On this season’s checklist: checks!

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They’re back again, the winter classics, and the most famous of them all has finally made its reappearance: checks! It’s that little extra “touch” to your outfit that gives it a timeless look, but never feels like its’ old-fashioned. That way you can look like a stylish Parisian, come off as a stouthearted Scot or pull of a London look, with Burberry oozing from every pore. Let us take a minute to immerse you in the world of checks.

Checks are created by weaving the pattern into the fabric using different colors or types of thread. This method is the source of limitless possibilities for all kinds of different checkered patterns. Fibre Mood takes you on a guided tour of this season’s trendiest patterns.

Tartan

Picture yourself in a world of bagpipes and kilts because this check is increasingly making its appearance on skinny pants, short skirts or plush Tartan jackets like the ones you'll spot over at Fibre Mood, where it’s called a Roma jacket or a Hunter coat. The tartan check is the most famous and also the oldest of the checkered patterns and is made of wool. There are a hundred or so different tartan checks, each of which used to be tied to a specific Scottish clan. Even the iconic “Burberry check”, sometimes known as “haymarket check”, is a descendant of the Scottish tartan, although it was trademarked by the brand as an English check. 

Time and time again, British designer Alexander McQueen has breathed new life into the tartan pattern. A host of fashion houses and designers have followed suit, and just this past winter, tartan checks could be spotted too at Tory Burch, Victoria Beckham, Mulberry and Tommy Hilfiger, among others The colors you’ll see most for this season's tartan are red, green, blue, white and black.

Glen check or Prince of Wales

This English classic is a pattern that every fashionista hopes to see hanging in his or her closet. At one time the combination of small and large checks was mainly seen in men's suits; in the meantime, however, contemporary minimalist bloggers have started sporting it in a series of neutral colors. The closer you look at the fabric, the more small, delicate checks you'll see, often accented with a red or blue line running through it. The Glen check is worn in traditional blazers, trench coats, dresses, skirts and even straight pants like the Bertha model with its slightly wider leg and the Indigo jumpsuit for kids.

Windowpane check

Checkmate! Why? That’s because the Windowpane check (closely related to gingham) has popped back up again all across the street scene. The simple, wide check creates a sense of breathing space in your clothes, which also makes it super simple to combine. How about a two-piece outfit or the trendy Carmella jumpsuit that's been checkered throughout in the Windowpane check. That way this winter you'll be twice as fashionable.

Are you not sure which check you should go for in your next sewing project? Check out these trendy items and let your imagination take flight!

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