French designer Jean Paul Gaultier pays tribute to London punk.
Men love it, women love it, punks, hipsters and rockers love it. Tartan has never gone out of fashion. From the punks of the 70s & 80s to the grunge looks of the 90s or the lumbersexual style of the 00s, tartan has been an integral part of street fashion for decades. During the 18th century in Britain tartan was literally forbidden. The fabric’s association with the uniform of the Scottish Rebellion of 1745 meant that tartan was prohibited in the country for nearly half a century under the Dress Act of 1946. The print didn’t resurface again until 1782, when the law was repealed, and it became in-vogue to wear plaid gowns and accents to formal occasions.
Paloma Faith in head to toe tartan at a Vivienne Westwood fashion show.
During the 19th century, the pattern made crossed the Atlantic to America., where it became known as plaid. The pattern became a staple amongst those in outdoor professions and Buffalo Plaid (black & red checkered) became synonymous with the American lumberjacks. Roughly one hundred years later in 1949 Pendleton, an American clothing company, created a version for women.
In the 60s, surfers adopted the plaid shirt as a jacket for out-of-water activities. The Beach Boys famously all wore shirt jackets on the cover of their ‘Surfer Girl’ album.
The Beach Boys combined tartan with their surfer style.
In the 70s, The Royal Stewart Tartan was appropriated by the punk movement in the form of tight pants and loose shirts. The look was intended to give the fabric, previously associated with the monarchy, an anarchic spin.Plaid was about to become a symbol of rebellion once more. Designer (and punk) Vivienne Westwood’s tartan looks became synonymous with the punk scene and the look remains an integral part of brands vision to this day. Westwood was a central figure in the London Punk movement and went from being a shop owner to one of the most influential figures in British Fashion. . So what started as a protest against fashion went on to became fashion itself.
From The Sex Pistols to Vivienne Westwood, nothing says punk like layers of tartan.
Plaid became hugely popular in the 90s with Grunge style & iconic film and tv characters. In the early 90s, the plaid shirt became the unofficial uniform of the grunge movement. Bands like Alice In Chains, Nirvana and Pearl Jam made plaid a staple of the grunge look.
Plaid became an integral part of popular culture with stylish characters such as Cher in 1995’s Clueless and Corey Mason’s ultra-mini plaid skirt and fuzzy blue sweater in Empire Records.
From Kurt to Gwen, tartan was a big part of the Grunge scene in the 90s.
Film and tv in the 90s ensured that tartan became a big player on the fashion scene.
Fashion designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen and Jean Paul Gautier have all infused tartan into their collections over the past few decades and high street fashion returns to the pattern every Autumn-Winter. So if you are looking to add a little tartan to your Winter wardrobe why not take a look at some of our gorgeous offerings available in store now.
This long coat looks equally stunning worn open or closed with a belt.
Some of the great tartan pieces available now in store.
Cool tshirts deserve to be paired with great pants!
How great is this Tripp tartan jacket we have in stock?
Tartan pants add a touch of punk to any outfit.
Tartan doesn’t have to be red you know!
Plaid, tartan, tweed…all good options for trousers!
This tartan wiggle skirt is a gorgeous, sophisticated way to introduce tartan into an outfit.
Gorgeous Dolly&Dotty dresses give a 50’s flair to tartan.
This dark tartan dress is perfect for winter.
RETRO SHOP DUBLIN 
Can you give me a cost for the tartan jacket
€110 and it’s a small