Checked In: The Enduring Allure of Plaid School Uniforms Around the Globe

(CNN) As students return to school from the summer holidays, the plaid fabric now synonymous with uniforms is making a comeback on pleated skirts, jackets and ties. Check has long been a mainstay in classrooms and pop culture, evoking the bubbly Irish teen TV show “Derry Girls,” the daring 1990s film “Clueless” and the provocative outfits of early 2000s Russian pop duo t.A.T.u.

Although plaid has become an umbrella term in the United States, it also includes patterns with specific histories, such as Scottish tartan and Indian madras. Tartan is most closely associated with Catholic school uniforms, while madras was popularized in the late 20th century by brands such as Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers and became a staple in American schools. Plaid has been widely accepted in academic settings, and schools around the world, religious and non-religious, have incorporated plaid into their uniforms, from Mexico to Japan to Australia.

But how did a tartan-like plaid, once a symbol of identity and rebellion for the Scottish Highlands, end up being adopted as the ultimate spin on schoolgirl fashion by Cher Horowitz (the fictional teen in Clueless)? In fact, the reason plaid became so successful both as a symbol of national identity and as a school dress code is the same.

“Tartan really does convey a sense of belonging,” says Mhairi Maxwell, co-curator of the exhibition “Tartan,” which opened last year at the V&A museum in Dundee, Scotland.

He explained that thousands of variations have been officially added to the Scottish Government’s tartan registry, which allows for “endless possibilities” in design while following strict rules. Royal Stewart, best known for its red, blue, green, white and yellow weave, is the official tartan of the British Royal Family and one of the most popular variations adopted by punk culture. In the 1990s, Naomi Campbell wore a blue and pink MacAndreas tartan designed by Vivienne Westwood. In 2011, the University of Alabama officially adopted the crimson, white and black pattern.

Japanese students, 2013 / Zhang Peng/LightRocket/Getty Images

The oldest known tartan textile dates from the 16th century and was found in the marshes of Glen Affric in Scotland, but tartan patterns are known to have existed for centuries before that, although there is disagreement as to how long ago.

Changing associations

The exhibition “Tartan” explores its history and cultural influence. / Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Tartan was made a powerful symbol by Charles Edward Stuart, who led a tartan-clad Jacobite army in an unsuccessful attempt in 1745 to restore his father to the British throne.

“[Stuart]used tartan to make a people’s plaid and to create a movement to fight for his causes,” said Maxwell. “He was already playing on the idea that tartan was a fabric of loyalty that would unite people to fight for what they believed in.”

After the defeat of the Stuarts, the use of tartan in Scotland was restricted for several decades by the British dress code, but it was revived in the early 19th century with the support of the royal family, including Queen Victoria. During this period, the crafts and lifestyle of the Highlands were “monopolized by the elite.” Tartan, which was previously a fearsome item encountered on the battlefield, now represents a different kind of pride in the form of status and wealth, making it an ideal fabric for schools that preach prestige and tradition.

“I can’t think of any other fabric that has carried so much baggage,” says Maxwell. “It’s a traditional fabric, but it’s also so rebellious.” It also took on imperialist connotations, as it spread around the world through wartime Highland regiment uniforms, British colonial rule and the transatlantic slave trade.

School uniforms in Puebla, Mexico/Thomas Trutschel/Photothek/Getty Images

Collective Identity

Tartan was first introduced to the United States when it was still a British colony, but it only became a staple of school uniforms in the United States in the 1960s, according to historian and educator Sally Dwyer-McNulty, who said its popularity “exploded” over the decade, when it was brought to market by a major supplier of Catholic school uniforms at the time.

Checkered patterns already had a Catholic connection, McNulty noted, and they were visually distinctive, too, and, as in other countries, checkered patterns allowed schools to brand themselves through their uniforms because they were simple and could be varied.

“Plaid creates an important collective identity – students can wear it to embody their pride in their school, or they can wear their socks down to their ankles to express their rejection of uniformity,” McNulty joked.

Russian pop duo t.A.T.u. (tattoo) incorporated Catholic schoolgirl attire into their songs and performances. / Bruno Vincent/Getty Images

Until the late ’80s, uniforms were reserved for parochial and private schools, but public schools experimented with them, helping to popularize plaid in American schools. (Former President Clinton supported plaid uniforms during his presidency, believing they would help reduce student crime.) By the ’90s, Maxwell says, uniforms were available outside of contracted vendors, and stores like Gap were buying plaid skirts and jackets in bulk.

Today, check continues to be used by designers and subcultures around the world, as well as in television and film, where it has been revived, remixed and dissected in various forms. Maxwell’s interpretation of it in 1995’s Clueless remains her favorite, while Alicia Silverstone’s bright yellow checked skirt suit continues to be replicated – Kim Kardashian wore it for Halloween last year, and Christian Siriano redesigned it for a Super Bowl ad, worn by Silverstone.

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