What is the difference between Tartan and Plaid?

There are a lot of people who can become confused by the differences between tartan and plaid because they seem to be the same. They say that tartans are the same as plaids but they are called “tartans” because they are made to show a community. You have to remember that the plaid is a pattern that is created with crisscross lines.

This is usually composed of two or more colors. This explains why plaid tops and other items with this print come in a wide variety of colors. The difference may also rely on who is using these two terms. Most of the time, these words would refer to the same thing.

Both Tartan and plaid are fabric-related terms and they both belong to the same culture. However, of the two fabrics only the tartan represents the Scottish clan. In Tartan, the yarn is colored and it is laced with streaks which alternates. This method gives blocks of several colors in the vertical and the horizontal pattern. Unlike tartan which represents the Scottish clan, the plaids represent English fabric which appears with a related design having vertical and horizontal designs, which are dyed and laced into the fabric. Tartan comes with a geometric pattern while plaid on the other hand has printed patterns which implies that it has both the geometric squares present in tartan and other overlapping squares. In the highlands, there is a clan in which the tartan is so common. It is said that tartan is associated with that clan. Around the 19th century, efforts were made to review the tartan culture.

It can be confusing to know the different prints and patterns but the more that you know, the better. Tartan is known to be a type of plaid but since this has started in one community, this has been named after the community. When you say “plaid,” you may be referring to a huge cloth. This would depend on where you are and how people would use these two terms. In some areas, they would use these two terms interchangeably. For example, in Scotland, they would use the term “plaid” when they want to refer to a blanket that they need to use. It does not have to come with a tartan print in order to be considered as “plaid.”

Plaid and tartan are two of the patterns that some people usually get confused with because they look similar to each other. You just need to look closely so that you will begin to see how different they are. Plaid will usually be composed of some criss-cross patterns that will usually be in two or more colors. Tartans are known to be a type of plaid, but they are sometimes used by certain communities, which can somehow make them a little bit more sacred. Some say that when you say tartan, the woolen cloth is normally used. Take note that some people use the term plaid to say the length of the skirt being used.

Tartan is a kind of woven woolen cloth made with colored yarns that are laced using different kinds of stripes or patterns. These stripes are woven in such a way that they intersect at right angles. This explains the reason why the various colors that are used are arranged in a vertical and horizontal pattern.

Plaid, on the other hand, also comes with a design that looks very similar to tartan simply because its stripes are also arranged in both horizontal and vertical patterns. Although both look very similar, tartans are made by lacing stripes at right angles, whereas plaids are made by cutting and sewing them into fabrics. Unlike plaids that have even and printed patterns, tartans have geometric shapes. Out of the two fabrics, tartans are mostly worn, and they are often considered as the actual clan of the Scottish people, though the two fabrics are usually considered as traditional wears in Scotland.