We are all familiar with plaid shirts. The trend began with the legends James Dean and Rock Hudson, and in the 1900s they became cool with the grunge trend. Even the groundbreaking designer Alexander McQueen offered their take on this trend.

Plaid shirts a cultural symbolthat’s simultaneously alternative and normative, adopted by both the counter-culture and the mainstream.

Aesthetically speaking, plaid shirts in most color schemes are low-risk, sitting nicely atop a pair of chinos or jeans, and equally at home under macs or technical jackets or worn unbuttoned over a classic white T-shirt.

As with most patterns, the key to embedding plaid into your outfit is to keep the rest of it pared back; plaid’s a bold, colorful pattern so let it do most of the work and look to style it with neutral colors that complement your shirt’s palette.

In fact, thistype of shirt is the ideal solution for guys who are keen to introduce a little more visual interest to their casual looks but are unsure how to go about it.

 Here is Elena Luka’s take on this menswear staple.