PLAID SHIRTS 2011 - 2012

How to Look Feminine in a Plaid Shirt

Learn How to Wear Plaid Shirts without Looking Like a Man, Plus Tips On Where to Buy Them"

• Select colors that flatter your complexion

It'll give you a nice, healthy glow. You personally look terrible in plaids with light grays, pink and crisp white. So you always go for reds, orange and browns.

• Go for a great fit

 A men's shirth will fall straight to the sides, but a women's shirth should follow her curves. So basically, if you want to look womanly in checkered shirts, pick styles with a little bit of an inward tuck at the waist to accentuate your waist.

            Tips: Boyfriend blazers, boyfriend tees and boyfriend are popular garments, so it's not an entire boo-boo to wear men's plaid shirts if you want to create a laid-back look. They look hot worn open with a black or white fitted tee.
However I suggest you wrap a skinny belt around the middle and/or add a pair of high heel boots or shoes for an original cross-mix of both the feminine and masculine!

• Leave the one-two buttons unbuttoned for a relaxed look

Avoid "choking" your neck by buttoning all of them up - not chic. It looks stiff which will only defeat the whole point of the shirt.

• Select styles with cute details for a feminine edge

Such as ruffles or tuxedo pleats at the front of the shirt. A belt tie is gorgeous too! You should definitely experiment with tunic shirts, which have a longer fit (reminds you of a mini dress) and are begging for a pair of leggings to go hand in hand!

• Add accessories into the mix

How many guys wear jewelry, headbands and scarves with their plaid shirt?

... EXACTLY.

So if you want to look chic in plaid shirts, you need to add layers and some "bling". But since the shirt is already crowded with checkered prints, you might want to pick accessories in simple designs, such as sleek hoop earrings, leather bracelet, basic single pearl bracelet, colorless diamond stud earrings, belts without any fussy details, a clean-looking headband, etc.

          Tip: It looks cool with trendy jewelry such as a multi necklace with charms, as long as youdon't spread the fuss throughout the outfit and make it look crowded everywhere. So yes, youcan add more details with your check shirt!

Speaking of looking fem-chic in a plaid shirt, you might also want to figure out how to wear it to flatter your body shape: 

How to Flatter Your Figure with a Plaid Shirt

If you're top-heavy..

If you're an inverted triangle, apple or simply have an obviously larger bust or wide shoulders than rest of your body, then you need to be careful with check shirts as they can highlight your top half and make it look bigger and wider. You'd want to balance out your body shape by adding more volume around your hips to look more proportional.Here are garments that will complement both your figure and the shirt style:

• Jeans with fade effect around the thighs (includes skirts as well)
• A-line mini skirts
• Belts worn low-slung
• Belted shirts with a hem that flares outwards

Other ways to slim down your upper halfis to wear it open to create a trimming v-neck, black belt around the middle, etc. Also, you'll avoid overemphasizing your top half by wearing plaid color mixes with only dark colors. That's because white expands and make you look bigger!

If you have a straight figure..

If you have little or no waist definition, just like a rectangle body shape, then you need to trim it down by picking plaid shirts with a tucked in waist or at least add a skinny belt. In this way you'll avoid looking wider on top.

    Tip: You can also wear it open to kind of make people believe that there's a small waist hiding in there.

How to Wear a Plaid Shirt

With a Skirt: It looks hot with a black mini skirt. And a denim skirt if you're more of a laid-back kind of gal. A new trend is the leather skirt and tucked in shirt. Top it off with sexy sheer tights or for a more casual look try black opaque tights.

With Jeans: Dark wash and black skinny jeans are the standard bottom pieces that complement the plaid shirt look. You might also want to try jeans with lighter wash around the thighs.

 Tip: If distressed jeans with a checkered shirt remind you of a masculine barnyard look then you can easily feminize the look with high heel boots or flat ballerina shoes and jewelry.

As a Dress: You can find many check shirts in long tunic styles. They're perfect if you want to look feminine and cute. However you should stick to simple hosiery, like solid colored leggings and tights. If you don't like thick jeans you can also opt for lightweight denim leggings.

 Note: Have in mind that if the tunic shirt is short (thigh length) then drop the tights because they'll reveal too much, and go for leggings which are more appropriate to pair with long tops.