From Easy to Awesome: Over 50 Ways to Wear a Plaid Shirt

Plaids are always loved and in style for fall and winter.  There are probably a million ways to wear your plaid shirts.  But I have come up with over 50 ideas here from easy to awesome.  I hope they inspire you to experiment with different ways to wear this closet staple.  And I start it all off with some style tips.  To me, a plaid shirt is a laid-back classic that evokes casual comfort.  Over the years, I have collected all these outfit ideas so that I never have to wear my plaid shirts the same way twice.  Getting dressed is more interesting for me that way.  In the process, I have discovered some awesome outfit combinations and some in-depth layering techniques.

You’ll be able to wear and enjoy your plaid shirts more often when you style them in new ways.  Age doesn’t matter.  You can be bolder when you’re older because you have the experience to know best how to express yourself.

The following outfit ideas are meant to inspire your creativity.  If you don’t have the exact pieces of clothing mentioned, feel free to substitute with what you have.  You could also skip something or add something you would like.  Go ahead and stretch the envelope; wear what you love and have fun!

In this post, there are style tips and over 50 ways to wear a plaid shirt.  Actually, I have updated this and expanded it so that it has more like 90 outfit combinations!  Starting off with some basic pairings, there are categories for wearing it with a third piece over it, wearing it open as a jacket over something else, layering it and ways to wear it in spring and summer.

Print this out, keep it near your closet and enjoy wearing your plaid shirts in new and different ways!

Style Tips:

1. Wear a plaid shirt open as a jacket over a lace or sequin top with any bottoms.  This is good for dressed up day events or easy evenings.
2. Accessorize a plaid shirt with a bohemian statement necklace, such as a coin or tassel necklace or metal bib necklace.  Juxtaposing opposite styles is a great style maker!
3. Mix animal prints with plaid. Simply adding a leopard-print belt, scarf or footwear to a plaid shirt and jeans amps up the style!

Over 50 Ways to Wear a Plaid Shirt

Simple Pairings

1. A plaid shirt + striped pants in similar colors.
2. Pair a plaid shirt with trousers. Add sandals and a wrap bracelet.
3. A long-sleeve plaid shirt + a flirty skirt.
4. A plaid shirt tucked inside a black faux leather skirt.  Add black ankle boots + a necklace + a bracelet.
5. A plaid shirt + a short pencil skirt in a color toned to the shirt.

   

6. A plaid shirt + cargo pants.  Add boots.
7. Tie a flannel shirt around the waist of a little grunge dress (like a waffle-knit Henley dress, for instance).
8. Pair a plaid shirt with animal-print bottoms.
9. A plaid shirt + a long-sleeve t-shirt to match one of the colors in the shirt + jeans.  Shoot the cuffs.
10. A plaid shirt over blue jeans.  Add a long gold hefty chain necklace + ankle boots.

    

11. A plaid shirt + velvet pants.
12. A buffalo plaid shirt + gray corduroy pants.
13. Pair a plaid shirt with a faux leather skirt.
14. A short-sleeve plaid shirt (or roll up the sleeves of a lightweight plaid shirt) + denim shorts.  Add a necklace and/or moccasins.
15. Just add a great statement belt!

Wear It With a Third Piece Over It

1. A plaid shirt + toned plaid pants + a black denim jacket.  Add black boots.
2. Start with a plaid shirt and black faux leather pants. Add ankle boots or pumps and jewelry of your choice. If cool, add a moto jacket, blazer, trench or short wool coat.
3. A plaid shirt over another plaid shirt + jeans or other pants.
4. Pair a plaid flannel shirt with a geometric print (i.e., a plaid flannel shirt + an Aztec-printed cardigan + jeans).
5. Wear a checkered or plaid flannel shirt beneath a structured jacket.
6. A plaid shirt + a navy linen jacket + blue jeans.  Roll up both sets of sleeves so that it creates a plaid cuff.  Add a big gold watch or gold cuff bracelet + diamond or blue stud earrings + blue sneakers + patterned socks.

   

7. A denim jacket over a plaid shirt + jeans in a different color from the jacket.
8. A utility jacket or safari jacket + a plaid shirt tucked inside blue jeans.  Add a belt with a sparkly buckle.
9. A plaid shirt + jeans + a utility jacket.  Add a long pendant on a cord + biker boots.
10. A plaid shirt + a vest + jeans or pants.
11. A plaid shirt + a cardigan + skinny jeans inside tall boots.  Add a scarf tied European-style (fold an oblong scarf in half, put around neck, then put the ends inside the loop and adjust).  Push, roll or turn back cuffs to show layers.  Be sure the plaid shirt and/or the cardi is hip length or longer to stay classy wearing the skinny jeans!

    

12. A cardigan open over a plaid shirt + blue jeans.  Add ankle boots.
13. A plaid shirt + a longer-length cardigan + skinny jeans.  Leave the cardi open and add a belt over it.  Wear with ballet flats.  Cuff or turn back the sleeves of the cardigan to show shirt cuffs.
14. A cardigan worn open over a plaid shirt tucked into a short black pencil skirt.  Add chains with bling, and maybe some ankle boots.
15. A plaid shirt tucked into velvet sweatpants or joggers + a chunky cardigan.  Belt the cardi.  Add heels.
16. A plaid shirt + a faux fur vest (even if it’s an animal print!) + jeans or pants in a toned color.
17. A fleece vest worn open over a matching color plaid shirt + blue jeans.  Add ankle boots.

    

18. A plaid shirt + jeans + a moto jacket.  Add a necklace + ankle boots.
19. Another way to accessorize a plaid shirt + jeans + a moto jacket is:  Add a statement necklace under the collar + animal-print flats.  You might also want to add a beanie if cold and sunglasses if sunny.
20. A plaid shirt + black pants or jeans + a black leather jacket. Add black boots + a long chunky chain.
21. A plaid button-down shirt + corduroy pants + a faux black leather jacket.  If sunny, add sunglasses.
22. A plaid flannel shirt buttoned + a chunky knit cardigan + jeans or other pants.
23. A buffalo plaid shirt + any jeans + booties.  Add a leopard-print coat.  You may also like to add a beret.
24. Top a plaid shirt and jeans with a black velvet blazer. Add black shoes or boots.
25. An embellished vest over a plaid shirt + bottoms of your choice.
26. Holiday:  A red buffalo plaid shirt tucked into black jeans or faux leather pants. Add a leopard-print belt, a leopard scarf, gold earrings and aviator sunglasses if sunny. Layer gold chains with a big gold watch. Top with an olive utility jacket. Add a red lip.

Wear It Open as a Jacket

1. Work at Home:  A plaid shirt worn open as a jacket + a graphic tee + blue jeans.
2. A sequin tank or tee + a plaid shirt as jacket + black jeans.  Add a beanie + a fine gold bracelet + a big ring.  You might like to roll back the sleeves.
3. A plaid shirt as jacket + a white embroidered mesh tank top + an Aztec-print cardigan + jeans or other pants.
4. A plaid flannel shirt as jacket + a lace top + blue jeans.  Add a short delicate chain + a delicate necklace that drops slightly below the top’s neckline.
5. A plaid shirt as jacket + a lace top or velvet burnout top + jeans or corduroy pants.

   

6. A buffalo plaid shirt as jacket + a black top + black skinnies.  Add black riding boots.
7. A plaid shirt as a jacket over an animal-print t-shirt + blue jeans.  You might like to add tall boots over the jeans with over-the-knee socks rolled above the boot tops.
8. A buffalo plaid shirt as a jacket + a black Henley top + blue jeans.
9. A gray t-shirt or a Henley shirt + a plaid shirt as jacket + blue jeans.
10. A plaid shirt as jacket over a gray tee + jeans.  Add statement necklaces + chains + big rings.

    

11. 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.
12. A graphic tee + black faux leather pants + a plaid shirt as jacket.  Add black ankle boots.
13. A blue plaid shirt as jacket over a graphic tee + blue jeans.  Add a bracelet; a casual cord bracelet is good here.
14. A plaid flannel shirt as jacket + a concert tee + jeans or any pants.
15. A plaid shirt with navy in it + a navy or gray t-shirt + jeans.  Add a short delicate necklace + a couple of silver bangle bracelets.  Roll the sleeves to bracelet length.

    

16. A slip dress + flannel shirt as jacket.  Add biker boots.
17. A plaid shirt as jacket over a thermal/sweater dress.  Add a floral scarf + flat boots + tights + a gold chain bracelet.
18. A plaid shirt as jacket over a casual black dress.  Add boots.
19. A plaid shirt as jacket over a body-conscious dress.  Add tights + tall boots (over-the-knee boots are even better).
20. Wear a plaid shirt open as a jacket over a camisole and pants of your choice. Add a sparkly statement necklace.

    

21. A plaid shirt over a column of color, such as a black turtleneck and black pants.
22. A plaid shirt worn open as a jacket over a long-sleeved top with embellished cuffs and blue jeans. Add a short pendant necklace.
23. An aqua or gray thermal top + blue plaid or flannel shirt as jacket + blue jeans.  Add a bracelet or two.
24. A navy plaid shirt + a navy thermal top + blue jeans. Add a belt.
25. A plaid shirt + a thermal top + blue jeans.  Shoot the cuffs.  Add bangles and/or bracelets.

    

26. A plaid flannel shirt worn open as jacket + a striped tank or tee + jeans or other pants. You might like to add a pendant.
27. Pair a plaid flannel shirt with a matching-color tank top in a longer length or a matching-color graphic tee. Wear over jeans or the pants of your choice.
28. A plaid shirt as jacket over a t-shirt dress.
29. Wear a plaid shirt over a long-sleeve or short-sleeve tie-dye tee and skinny jeans. Add over-the-knee boots.

    

30. A plaid shirt worn open as a jacket over a long-sleeve lace top + jeans + boots. Add gold jewelry.
31. Tuck a lacy white top into blue jeans and top with a plaid shirt as jacket. Layer pearl necklaces with a long pearl pendant.
32. Pair a plaid flannel shirt with a matching-color tank top in a longer length and pants of your choice.
33. A long-sleeve plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled back over a long-sleeve black t-shirt with the sleeves pushed back + blue jeans.  You might like to do a messy tuck or half tuck.

Layer It

1. A moto jacket over a plaid shirt unbuttoned over a black long-sleeve tee + black coated skinny jeans.  Add black booties.
2. A plaid shirt over a striped tee + jeans + a moto jacket.  Add Converse or basketball shoes.
3. A black graphic tee + a plaid shirt as jacket + a black moto jacket.  Add jeans or bottoms of choice.
4. A moto jacket open over a plaid shirt (button only one button) + a gray tee + black skinnies.  Add black ankle boots.
5. A plaid shirt over a slip dress + a faux leather jacket + leggings.
6. Wear a plaid flannel shirt over a black top and gray skinny jeans. Top with a black leather jacket. Add hoop earrings, bangles and black boots.

   

7. A plaid shirt unbuttoned over a graphic tee over a long-sleeve top extender + blue jeans.  Roll the plaid cuffs back to show the cuffs of the top extender sleeves.  Add bead bracelets + a collar necklace + one-to-three short chains.  You might also like to add earrings and a cap.
8. An ivory plaid shirt buttoned over an ivory lace-hem top extender + skinny blue jeans.
9. A duster + a plaid shirt unbuttoned over a printed shell top + any bottoms.
10. A long-sleeve graphic tee + a plaid shirt unbuttoned over it + a furry vest + blue jeans.  Add Western boots + a necklace + one or more bracelets.
11. A plaid shirt as jacket + a ribbed or studded top + a cardigan + a jean jacket + pants or jeans in a different shade than the jean jacket.
12. A graphic tee + black skinnies + a long-sleeve plaid shirt unbuttoned to show tee + a jean jacket.  Add a short necklace + a big ring + sneakers.  If sunny, add sunglasses.

    

13. A black long-sleeve undershirt + a plaid shirt + black boots.  Add a black outerwear jacket.
14. Wear a plaid shirt unbuttoned over a short-sleeve charcoal t-shirt and pants of your choice. Top with a leather jacket. Add flat boots and a wrap bracelet.
15. A short-sleeve plaid shirt + a flannel plaid shirt over pants.  You might also want to add a sweater vest, scarf, belt and/or boots.
16. A long-sleeve shirt + a plaid shirt unbuttoned over it + flared blue jeans + a pieced cardigan, such as leather with knit sleeves.
17. Wear a leather blazer over a plaid shirt unbuttoned over a graphic tee and blue jeans. Add ankle boots and a sparkly statement necklace.
18. A plaid shirt + a black boyfriend cardigan buttoned over it as a jacket + black pants.  If cold, add a camel coat.

Was this helpful to you?  What’s your favorite way to wear a plaid shirt?  Please leave a reply in the comments box below!

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Angie

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