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How to Wear Tartan Trousers (Women): Colours, Cut, Shoes and Five Outfits

“Tartan trousers only look like a costume when the rest of the outfit joins in. Give them a quiet jumper, a good shoe and nothing else to compete with, and suddenly they look like the most expensive thing you own.”Her take

What goes with tartan trousers?

Look closely at the check and name its colours. Most fashion tartans have one dark ground colour (navy, bottle green, charcoal or black) and two or three thinner accent lines. Your top should be one of those colours, and the ground colour is the safest choice because it makes the trousers look calm and deliberate.

If you want a lighter top, pick the palest line in the check: cream, oatmeal or soft grey. A pale knit over a dark tartan breaks up the outfit at the waist and stops the whole thing reading as one block of pattern.

• Navy and green tartan: navy, cream or bottle green on top.
• Grey or black-and-white check: black, charcoal, camel or ivory.
• Brown or ochre tartan: chocolate, camel, cream or forest green.
• Avoid a top in a colour that isn't in the check at all, unless it's plain black, white or cream.

Which cut and check size suits you?

A straight leg or a relaxed wide leg is the easiest cut, because the pattern hangs in clean vertical lines. Slim cigarette tartan trousers work too, but they show every pull across the hips and thighs, so try them sitting down as well as standing.

Scale matters. A large, bold check makes the legs look bigger and reads louder from across a room; a small check or a fine overcheck looks quieter and suits petite frames. On good trousers the check lines up across the front seam and the side seams. If the lines jump at the seams, it's a sign the fabric was cut quickly, and it will look it.

What shoes to wear with tartan trousers

Plain shoes in a dark or neutral colour from the check are the rule. Polished loafers make tartan look smart and slightly preppy. Leather ankle boots with a block heel suit straight and wide legs and cope with wet pavements. A pointed slingback or court shoe dresses tartan up for evening.

Watch the hem. Straight and wide legs should brush the top of the shoe or sit just above the ankle bone with a loafer. Cropped tartan with a chunky trainer can work for weekends, but keep the trainer plain white or black so the eye stays on the trousers.

Five tartan trouser outfits

Each of these keeps the trousers as the only pattern.

• Office: navy tartan straight-leg trousers, a navy fine-knit crew neck, dark loafers and a camel coat.
• Weekend: green tartan wide-leg trousers, a cream chunky jumper half tucked, flat ankle boots and a waxed jacket.
• Christmas lunch: dark tartan trousers, a black velvet blazer over a cream silk shirt, and a small heeled boot.
• Evening drinks: grey check trousers, a black satin camisole under a black cardigan, pointed slingbacks and one statement earring.
• Travel day: relaxed tartan trousers with an elasticated back, a plain long-sleeve top, a long navy coat and comfortable leather trainers.

Can anyone wear any tartan?

For everyday fashion, yes. Most tartans sold as fabric or ready-made clothing are worn freely, and nobody expects a family connection. A few tartans have traditional restrictions, the best known being the Balmoral tartan, which is reserved for the royal family, but you won't find it in a high-street shop.

At a Scottish wedding or a formal Highland event, some guests like to wear a tartan linked to their family name or region. That's a nice gesture, not a requirement. If you're unsure, a dark universal-looking tartan in navy and green is the safe, respectful choice.

Mistakes that make tartan look like fancy dress

Matching tartan on top and bottom, unless it's a deliberate suit. Adding a second pattern such as a stripe or a floral. Wearing a tartan scarf and tartan trousers together. Choosing trousers that are tight enough to stretch the check out of shape.

And steer clear of novelty extras: a tartan bow, tartan bag and tartan trousers in one outfit tips from stylish into themed. One tartan piece per outfit is the rule that never fails.

Questions people ask

The takeaway

One tartan piece, a top in a colour from the check, a clean straight or wide leg, plain dark shoes, and no second pattern anywhere.

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