Dressed to Kilt...

A few years ago I spent the best week of my life in New York City and was lucky enough to be there while Tartan Week - the Big Apple's tribute to its love of all things Scottish - was in full swing. Being surrounded by handsome men in kilts was not a difficult task I must admit.

Now that another NYC Tartan Week has drawn to a close, I've started thinking about how much I actually love my national fabric. Yes, admittedly there are some absolute howlers out there, but in general I love a good bit of tartan.

Some people might think it looks a bit twee and old-fashioned and frumpy but personally I think tartan can look super stylish and sexy - whether it's simple black and white plaid or bright, clashing, in-your-face colours.

If you're really bold and want to stand out from the crowd I think this stunning little number from Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B collection is the perfect statement dress. It's bright, bold, sexy and is guaranteed to get you noticed.

Or, if you're not 100% sure about the look but fancy giving it a go, you can't go wrong with a tartan shirt teamed with a pair of skinny jeans and converse trainers, or ballet pumps for a girly twist.

Over the years I've had quite a selection of tartan garments taking pride of place in my wardrobe - ranging from my red tartan mini-kilt (a particular favourite from the age of around 17 but sadly no longer with us) to an abundance of tartan shirts, to a Vivienne Westwood inspired All Saints skirt. Alas I have never had tartan shoes - but I'm sure it won't be long until I satisfy that particular craving.

Most fashionistas out there will know that Alexander McQueen was a big ambassador for tartan - he featured it quite often in his designers and this is a favourite of mine...

Marc Jacobs introduced men in kilts to the catwalk - something I applaud him for because, let's face it, a man in a kilt is a very attractive thing - but I'm not so sure I'm digging the gladiator sandals with this ensemble. The kilt? Tick. The shirt? Tick. The sandals? Fail. Sorry Marc. You look sort of like a Roman Warrior who got a bit confused when his army invaded Caledonia...

Speaking of men in kilts... *sigh* I have tried to persuade the bf to see the light and accept that he should wear a kilt on our wedding day but I'm afraid he's having none of it. Probably because he's got chicken legs. And he's English. But a girl can try right?

Anyway...glass of cold water, deep breaths - back to the fashion. I love this dress from HeartLoom and Nicky Hilton has been pictured wearing it - what's so perfect about it is that if you want to give tartan a go, but you're not too much of a risk-taker, this is the ideal offering. It's wonderfully subtle because of the colours but it's still obvious what kind of look you're trying to go for. I also love shirt dresses during the summer because they're so cool and lightweight, and it's so easy to throw an outfit together if you're in a rush in the morning.

It would take a brave, and very confident, woman to compete against Kate Moss - she looks amazing here and tartan trousers are certainly not easy to pull off. In fact, they're notoriously difficult. As much as I love tartan kilts, skirts, dresses, shirts and shoes, trousers are something I would never attempt to wear. I'll cover it up with the excuse that my legs just aren't long enough or skinny enough to draw this much attention to them, but the truth in the matter is, I'm simply not brave enough!