How to Wear Gingham and Not Look Like You are Going to a Hoedown

Did you know I started a closed Facebook Group? It’s a place where we can all come together and chat about fashion and style in a more private and authentic way. The group has been a great success in the first month that it has launched. I hope you will join us.

Every week I try to jump on and do a live video where I answer members’ questions. If you are a member of the group you can go back and rewatch them anytime. During the last live video, I got a question about wearing gingham, as it is a very popular trend this season, much to my chagrin. I’m not the biggest fan of gingham. It sort of reminds me of a picnic blanket or like something you’d wear to a hoedown. Trends don’t care about me or my feelings, so here is gingham, waiting to be worn.

How to Wear Gingham and Not Look Like You are Going to a Hoedown

You can decide to leave this gingham trend behind, if you want. Just because it is in the store doesn’t mean you have to wear it. But if you do, here are three ways to incorporate gingham into your wardrobe without looking like someone from the cast of Hee Haw.

#1- Add some color

You’ll find a lot of black and white gingham in the stores. To break up the gingham a bit, try wearing it with some color. You can wear black and white with any color you choose, and the same goes for a navy and white gingham combination.

I styled these gingham pants from J. Crew with a bright pink sleeveless top from Banana Republic. Over the top, I layered a lightweight black Majestic Filatures cardigan over it and finished the look with slides from Seychelles, a black circle bag from Remi & Reed and black drop earrings from Monica Vinader.

#2- Wear gingham in small doses

Admittedly, when I looked up gingham to prepare for my live video on my Facebook Group I did find these navy exploded gingham flats from Sam Edelman pretty adorable. They make this print in pumps too. In small doses, gingham is palatable. If you want to wear this trend, try it this way.

I styled the flats with these wool cropped pants in navy and a relaxed Vince top. I finished the outfit with a yellow bag from TopShop and long necklace from Lagos.

#3- Wear more modern silhouettes in gingham

Gingham can have a very down home look if styled a certain way. Imagine a gingham shirt and pair of denim shorts; very farmer’s daughter. If you want to cut through the back country look of gingham, choose it in styles that are more modern or metropolitan.

The belt on this Tibi dress has an edgy modern quality that cuts through the gingham. I styled the dress with black slingbacks from Sam Edelman, white bag from MICHAEL Michael Kors and gold earrings from Robert Lee Morris.