If you’ve entered a boutique or a department store in the past 6 months and paid even the slightest bit of attention, you’re well aware that plaid has been quite “in”. Perhaps you deduced that from the wall-to-wall cotton button downs in every madras and plaid under the sun… or maybe from the line of Nike shoes with plaid accents, or cotton woven dresses for women in every color combo. Regardless of what tipped you off, it’s good that you know now.

Truthfully, these pattern fabrics never go anywhere, they just go through cycles of prevalence and product categories.  Personally, I love ‘em.  Plaids, madras, herringbone patterns, gingham, seersucker, contrast colored cut corduroy, and everything in between.  Solids are great and allow you to express yourself with graphic art and intricate design patterns, but there’s nothing like matching a great staple solid piece with a hit of complexity introduced by a madras print. Or, sometimes even better is throwing in the textured contrast of a seersucker fabric or a cord.  I like to think about an outfit like a taco (what? you’ve never met a penguin who liked mexican food?)… what makes a taco so great is the mix of flavors and textures that compliment each other.  A burrito can be boring if every ingredient is soft and thick and feels the same in your mouth. But a taco mixes the crunchy shell with the soft beans, the strong taste of onion with the mild lettuce, tangy sour cream, salty cheese,  sweet tomato, and spicy salsa.  mmmm… i’m hungry.

Point is – go ahead and wear the crap out of all the pattern fabrics that are in the market right now, but don’t get carried away all at once… and don’t neglect your solids or your textured fabric pieces in the meantime.  If you do, they’ll be pissed at you when you go to grab em outta the closet after summer ends.