From punk to prep and tastefully classic to terminally crass, plaid has always been a pattern that crosses lines. Most closely associated with the tartans belonging to the clans of the Scottish highlands, plaid material has actually been on earth in the ancient tombs of Qizlchoqa in Central Asia the date back to 1500 BC.The pattern shown on our Mad for Plaid cover was collected in France in the 1800s, but it looked as though it could have come from last year's runway collection by Vivienne Westwood or Louis Vuitton! So goes the cheeky versatility of plaid.