Tartan and Plaid Cycling Jerseys: The Difference, the History and How to Wear Them
Tartan is a pattern of colored stripes that cross at right angles and repeat in a fixed unit called a sett, with the colors mixing where the stripes meet. Plaid is the everyday North American word for tartan, and in the US it also covers simpler checks. On a cycling jersey, both come as a printed design.
In short
- Tartan is a pattern of colored stripes crossing at right angles, repeating in a unit called a sett.
- Plaid is the usual North American word for tartan, and it also covers simpler checks.
- Highland dress, tartan included, was banned for men and boys by the Dress Act 1746 and allowed again in 1782.
- Easiest way to wear it: one tartan piece, black bibs, and a cap or leg band in the same colors.
What is the difference between tartan and plaid?
In North America, "plaid" is simply the common name for tartan, so the two words often mean the same thing. The difference shows up when you look at how the pattern is built.
A tartan uses stripes of several widths and colors, running the same way across and down. That repeating block is the sett. Where a stripe of one color crosses another, you get a blend of the two, and solid colors never sit directly side by side. A simple check works differently: two colors in equal squares, meeting edge to edge.
"Plaid" has a second history too. In Scotland, a plaid was first a garment, a large rectangle of cloth worn wrapped around the body and often woven in tartan. Over time the word moved from the garment to the pattern. In the US today, people call almost any crossing-stripe pattern plaid, including bold two-color checks that no weaver would call a tartan.
Traditional tartan is woven wool in a 2/2 twill, where each thread passes over two and under two. Look closely at our Men's Plaid Tartan Pattern jersey and you can see fine diagonal hatching inside the red bands, a printed nod to that weave.
Plaid and tartan jerseys
Men's Plaid Checkered Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey
$54.99$69.99
Men's Checkered Plaid Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey
$54.99$69.99
Men's Classic Tartan Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey
$54.99$69.99
Where does tartan come from?
Tartan is tied to the Scottish Highlands, where it was part of everyday Highland dress. Its history took a sharp turn after the Jacobite rising of 1745.
The Dress Act 1746, part of the Act of Proscription, barred men and boys in Scotland from wearing Highland clothes, naming the plaid and the philabeg (the little kilt) and banning tartan for great coats. A first offense could mean six months in prison and a second, transportation overseas for seven years. Officers and soldiers in the king's forces were exempt, and the Highland regiments kept the kilt. The ban did not stop every tartan in Scotland, since women and noblemen still wore it, but everyday Highland tartan faded for about two generations.
Parliament repealed the restriction in 1782, with the Use of Highland Dress Act. The idea that each clan owns a specific tartan came later than most people think. Most tartans named after clans date from the early to mid 19th century. King George IV's visit to Edinburgh in 1822, the first by a reigning monarch in 171 years, set off a rush of demand for tartan cloth.
What is a registered tartan?
Scotland keeps an official list. The Scottish Register of Tartans was created by the Scottish Register of Tartans Act 2008 and launched in February 2009. It sits within National Records of Scotland and holds thousands of designs, including records of at least 7,000 tartans taken over from older registers.
Anyone, from anywhere, can apply to register a new tartan. The design has to be sufficiently different from every tartan already recorded, and the name has to follow the register's rules (a clan or place name needs the right to use it).
Our jerseys use tartan-style prints we design in house, applied with full-sublimation printing on wicking polyester, so they ride and wash like any other jersey we sell.
Why wear a tartan or plaid jersey on the bike?
My read is that tartan feels like fall. As October rides get cooler across the US, a plaid jersey matches the flannel season off the bike, and the deep reds carry straight into the holiday season. A busy pattern probably hides road grime better than a plain white jersey, too.
For colder rides, the Men's Red Plaid Checkered Long Sleeve jersey comes in our standard wicking fabric by default, and you can add the thermal fleece option in the customization panel for a lined jersey.
The calendar gives you two more excuses. Burns Night, on January 25, is the birthday of the poet Robert Burns, celebrated with Burns suppers of haggis and a reading of his "Address to a Haggis". Then on April 6 comes National Tartan Day in the US, which marks the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320. The Senate backed the date in 1998, and it became a presidential proclamation in 2008. A tartan jersey on a Tartan Day group ride is about as on-theme as kit gets.
How do you match a tartan jersey with bibs and a cap?
Keep one piece loud and let everything else follow it. Tartan already carries several colors, so black bibs are the safe base. If you want a finished look, pick bibs and a cap that repeat one or two colors from the sett rather than a second pattern that fights it.
Our Classic Tartan set shows how this works. Start with the Men's Classic Tartan jersey in Blue, Pink or Yellow. The Classic Tartan Gel Padded Bib stays black on the body and puts the tartan on its 45 mm silicone leg grippers, over a 9D contoured gel pad. To finish, the Classic Tartan cap comes in the same three colors, one size fits most.
A few rules that hold for any plaid:
- Match socks to the darkest stripe, not the brightest.
- Avoid mixing two different tartans in one outfit unless the colors line up.
- With a red plaid, black or charcoal bibs look sharper than navy.
Tartan and plaid bibs
Men's Classic Tartan Gel Padded Cycling Bib
$63.99$74.99
Men's Red Plaid Checkered Gel Padded Cycling Bib
$63.99$74.99
Men's Criss-Crossed Tartan Gel Padded Cycling Bib
$63.99$74.99
Men's Plaid Tartan Pattern Gel Padded Cycling Bib
$63.99$74.99
Which tartan and plaid cycling jerseys should you pick?
It comes down to how traditional you want to look. Here is how our designs compare, all in the Plaid Collection:
| Design | What it looks like | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Plaid Tartan Pattern | Red with darker red crossing stripes | The classic lumberjack plaid look |
| Plaid Tartan | Plum base with a blue diagonal plaid | A quieter, argyle-style plaid |
| Classic Tartan | Large blocks in Blue, Pink or Yellow | Matching jersey, bib and cap sets |
| Criss-Crossed Tartan | Lime, Blue or Pink, layered blocks with crossing lines | Bright days and group rides |
| Red Plaid Checkered | Burgundy with cream diagonal lines, as a long sleeve jersey or a 2 piece kit | Fall and holiday rides |
| Checkered Plaid | Yellow, black and white squares | A bold check, not a true tartan |
Our jerseys share the same build: 140 GSM wicking polyester, 110 GSM mesh side panels, three back pockets, a full-length hidden zip and a silicone waist gripper. Several designs come in men's and women's cuts (the customization panel can switch the cut on many others), in sizes XXS to 7XL. They have a club fit cut and run small, so size up if you are between sizes and check the size chart before you order.
Tartan and plaid picks
Men's Plaid Tartan Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey
$54.99$69.99
Women's Classic Tartan Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey
$54.99$69.99
Men's Plaid Checkered 2 Piece Cycling Kit
$99.99$119.99
Frequently asked questions
Is plaid the same as tartan?
In North America, yes, plaid is the usual word for tartan. Strictly, a tartan has stripes of several colors repeating in a sett, while plaid in everyday US use also covers simple checks.
Can anyone wear any tartan?
We think so. Tartan is worn well beyond Scotland, and the Scottish Register of Tartans accepts new designs from anyone, anywhere.
When is Tartan Day in the US?
April 6, the date the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320. The Senate recognized it in 1998.
What do you wear with a tartan cycling jersey?
Black bibs and plain socks are the easy match. For a full look, choose a bib or cap that repeats one color from the jersey.
Is a plaid cycling jersey a good holiday gift?
It suits riders who like fall and winter kit. Check their size against our chart first. Non-customized items come with 60-day store-credit returns.
