Ever since primary school, wearing gingham has signified summer as we swapped out shirts and ties for sweet dresses in our uniform's pastel shade. And few of us left this tradition in primary school as the nostalgic charm of really great gingham felt too good to save only for childhood term times.
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Sweet picnic checks have always been popular, but the fabric and its virality has reached fever pitch in recent years as the ascent of a new batch of mid-price brands have made it their forte. It's the Ganni effect, spurred from its viral acid green seersucker dress that first cropped up in 2019. I love mine and anticipate wearing it all summer long for the sixth year in a row.
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Gingham's popularity is far from difficult to understand. The fabric is easy to care for, breezy to wear and a flattering option when presented in stretchy seersucker and alongside its most common partner: shirring. Gingham is just as happy on the beach as it is worn to the office. Few fabrics challenge its versatility and that's why it's long been a favourite of mine.
Olivia Rodrigo, Glastonbury headliner, is on board too. The American musician rocked up to Wimbledon in a red and white (very strawberries and cream coded) gingham dress from Ralph Lauren's SS00 collection. The buttoned-up shirt dress was perfect for the frightfully English affair, with gingham a long-standing favourite of those in attendance at SW19. What's worth noting from Rodrigo's look is the sharpness of the ensemble. The immaculate tailoring and all-red accessories brought a refinement that moved the look on from anything too... um... picnic blankety.
And so despite the fact that gingham has connotations of being overtly twee, it has long been a favourite of some of the fashion industry's most subversive female designers. Rei Kawakubo at Comme Des Garçons regularly returns to the fabric at the mainline and its offshoots Girl and Black. Her preference tends to be over tailoring or in exaggerated proportions that challenge the girlish perceptions and yet still retain a femininity. Another is Miuccia Prada. When I think of my favourite gingham moments in fashion lore, it's hers that I quickly return to and especially AW13. The fact that it was used in an autumn/winter collection presents plentiful pre-summer styling tricks to return to all this time later.
I love the way this pink dress was styled over a black layer, and the contrast of shoes with heavy hardware is a styling trick I still employ now. Lead in this direction, I've found that a grey cashmere cardigan pairs particularly well with red and white gingham dress from Uniqlo, with the clash of the textures working just as well as the palette. Or then there's the idea of sharpening ginghams edge by pairing it with colourful tailoring until the weather warms up a little.
I hope I've convinced you that gingham is not just for the summer months. You'll find that when worn with clever layering or unexpected pairings, it can be a year-round favourite that has been cosigned by fashion's most persuasive arbiters of taste. And me too.
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