PLaids & Checks
Checks and Plaids are a timeless look. They lend that touch of vintage and class to your style. Checks are outliers on the trend curve- they never resign from the the latest look-books. Designers and fashion aficionados are forever crushing on checks. Be it the cute apron checks or the stylish Scottish plaids, they keep making a comeback on the fashion run-way every year. However the pattern, they are forever in vogue. It is not very inaccurate to say, checks and plaids are more of a western birth and taste; with an exception of one style of check, which is native to Indian designs.
Why I love Checks
Asymmetrical spacing, playful lines, quirky mix of colours make for an inventive styling. There is something so satisfying about repetitive lines equally or unequally spaced, it’s visual therapy if you look at it for a long enough time– try it sometime. Check designs are not seasonal and hence no wasting storage space by packing them off for the next season. Be it the school girl checks on aprons or the flirty short skirt and a long blazer look in Scottish plaids or the bright Indian checks called Madras Plaids- checks and plaids can be creatively styled. We have all grown up with some sort of checked garment in our wardrobes. My favorite one was a quilted short skirt just fixed with a big stylish safety pin in Scottish checks– it was a borrowed item from a friend. Checks have carried me from school to office; the tiny gingham checks on my first school uniform to the Burberry oomph at work! I have adopted the appeal of this chic and natty style in my sarees to give them a fresh spin and crisp look, very wearable from a brunch to the boardroom.
checks & plaids - difference
Plaids and checks are both designs historically made as woven cloth. And to understand woven cloth patterns, we need to know the basics about weaving. Weaving is a process of creating fabric by interlacing two yarn systems, the warp and the weft. The warp yarns run lengthwise/vertically through a fabric and are wound onto a loom and held under tension. The weft yarns are put in one at a time by a weaver, crosswise through the fabric and run horizontally across the fabric. The two yarn systems interlace at right angles to each other. The weaving process is the same, whether done by a person sitting at a loom i.e. handloom or by a mechanized loom.
Many fabrics are woven on a solid color warp, but plaids and checks are both made on a warp with a stripe pattern. The stripe pattern for the warp contains varying different color threads and different size stripes. In plaids and checks, the stripe pattern is not random across the warp’s width but has a regular, repeating pattern. Likewise, the weft yarns are also in a stripe pattern of different colors and sizes. The difference between plaids and checks lies in these repeating patterns. Checks are two colors and have the same stripe pattern in the warp and the weft. The finished cloth is always symmetrical. Plaids have more than two colors and more variety in their stripe layouts. They sometimes have the same pattern in the warp and the weft, but not always.
Popular checks & Plaids patterns
CHecks & Plaids I have used in collection- CHECK MATE
Tattersall Checks: I have used a lot of tattersall checks for its spacious layout. Visually, tattersall checks and its’ variations look uncluttered and elegant.To preserve the integrity of the original pattern, I have kept the threads light and not used too many colours in the weave.The sarees inspired by this kind of warp and weft are Light Squares, Cross Check and Desperado. Desperado has a very lawyer vibe to it.
Gingham Checks: It is hard to miss these checks. Most of us have seen these uniform squares small or big in some form of our clothing from childhood. The even squares are soothing to the eye and has a soft appeal. I have chosen pastel shades to keep the effect calm and soothing. The sarees with Gingham checks are Bare king and KIA
Madras Checks: I absolutely love Madras checks for it’s vibrancy of colour. I saw it first in a small saree store in some obscure corner of Chennai. The shop had these checks in all colours and in silks mostly. Arabian Mate and Swindle are my adaptation of the Madras checks. I have leaned towards a lighter but bright pallet making it appropriate for both day and evening. Mood of these sarees- Cheerful, bright and happy.
Tartan Plaids: Tartans are the original plaids. They have a Scottish highland origin. I have used many different kinds of tartan plaids in my designs. Tartan plaids form a complex pattern of lines in varying thickness. They are usually contrasting light lines either against a darker base or vice versa. Tartan plaids can create an illusion of making you look slimmer due to the alternating of thin and thick lines. Few of the tartan plaids I have used are described below.
Above mentioned are just few of the checks and plaids I have used in my designs. To view all visit entire collection Check Mate
Saree Names Explained
Each saree has been named after a chess move. Chess and checks are a happy marriage. In 2020- the fashion scenes were dominated by chess board checks. They are large quilted checks and have a somewhat goofy look.
Mood of the COllection
The checks and lines on quality cotton exude the boss vibes. You are in charge. You take yourself seriously and so should others. You own the space in the time – Check mate as far as others are concerned!
Cotton the Perfect Canvass
I have chosen cotton for this classic yet sassy look. These sarees are a good choice for a casual outing and an excellent choice for work The checks part a professional and sage look. Hence cotton, for overall comfort and easy upkeep of the saree. The thread count of these cotton sarees is very high making it light by weight and does not crush easily.Neither does the cotton stick to you like mull does nor does it bellow up like a Chanderi cotton or Bengal cotton.
How to style these sarees
A blouse piece included with each saree. The blouse pieces are essentially in the some colour way as the saree itself. The checks and lines on the blouse piece vary only slightly from the saree itself. I do not recommend pairing these sarees with a mismatched blouse or in sharp contrast to the sarees. In the photos I have draped each saree with a solid colour blouse. If you do not have a taste for checks and lines on the saree and blouse together, opt for solid colour blouses in linen and cotton in the same colour way as the checks and line. Stay far away from any other printed blouses like floral, blocks. In other words stay in the the same family of- colours, fabric, print and pattern of the saree.
I am not a fan of over accessorising my sarees, simple because they do not need it. With this collection, keep your accessories to a minimum.
I recommend modest styles in blouse like high necks, mandarin collars, closed necks or even a close overlap ‘V’. These saree very naturally exude the executive look. So goodbye skimpy cuts and revealing styles.
Saree care & maintenance
- Home wash no dry cleaning required. Though the brand tag does say dry cleaning but it’s honestly not required.
- The fall of the saree is soft but not limp. It does not need starching. In fact do not starch this cotton.
- It is most easy to drape and pleat. You can effortlessly drape it without any pins and clips. The saree stays in place just the way and where you want it to.
- Home ironing is good enough with iron in cotton mode. Steam cleaning is not required. Cotton suffers a reputation for creasing. The cotton of the Checkmate collection does not. You can sail through the day with minimum creases and folds.
Sustainable & ETHICAL PRACTICE
This collection like all other is completely handloom. Olee is all about sustainable clothing and ethical practices. There is not a single step involved from procuring the cotton, weaving to bleaching, dyeing the yarns and post processing that go against environment friendly practices. Olee- Sustainable and Sublime.
