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11:08am Saturday 6th September 2008

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Tartan is on the march for autumn. MAXINE GORDON picks out plaid that packs a punch.

GARISH and glam, tartan is a terrific way to add a bolt of colour to your autumn wardrobe.

Whether it’s a winter coat in black and red check, a plaid mini dress, or a pair of red tartan high heels, chic checks are a sure fire way of bringing your look up to date for autumn.

Of course, we have Vivienne Westwood to thank for transforming the fortunes of tartan.

Once the kilt was only worn by lonesome bagpipe players and brave-heart wedding grooms, but Britain’s grande dame of fashion wrestled it from the heritage rail and reinvented it for the catwalk.

From mini skirts and jackets, dresses to trousers, Westwood, pitured, turned anything and everything into plaid glad rags.

Thirty years on from the punk revolution that threw the former school teacher into the fashion frontline, tartan still features prominently in her collections.

Fashion lovers can see her latest creations when the Vivienne Westwood boutique opens in Blake Street, York, on Thursday.

New for autumn in her Red Collection are tartan dresses with giant bows, impossible short minis and skin tight tartan trousers, in a riot of colours from red to orange as well as more muted greys, tans and blacks.

Accessories feature the look too, with tartan holdall-style bags in brown, grey and black (with giant safety-pin detail) as well as a statement bag in multi-coloured checks.

Elsewhere on the high street, tartan is enjoying a style revival.

Go for a full Highland fling in a tartan dress or checked coat. French Connection has a smart red one, but a funkier alternative is the bright green design at River Island. And dare to stand out from the crowd in Dorothy Perkins’ pink and black check coat with a bow thrown in for added style points. For something more subdued, go monochrome in Wallis’ above-the-knee-length variety.

Or snap up a tartan shirt to bring your office wear bang up to date; check out the selection at Matalan, River Island and Principles.

If it’s all a bit OTT for your taste, you could tone down the look by opting for a tartan accessory.

Step out in style with some tartan heels or shoe boots, or invest in a new bag with tartan detailing.

One of the simplest ways to try out the trend is to pick up the oversized tartan corsage from Freedom at Topshop. It’s versatile too: you can wear it on a lapel, in your hair, on your waist or even on your bag. We’re sure Dame Vivienne would approve.