The Fashion Buzzword We've Noticed Over at Zara

-221824-1492514845197-main

(Image credit: The Fashion Guitar)

Charlotte Groeneveld of The Fashion Guitar wearing a Rosie Assoulin gingham top.

Gingham: Every girl we know (personally or via the magical medium of social media) has bought into it over the past month. From tablecloth-checked shirts and monochrome trench coats to ruffled plaid skirts, ribbon-tied shoes and simple sundresses, there is no shortage of gingham available, and being purchased.

Already our level of interest has been sufficiently piqued to give you a rundown on the best gingham pieces across the high street, but during our e-tailer travels, we started to notice one important thing. Some of the most trusted brands weren't calling gingham gingham at all. Why? Well, it all comes down to the origin of this archetypal summer print…

-221824-1492515302734-main

(Image credit: The Frugality)

Alexandra Stedman of The Frugality wearing a Next coat.

So it turns out if you want to get really involved in this number one print trend, you'll need to start referencing it as "Vichy." The term is a noun in French and is basically the equivalent to "gingham" in English. However, there's an extra depth to this meaning: This particular woven fabric has traditionally been manufactured in a French town called Vichy, where these now-whimsical cotton fabrics were produced to make aprons and shirts.

Step back in time, and gingham can be derived from Dutch-occupied Malaysia, Indonesia and also India—almost every continent has a version it would like to claim as the original. Therefore this humble pattern has lived a thousand lives under a thousand different guises: from all-American pinup to practical (it's cost-effective because the check is the same on the both sides), cool to overly cutesy. Vichy, or gingham, has never failed to be reinterpreted by designers, and here it is yet again.

So now that you can talk the talk, let's walk the walk. Shop our favourite Vichy-check trend pieces below…

Related: 30 Style Essentials for All Chic Girls in Their 30s

Related: I've Just Found 11 Spring Outfits You'll Want to Wear This Weekend

Hannah Almassi
Editor in Chief

Hannah Almassi is the editor in chief of Who What Wear UK. Hannah has been part of the the Who What Wear brand since 2015, when she was headhunted to launch the UK sister site and social channels, implement a localised content strategy and build out the editorial team. She joined following a seven-year tenure at Grazia magazine, where she led front-of-book news, fashion features and shopping specials as fashion news and features editor. With experience in both print and digital across fashion and beauty, Hannah has over 16 years in the field as a journalist, editor, content strategist and brand consultant. Hannah has interviewed industry heavyweights such as designers including Marc Jacobs and Jonathan Anderson through to arbiters of taste including Katie Grand and Anna Dello Russo. A skilled moderator and lecturer specialising in the shift to digital media and e-commerce, Hannah’s opinion and work has been sought by the likes of CNBC, BBC, The Sunday Times Style, The Times, The Telegraph and MatchesFashion.com, among many others. Hannah is often called upon for her take on trends, becoming known as a person with their finger of the pulse of what’s happening in the fashion space for stylish Brits.

Hannah currently resides in Eastbourne with her photographer husband, incredibly busy son and highly Instagrammable cat.