The plaid blazer returns every autumn and is sent back to the closet every winter, because we bought it without knowing what to wear it with. Here are three combinations that work, and one that doesn't.
With solid-colored trousers matching the background
This is the simplest and safest solution. Look closely at the plaid, identify the dominant background color, and choose tailored trousers in that shade. The eye reads a continuous silhouette, and the jacket becomes the only focal point.
Common mistake: choosing the trousers in the color of the plaid's thread rather than the background. This highlights a detail instead of creating unity.
With raw denim and fine knitwear
The Saturday version. Plaid goes very well with denim, provided the jeans are dark and straight-cut. Underneath, a solid-colored fine knit is better than a shirt, which would make the outfit look heavy.
Buttoned up, with nothing underneath, and wide-leg trousers
The dressiest of the three. The buttoned-up jacket becomes the top of the outfit, paired with wide-leg trousers. This requires a jacket that fits well at the shoulders, otherwise the balance is lost. This is the kind of detail to check in the fitting room, not in a photo.
What to avoid
Two patterns in the same silhouette. A plaid with a stripe, or a plaid with a print: on paper, it's bold, but in a photo, it vibrates and that's all you can see. If you want two patterns, leave at least one solid piece between them. The same rule applies to leopard print.
The question of scale
A large plaid enlarges the area it covers, while a small plaid tightens it. If you are torn between two jackets, choose the one whose pattern is proportional to your build rather than the one you find prettiest when laid flat.
We have both scales this season, and that is rare enough to be worth noting.
The large plaid, with the Prince of Wales check: a short belted jacket with a stand-up collar and high-waisted pleated palazzo trousers. Both can be worn together or separately. When worn together, they work because the pattern is continuous from one end of the silhouette to the other: this is the only situation where two patterned pieces don't clash.
The small plaid, with the micro-check and houndstooth: a shawl-collar double-breasted blazer, an oversized blazer, or a black and white belted double-breasted blazer. From three meters away, they read as a heathered solid, and from thirty centimeters away, as a pattern: that is what makes them wearable to the office.
If you have a petite build, the micro wins. If you are looking for a piece that makes the outfit on its own, the Prince of Wales check is the one.
To learn more
Our patterned jackets are grouped under stripes, plaids, and patterns, and all our blazers can be found here.
For questions regarding jacket length and how to pair them with bottoms, everything is detailed in the tailor's guide. For volume, see the article on oversize styles. And for the office, plaid behaves just like any other tailored jacket: see the office wardrobe.