Checked shirts, blouses and dresses came back to life early 2008, but  then with each new 2010 collection that is released I have seen more and more checked clothes for both men and women being stocked .

I remember the good old days when I was a little bubbly girl with big round cheeks – I had two pairs of checked dresses. I remember so well my two checked dresses; one was blue with red, and the other which was sent by my uncle from the USA was a white and black back less dress.

My mother then, had three little girls and she used to dress us to the nines all in the same type of dress and the same colour! We used to look like triplets!

Checked shirts and dresses during my time was such a big hit that almost everyone wore some thing checked. With fashion changing day in day out, it is no wonder that even fashion also circumnavigates.

I go to the markets, in the streets, in offices and also in church I see lots of checked shirts and dresses everywhere. Checked clothes have come back in such a big boom that designers are having their field day selling them.

When wearing a casual check shirt one should look to fold the sleeves up to give that rugged look. When wearing a checked shirt, one can use a two fold technique where you fold the cuff back once and then fold the sleeve once more on top of that. If your shirt fits correctly, the sleeves should then stay folded just lower than your elbow.

For those that like it just above the elbow (or sleeves are still not tight enough) push the sleeve from the bottom of the fold to just above the elbow joint. Try not to fold again as it can damage the fibres within the shirt and cause it to become worn out too quickly.

The same goes with rolling shirt sleeves up as well, as these small rolls cause tension and can make your sleeves fit incorrectly in the future.

Ladies look very hot in checked shirts paired with jeans or just when it is a plain checked dress. The ladies can wear the checked shirts with a slim fit jeans and a pair of boots. Checked shirts make women look sophisticated, especially when accessorised well with a big tote bag, some loop earrings with a big chain and designer glasses to get to the weekend mood.

The checked dress is something else. This dress makes one feel so comfortable especially this dry and hot season. Feel free to wear your checked dress anywhere, since it can serve both as formal and informal dressing paired with flat ballet shoes and a tote bag to complete the look.

Men have never looked better! Remember you can dress the shirt up or down with the right accessories. If going for a casual look then layer up by adding a basic plain v-neck t-shirt underneath and wearing some comfort jeans with a pair of boots. For men this will give you that manly "manual worker effect” but also be very comfortable for day wear.

When dressing up for a night ,men look so handsomely rugged when they layer slightly differently with a plain chunky cardigan over the top or a nice leather jacket which should frame the shirt and contrast well with the bold pattern of the shirt underneath. 

On a hot weekend checked shorts worn on a t-shirt and open shoes gives one a hot look. Try any of these and you will never regret it.

What I love best about the checked clothes is that it is a fashion statement all on its own. If you pick a bright colour combination and pattern then you do not need anything else for it to make people look at you. Take a look at some of the new arrivals in the clothing shops in town and buy yourself a pair to be part of the fashion.

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