Plaid is a pattern of crossed horizontal and vertical bands in two or more colors, often seen on shirts, skirts, and blankets.
From Scottish Gaelic 'plaide' meaning 'blanket, mantle'. It originally referred to a woolen cloth garment worn in the Scottish Highlands, not just the pattern.
What many people call 'plaid' is technically 'tartan'—a pattern once tied to specific Scottish clans. The design that started as a kind of identity badge has become a global fashion basic.
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