HOW TO STYLE TARTAN IN A CASUAL WAY? OUTFIT PROPOSALS + FASHION ILLUSTRATION

I was thinking about why I like tartan pattern so much, when one reason crossed my mind. I figured that it probably has something to do with the history and the culture behind this particular pattern. After all, I always say that traditional and folklore clothing (be it original or reproduced) carries additional value. Traditional patterns can be such an wonderful source of inspiration. Traditional patters have soul to them, one might say. The history of tartan is particularly interesting. Today we mostly associate tartan with Scotland, but according to some historians, tartan like fabrics were used by ancient Celtic populations spreading across the British Isles as early as the sixth and the eight century BC. Well, that one old pattern for sure! However, even if tartan clothes are really as old as ancient Celts, it is the still Scotland that is responsible for tartan we know today. Did you know that different tartan patterns can represent different Scottish families? Something like a family's personal coat of arms. How cool is that!

So, today we'll talk tartan print. I have quite a few tartan items in my closet and I wear them quite often. Today I'll be sharing two casual tartan outfits that I wore recently. In addition, I'll also share a fashion sketch I drew when I visited Split recently. It was just a quick sketch because I took advantage of state holiday (All Saints' Day)  to visit my family and I didn't have much time for sketching. I also forgot to bring my art supplies, so a quick sketch is all I could master. I illustrated an outfit I wore while I was there. A pretty simple outfit, really.

The first outfit I'm sharing (the illustrated one) is similar to another recently shared outfit in that it consists of a grey sweater dress and leggings. However, this time I wore these two items with a tartan short coat (you could also call it a long blazer if you like) and a pair of biker boots. I wore this outfit for a walk in my lovely hometown (I'll share more photographs of it some other time). 

Styling tartan print in a casual way is not terribly difficult. All you need to do is to pick a comfortable pair of shoes, for example a pair of sneakers or a pair of biker boots. A great thing about tartan is that it's quite eye-catching. Even a bit of tartan pattern (or print) can help infuse colour and pattern into your everyday outfits. It's the perfect accent. On the other hand, if you want to be more fashion forward, tartan print can be your best friend. For a statement look, try pairing different tartan patterns. If you're going for a particularly bold look, try mixing tartan pattern with a floral or geometrical one.

I love to style tartan with green, it seems somehow appropriate. I always imagine Scotland as this extremely green place, and perhaps I've connected the two (Scotland and tartan) in my head. Well, this tartan coat is mostly green, but more green can't hurt so I went with a different shade of green and added this scarf. I can't tell you where this scarf is from because I nicked it from mother dearest. I'll have to ask her some time. I do remember my mother wearing this scarf when I was a kid, so it's definitely vintage (because I'm in my thirties you know). I have almost a photographic memory of clothes my mother wore when I was a kid. Is it just me or are you the same way? Do you remember your mother's old outfits? Back to the subject.... Can you ever imagine autumn and winter without cozy scarves? I know that I can't. A nice scarf is both the perfect protection against the cold and a lovely fashion accent. 

 Speaking of accents, red accents also work well with most tartan print. Here I opted for a red bag and a red lip. I'm terribly lazy when it comes to make up, but lately I've been putting in some effort and trying to do at least my browns and lips. A red lip is such a classic, isn't it? It's been a while since I wore this red fringed bag, so I figured why not? This bag might come in handy if I decide to opt for a western/ cowboy inspired look. The western chic has been trending, hasn't it? Maybe I should try to jump on wagon as well? It is never too late to try a fun trend, right?

MY OTHER TARTAN OUTFIT PROPOSAL : A YELLOW TARTAN SKIRT

Now, here is another casual outfit proposal for warm Autumn/Fall. Bellow you can see a combo of two colours: military green and yellow. I think those two colours work really well together. What do you think? Are green and tartan somehow meant to be? Anyhow, I wore this outfit for a stroll in Mostar. Two somewhat similar outfits, for two somewhat similar cities. I have some new posts about Split and Mostar in the making, but they'll have to wait  a bit. 

As I said, styling tartan isn't hard. This would be my casual outfit proposal for styling a yellow tartan skirt.  It's a quite comfortable outfit. In addition, I like the fact that this long vest has a bit of flower print on it, so I ended up with a bit of print mixing. This (predominately yellow) tartan skirt is an old favourite. It's vintage, I absolutely adore it and I wear it every single year, ALL year around. Do you have any clothing items like that? Things you wear all year around? Items you can't imagine your closet without?

Thank you for reading and visiting!