When we think of plaid, ’90s-era grunge bands or vinyl-toting hipsters come to mind. Gingham evokes images of a slightly preppier, more conservative guy—possibly with Starbucks or a Baby Björn.

Plaid, an umbrella term, includes multiple variations, such as tartan, gingham, buffalo check and windowpane. (The internet is full of visual guides like this one if you need help sorting them all ...

Like its grid-style siblings tartan, buffalo checks, and Glen plaid, gingham is best paired with prints from the same family. You can also style it with the aforementioned polka dots and leopard ...

And of all the ways to cozy up to the soft-woven material, buffalo plaid might be the most popular ... of people on the lookout for the oversized gingham print. So many, in fact, I'd guess ...

Designers from Paris to Tokyo made checks of all stripes, from tartan and tattersall to gingham and glen plaid, a cornerstone of their fall collections. And while the patterns are traditional as ...