Buffalo Check: A Key Print For Fall

Buffalo Check is clearly the key print this season, from Steven Alan's ubiquitous button downs, to Opening Ceremony's short sleeved coat, Shipley & Halmos's tie neck top to Vans classic lace up. Woolrich, Ralph Lauren, and Y.M.C. all have variations on the big squares, and Trovata just showed them for Spring 09. I could keep going, but I'll spare you. You get the point; it's everywhere. But where oh where did it come from?

Big fashion houses make their statements on the runways each season, those trends often surface with smaller designers the next, and shortly thereafter it's splashed across the windows of Forever 21, H&M, and the like. Last but not least Wal-Mart and Kmart (I would insert Target but when it comes to trickled down trends anyone who's traversed the red bulls eye's threshold knows that they are way ahead of the game) inevitably wind up with the watered down version of what once was the iconic print or body 'originally' designed by Chanel, Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, and so on. And where did that all begin? The best street style from the biggest cities in the world, blockbuster films (Batman has been a huge influence), politics and current/cultural events (war and the economy), and of course always the decades past, amongst countless other factors.

But alas I digress, the big buff and it's origin? Well the large check has been recycled for years. Envision those old flannels by no names found at the local Good Will. Alternately and more recently, however, it was a strong thematic element of YSL's Spring 07 runway. 'Spose everyone's always borrowing from someone.