Side Order: Plaids and Stripes

27 items featuring my favorite combo of patterns

I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but I can’t emphasize enough how into pattern mixing I’ve been lately. I talked about it in the context of upholstery patterns in this Room Recipe post, then mentioned my love of stripes in “Fall A to Z,” then referenced them yet again in my interview with Big Salad that went out last week. (A lot of you are new here thanks to Big Salad, so welcome!)

Obviously it’s not unique to like stripes. Like, at all. And plaid for fall? Certainly not groundbreaking. Nevertheless, I find myself repeatedly coming back to the combination of big stripes paired with little stripes, gingham with a chunky tartan, and every other variation of a line-centric pattern you can imagine. My brain buzzes with excitement when I see two (or more!) intentionally paired, matching-but-not-too-matching patterns. (Or, in the case of this image below, two very matchy-matchy patterns that really just lean all the way in.)

Via Hotel Peter and Paul.

Erika Veurink

wrote about tartan the other day in her newsletter Long Live and linked to a site where you can have a custom pleated skirt made in any number of plaid fabrics for $175. I was tempted to pull the trigger on a midi-length kilt made specially for me, and I started daydreaming about styling it with a rugby shirt, riding boots, and this one houndstooth coat in my closet I don’t get to wear nearly enough here in LA. Ultimately I reminded myself that I’ll be in the UK soon and if I really want something similar I can find it there, but it was a fun autumnal path to stroll down in my imagination.

Via Acne Studios.

Pairing plaids and stripes together comes more naturally to me in interiors than it does clothing, though. A tablescape is an easy place to start, where having some contrast between the textile patterns gives it a sort of casual, “I threw this on the table” feeling. Or in my living room, for instance, a giant striped rug works alongside a variety of striped and plaid pillows because they’re all different scales. I love when things feel collected over time, and pattern mixing really communicates that feeling well.

A perfect settee via Lucy Williams on the left; the shelves at Turkish textile company Bahtiyar Ipek on the right.

In the spirit of pattern mixing, I’ve curated 27 items of clothing, accessories, and decor in a variety of stripes and plaids. I absolutely loved pulling this one together—it’s a very satisfying round up!!!