Time for some education! No pop quiz, I promise. items from my fabric stash and sewing pile Woven plaids are created by striped bands of yarns intersecting on the warp (length) and weft (width), causing a grid pattern. Plaid can be found on variety of weave structures (plain, twill, herringbone, etc) as well as used in a knit or printed. Gingham is a balanced design, with equal sized bands Check is like gingham, but the squares are larger also a balanced design, with equal sized bands, in twill weave Houndstooth is like gingham, but using a twill weave Windowpane is a balanced design, with very narrow bands alternating with wider bands Tattersall is windowpane with more than two colors Tartan (the official CA tartan) is a name given to plaids associated with Scottish clans. There are now tartans for countries, US States, brands (like Burberry) and so on. My favorite site for finding tartans is Tartans of Scotland, where you can also read more about them. Glen is short for Glenurquhart, a region in Scotland. Also known as Prince of Wales check, it is a houndstooth woven with various sized bands, sometimes with more than two colors. Madras is cotton cloth originally from Madras, India (now called Chennai). It typically has irregular bands in bright colors. Read more here. Notes: I created all the plaid repeat images above. I was greatly helped by this post by Alexander West (which has additional information), and Wikipedia. [12/26 addition] This post is part of IFB's Links a la Mode: December 26 Attire Club: The Best-Dressed Men of 2013 A la Modest: Your Guide to: Cheap,Used, and Unique Holiday Dresses Al Balsam Life: Affordable & Cute Prom Dresses Awaking Bohemia: Artist Spotlight Ashley Camper Beauty and Sass: Three Trends That Need to Go Away in 2014 Cat Eyes and Skinny Jeans: What to Wear on New Year’s Eve Head to Heels: Aztec Pencil Skirt 5 Ways Healthy Fashionista: Hues of the Harvest Keily’s Fashion Pics: Introducing Catwalk Chic Boutique Kremb de la Kremb: Winter Tan Les Assorties: Nailberry Got Us On Our Toes Miss Monet: The Fashionable Ladies of 2013 Purushu Arie: 25 Reasons Why Tablets are a Better Way to Fashion Blogging Spy Girl: Know Your Plaid Style Bizzare: Love Me, I’m a Woman: Why Good Sexism is Bad Style Curated: Dover Street Market Hits NY in Style The Lifestyle Project: The Battle of The Mascaras The Golden Girl Blog: 8 Entertaining Tricks Every Hostess Should Know! Trend Survivor: PS Oneone Neoprene Jacket We Are Ready Made: Marc and His Showgirls SPONSOR: East Dane MCM Worldwide, Oscar Renta, Moschino, Acne, Marwood, Flogg Shoes, Sunday Somewhere, Vionnet, MJ Swim, Natural Selection Jeans