How To Wear Gingham (And Avoid Looking Like A Tablecloth)

Poor gingham’s got a bad wrap. Often associated with state fairs and picnic tables, this pattern is pretty hard to master. Even Dorothy needed her snazzy ruby slippers to help pull it off. So, given gingham’s trickiness, we thought it only necessary to devise this little tutorial for successfully sporting The Wizard of Oz-iest of textiles.

1. Pick a side.

Make your gingham garment a statement piece or go all-out with clashing prints (checked or otherwise). It’s one or the other. Either stick to minimal accessories and monochrome outfit additions, or let loose with different patterns. There is no middle man.

2. Use gingham as a diversion tactic.

Wear a gingham-patterned item of clothing where you want to draw attention, thereby distracting from parts of your body you’d prefer to hide. For example: Don’t like your thighs? Wear a billowy gingham blouse and black cigarette trousers.

3. Be aware of scale.

Depending on how large the gingham weave – or how ‘zoomed in’ the gingham is – you can obviously expect different visual effects. The rule of thumb is: The larger the scale, the (potentially) less flattering. So, if you’re not confident in counteracting a large gingham weave’s broadening effect (through belt cinching or trompe-l'œil mastery using different cuts or clashing prints), opt for the smaller checked pattern, which is universally guaranteed to flatter every shape.

To save you from appearing like you’ve landed a cameo in a country western, we’ve compiled a few outfits that’ll ensure no picnic tablecloth references are made. Bon appetit.