A fresh look at a timeless wardrobe pattern.

Big news: checks are on the menu this spring. So much so, we have identified them as an official “trend”. Of course, you’d be forgiven for thinking “aren’t they always”, so we probably have to be a little more specific. For a few seasons now, designers have been exploring checks down two notable avenues. First off, the idea of heritage check: that is, the sort of checks that have been kicking around Savile Row (and beyond) for many decades now – think tartan, Prince of Wales and windowpane. Then there’s this whole other take on check, more redolent of Mr Kurt Cobain’s oversized check shirts and the kind of loud, knowingly garish items that you might pick up in the thrift store. Now, spring 2018, in our humble opinion, is the moment when these two approaches have melded together, into a sort of viscous, extremely chequered soup. In fact, all kinds of check – both heritage and kitsch – are being fed into this season’s lightweight tailoring, oversized shirting and pattern-splashed knitwear. Here’s just a few tips on how you might want to put together this veritable Battenburg of options.

Normally, one would opt for a summer suit in a light-coloured, plain fabric. Or maybe striped seersucker if you’re feeling particularly daring. It’s a Brideshead Revisited-worthy look that is being utterly trampled by this season’s tailoring, which is all about traditional check fabrics, but in light, summer-weight wools and cottons. The most eye-catching, covered not just in a tartan check, but lots of little bees, is, of course, being offered by Gucci. But if you’re looking for something a little bit more versatile (and, we might add, trans-seasonal), we would advise you to pick up this windowpane-check suit from Kingsman, which has mohair added into the fabric to make it extra breathable.

Yes, you can wear more than one checked piece at once. The way things are looking this spring, you’ll probably have to. So it’s worth boning up on the golden rule of such an approach: checks (and patterns in general) look complementary next to each other as long as the checks themselves are of noticeably different scale, to provide a sharp contrast rather than a mushy mess. You can test this piece of advice out this season by investing in this attractive cotton-blend tweed jacket from Dries Van Noten and wearing it with any densely checked shirt in a neutral colour. Call us favouritists, but we like this one from Parisian brand Ami.

And now, here we are at the street-ier end of the spectrum. Former DJ Mr Virgil Abloh’s brand Off-White is perhaps best known for its statement graphics and sporty print T-shirts and jackets. But, it turns out, it also does a rather interesting take on a grunge staple – the red checked shirt. In fact, it’s also offering elastic-cuffed trousers and a trucker-style jacket in the same fabric this spring. But, back to the shirt – this example comes with the brand’s trademark compass graphic dominating the back. Wear it with a pair of piped-detail track pants from New York’s You As.