I was shopping on Melrose this weekend when I fell victim to one of Fall’s hottest trends: The plaid shirt. Don’t cringe! I know, I know – I thought the same thing, but this season’s sweetheart is not the plaid of Seattle Grunge lore – it’s cute, it’s tailored and it’s chic. No, I’m not kidding. Stop laughing.

My shirt is a woven, long-sleeve blue plaid button-down from Christopher Wicks’ line for women, English Rose. It’s similar to this one:

Only, well, different.

I’ve seen some great plaid shirts from Victoria’s Secret, Guess, and Banana Republic. Even Target has some super cute shirts for women and men, too.

Try pairing with a white tank top and boyfriend jeans. Don’t slouch on the shoes though – you might be wearing plaid, but you aren’t chopping down trees. Consider something sleek and sophisticated, like a black high-heeled ankle boot, like this one by Steve Madden.

Beso has a great collection of plaid shirts for women and men. With prices starting at around $20, you won’t have crank up the Soundgarden while digging through those baggy flannels at the back of your closet.