tartan pattern at the end of this post!
Glen check is a unique pattern which combines large and small checks. It can also be called the Prince of Wales check and is often used for suits and business-ware. It is usually done in muted colors with white, although I do have a pair of bright pink glen check pants! It is known as the Prince of Wales check because of Edward the VII who liked to use the pattern for his hunting tweeds in the Scottish highlands. However, it was his son, Edward VIII, who was known for being very stylish, who made it popular.
Graph check is a pattern formed by crossing thin lines of the same color in a grid to create a design that looks like graph paper. It is a small check pattern with thinner lines and closer checks than windowpane check (the scale differentiates it from windowpane). The thinness of the lines makes it appear more open than other check patterns.
Pin check pattern is so small in scale that it looks like small dots. It is made by intersecting pin-sized stripes (about 1 yarn thick), making the pattern so small that it appears solid to the human eye. White is often one of the colors in a pin check. This pattern is commonly used in business attire.
Madras has brightly colored stripes of varying thickness crossing each other to create uneven checks. The pattern originated in a city, formerly called Madras, in East India and its summer-y fabric is typically used on shirts and has become synonymous with preppy attire. With its bright hues in every color of the rainbow, and the large pattern, this is the most fun of the plaid and check world!
Tattersall is a small check pattern produced by regularly spaced thin lines overlapping to create a grid. The stripes that create the tattersall pattern often come in two different colors and have a white background. The pattern gets it’s name from the Tattersall horse market in London in the 18th century. Blankets for the horses had the check pattern , but these days the pattern is used for shirts and waistcoats.
Shepherd’s check is a small, even-sized check of two colors. It is similar to gingham, except that it has visible twill weave squares instead of a 50% lighter shade for the alternating squares. The name comes from the pattern worn by shepherds in the hills of the Scottish borders. The hounds tooth pattern (still coming up!) originated from the shepherd’s check.
Buffalo check is a two to three color pattern creating squares of equal size. It is most commonly a red and black pattern, but can be any color combination! If you are thinking that it looks like gingham, you’d be right. Buffalo check is basically just a larger scaled gingham pattern (if you want to learn more about the differences, I would suggest this post). The pattern is centuries old and also goes by “the Queen Charlotte’s check” because the queen at the time was so in love with the pattern.
The houndstooth check is in the same family as the shepherd’s check and glen plaid. The check pattern is made up by houndstooth shapes instead of squares, but it is still considered a check despite this unique shape! The pattern is usually in black and white, but of course can be found in many other colors. Because of the complexity in the pattern, it’s often used for coats and cushions.
Please note: I have made the conscious decision to exclude argyle check from this list because I think it’s ugly. My dearly departed uncle also hated it with a passion, so it is also out of respect for him that I exclude it. It is also a very common pattern, so I’ll make the (possibly wrong) assumption that you already know what argyle looks like.
You made it through! Those are the most common plaid and check patterns, and some information about them. You might have noticed that most of these patterns are commonly used in clothing – if you want to see examples of most of these patterns in clothing, I would suggest this article. This is all based off of the research I have done, but if you know a lot about these patterns and have something to add or edit, let me know! I’d love to continue to learn about this.
All my love,
Clan Lyon Tartans (my mother’s maiden name is Lyons)
it is good. 