Plaid, one of the biggest trends for back-to-school and fall fashion, is showing up everywhere, on clothing, handbags, shoes and even jewelry. For some designers, like Ralph Lauren and Burberry, plaid has always been an important part of their identity, but this fall, everyone is jumping on the plaid wagon.

Designers are going beyond the typical button down shirt and schoolgirl kilt. Ruffles, pin tucks and pleating give the plaid shirt a feminine twist. Tunics and sheath dresses look new in bold plaid patterns.Â
 

Fashion designer Jeffrey Banks has always had a fascination with tartan and plaid (technically not the same thing) and in 2007 co-authored the stunningly gorgeous book Tartan: Romancing the Plaid. In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Banks said women were wearing a lot of plaid on the streets of Manhattan following September 11th: 

“The world was rocked and they were looking for something they could hold onto, that they knew would not deviate, because so much had changed overnight.”
 

Are designers hoping the structure and predictability of a plaid pattern will make us feel secure enough to shop in these uncertain economic times? Will a plaid dress remind us of school uniforms and happier memories from our youth? Perhaps, but any way you look at it, tried and true plaid is having its moment.