Plaid Shirts for Spring & Summer? For Practical Comfort or Rebellious Vibes

Plaid shirts are once again in style this Spring, this time with a focus on elevated textures, unexpected silhouettes, and bold pattern mixing. They are being reinvented with luxe materials like bouclé and are being worn as statement pieces in modern, fashion-forward ways. It’s a familiar and comfortable style for everyone, whether preppy, punk, grunge, traditional or even Scottish. But this year, they are often being used to evoke a feeling of Western romance. And keep in mind the rebellious side of plaid. It can free you to use it in casual or formal wear, in garments or accessories and for any season. Age doesn’t matter. So let’s take a look at how many ways we can wear plaid shirts for Spring and Summer!

Ways to Wear Plaid Shirts for Spring & Summer

You’ll find plaid garments of all sorts such as trousers, skirts, dresses, tunics, shirts, jackets and coats. But in this post, I am putting the focus on shirts. I’m looking for variety, so there are outfit ideas to keep things interesting. That way, you can most likely put together daily looks from what you already have for various occasions. But I also like to dress creatively. So although there are many normal ways to wear a plaid shirt here, I’ve also included a few out-of-the-ordinary pieces and combinations. 

For style tips and outfit ideas for how to wear all types of clothing and accessories in plaid and not just shirts, see my post on that HERE.

Style Tip #1

A plaid shirt can be the basis for an easy Western look.

Plaid shirts bring to mind the Old West and life on a ranch. So you might like to accessorize in that vein.  

Try choosing accessories such as Western hats, cowboy boots, turquoise jewelry, concho belts, fringes, etc.

For more about this, see my post on what you need to get an easy Western look.

Style Tip #2:

Wear a plaid shirt with lace, pearls or both.

1. Evening:  Tuck a lacy white top into blue jeans and wear a plaid shirt open as a jacket. Layer strands of pearls with a long pearl pendant.
2. Layer a long-sleeve lace top under a short-sleeve plaid shirt + trousers or jeans.
3. Tuck a lacey camisole into blue jeans and top with a plaid shirt open as a jacket. Layer delicate gold necklaces in neckline and a few narrow gold bangles.
4. Wear a lace-hem top extender under a plaid shirt with distressed jeans. To find out more, see my post “What in the World is a Skirt Extender?” HERE.
5. An ivory plaid shirt buttoned over an ivory lace-hem top extender + skinny blue jeans.

1970s Gauze Cotton Plaid Western Shirt from Free People

with jeans

Style Tip #3:

Tie your plaid shirt in a knot at waist to shorten and shape it.

Wear a Plaid Shirt Unbuttoned Over Your Outfit as a Jacket

1. Wear a plaid shirt open as a jacket over a jeans & a tee.  Add statement necklaces + chains + big rings.
2. A blue plaid shirt as jacket over a graphic tee + blue jeans.  Add a bracelet; a casual cord bracelet is good here.
3. Wear a plaid shirt with navy in it open as a jacket over a navy or gray t-shirt & jeans.  Add a short delicate necklace + a couple of silver bangle bracelets.  Roll the sleeves to bracelet length.
4. A plaid shirt as jacket over a Henley tank or tee & jeans.
5. Wear a plaid shirt open over a graphic tee & jeans. 
   

   

6. A plaid shirt open over a column of color (i.e., white top & bottom or black top & bottom, etc. Use any one color.)
7. A plaid shirt as jacket over a black top + black pants + black shoes (or substitute navy or charcoal for black).  Add a necklace or two.

The Hadley Relaxed Buttondown Shirt from Anthropologie

with a ruffled skirt & espadrilles

Wear a Plaid Shirt With a Skirt or Dress

• Tuck a plaid shirt into a feminine skirt. Add a braided belt and espadrilles.
• A plaid shirt + a short pencil skirt in a color toned to the shirt.

• Mix a plaid top & plaid bottoms in similar colors. You might like to add a scarf, concho belt and sneakers.
• A plaid shirt as jacket over a t-shirt dress.

• Pair a plaid shirt with a denim skirt.
• Layer a lightweight plaid shirt over a slip dress.

Wear a Plaid Shirt With Shorts or Crops

• A plaid shirt + Bermuda shorts.
• A short-sleeve plaid shirt (or roll up the sleeves of a lightweight plaid shirt) + denim shorts.  Add a necklace and/or moccasins.

Wear a Plaid Shirt for Spring & Summer With Any Pants, Trousers or Jeans

• A striped top under a plaid shirt + blue jeans or trousers. Belt it.
• On chilly Spring days, layer a plaid shirt over a short-sleeved hoodie & jeans.

• A plaid shirt + striped pants in similar colors.
• Wear a plaid shirt open as a jacket over a camisole and pants of your choice. Add a sparkly statement necklace.

• Pair a plaid shirt with trousers. Add sandals and a wrap bracelet.
• Remember, leopard goes with everything! So go ahead and pair an animal-print top or bottom with your plaid shirt. A leopard topper or scarf would also work if it’s not too hot out.

Plaid Shirts for Spring & Summer

There are plaid tops in new styles, such as the tank top above, to help keep things interesting.  And then there are different styles that lend themselves to a plaid shirt, such as:  Western, Scottish, preppy, punk and grunge. You can wear a plaid shirt buttoned, open as a jacket, tied at the waist or tied around the waist as a belt. Dress it up with pearls or a statement necklace or dress it down with destroyed jeans or do both at the same time. What are your favorite ways to wear it?

Let’s Connect!

I hope this helped you to see new ways to wear your plaid shirt during the warmer months. I’d love to hear your feedback. Please leave a reply below!

Like this post?  You might also like to read:

• “The Plaid Blazer:  33 Ideas for How to Wear It”
• “From Easy to Awesome:  Over 50 Ways to Wear a Plaid Shirt”
• “How to Be Bold and Creative With Print Mixing”

Let me know if this was helpful to you. Did you get inspired with new outfit combinations using these tips and ideas?  Please leave a reply in the comments below!

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This post is linked up with Fancy Friday at Nancy’s Fashion Style and with Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot #101 at Marsha in the Middle.

Thanks for visiting Your True Self Blog!

Angie

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