Glen plaid

Glen plaid (short for Glen Urquhart plaid), also known as Glenurquhart check or Prince of Wales check, is a woollen fabric with a woven twill design of small and large checks.[1] It is usually made of black/grey and white, or with more muted colours, particularly with two dark and two light stripes alternate with four dark and four light stripes which creates a crossing pattern of irregular checks.[2] Glen plaid as a woven pattern may be extended to cotton shirting and other non-woollen fabrics.

"Glen Check" redirects here. For the South-Korean indie band, see Glen Check (band).
Glen plaid fabric

Name

The name is taken from the valley of Glenurquhart in Inverness-shire, Scotland, where the checked wool was first used in the 19th century by the New Zealand-born Countess of Seafield[3] to fit out her gamekeepers,[1] though the name Glen plaid does not appear before 1926.[4] Glen plaid is also known as the Prince of Wales check, as it was popularized by King Edward VIII when he was Prince of Wales.[5]

In other words, despite its internationally known name (French prince de Galles, Spanish príncipe de Gales, Italian principe di Galles, etc.), the "Prince of Wales" fabric pattern is not a Welsh pattern but a Scottish one.

Notable wearers

Pee-wee Herman is famous for his light grey Glen plaid suit, and US President Ronald Reagan was considered "unpresidential" in a gray-and-blue Glen plaid suit on a European trip in 1982.[6] Cary Grant wore an iconic grey Glen plaid suit in the 1959 American spy thriller film North by Northwest.

See also

References
  1. "Glossary: Glen plaid". Ralph Lauren Style Guide. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  2. Dictionary.com
  3. "Fabric glossary". Archived from the original on 1 June 2008. Retrieved 24 November 2008.
  4. Merriam-Webster Online dictionary.
  5. GQ
  6. Hugh Sidey, "Live Men Do Wear Plaid"


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