The distinctive black and white check pattern catches your eye immediately. Geometric, bold, and visually striking, yet undeniably sophisticated. Houndstooth (pied-de-poule in French, which translates to 'chicken's feet') has outlasted countless fashion cycles to become one of design's most enduring motifs.
But what transformed this once-utilitarian pattern into a symbol of timeless elegance?
Houndstooth originated in 19th-century Scotland as durable woven wool clothing for shepherds, who relied on it for extra protection from the cold during long days in the pasture. Because of this humble origin, the pattern wasn't acknowledged or popularized for a while, remaining hidden from fashion's spotlight.
Image Sourced From History of Houndstooth, Origins & Plus Size Houndstooth Clothing Style – See ROSE Go
Yet its allure quickly transcended those pastoral roots.
By the 1930s it had been adopted by the upper class as a status symbol. This happened after Edward VIII (the trendsetting Duke of Windsor) incorporated the pattern into his wardrobe, effectively elevating Houndstooth from its humble origins to the haute fashion staple we recognize today.
From that point on, the pattern's association with luxury and exclusivity only grew stronger.
Couturiers soon elevated houndstooth into an emblem of high style. In the post-war era, Christian Dior embraced pied-de-poule as a symbol of class and elegance, famously using it on the packaging of his debut perfume Miss Dior and incorporating it into some of his most iconic suits and accessories.
Christian Dior Miss Dior Perfume - Vintage 54ml Partial Contents Eau de Toilette EDT Splash Bottle | Image Sourced From Etsy
Other luxury houses soon embraced the pattern, establishing houndstooth as a symbol of refined taste and elegance.
Prestigious fashion brands like Chanel and Louis Vuitton incorporated it into their collections, transforming it into a cornerstone of luxury fashion. Today, this distinctive motif immediately conjures images of sophisticated Chanel tailoring, classic British tweeds, and timeless sartorial excellence.
But why does this centuries-old motif endure while others fall away? One reason is its chameleon-like versatility.
Houndstooth manages to be timeless and modern at once, as it carries the weight of heritage but can look utterly fresh with the right twist. Its bold, graphic quality makes any garment instantly eye-catching yet it pairs effortlessly with contemporary styles.
Moreover, designers and wearers alike are drawn to houndstooth's ability to elevate an outfit: throw on a houndstooth piece and you've added a dose of texture, pattern, and luxury heritage in one go.
It has also become a staple pattern that requires no explanation, similar to how jeans are universally accepted, its style credentials are simply understood.
The versatility of the houndstooth pattern makes it an excellent choice for a timeless wardrobe, no matter how you choose to wear it. - Quote from Gentleman Rules
And of course, much of this enduring popularity stems from its long-standing association with prestige, from its adoption by nobility to its elevation through decades of luxury brand marketing that cemented its sophisticated image in the fashion consciousness.
In short, pied-de-poule endures because it's never just a relic, it's a living classic that each new generation reinterprets in exciting ways.
Houndstooth in Fashion: Iconic Eras and Reinventions
Image Sourced From Reddit (r/fashionhistory)
1930s–1950s: From Elite Circles to Dior’s Haute Couture
From humble Scottish shepherd's wear, houndstooth quickly ascended to high society by the 1930s.
As mentioned earlier, the Duke of Windsor's adoption of the pattern in 1934 elevated its status, inspiring the English nobility to embrace it as a sophisticated fashion statement.
While Dior had already incorporated the pattern into his Miss Dior perfume packaging, the designer truly cemented houndstooth's haute couture status by featuring it prominently in his 1959 collection. This transformed the pattern from classic menswear check into a sophisticated fashion icon.
Image Sourced From Flickr
The classic 1930s to 1950s style remains remarkably relevant today, with designers like Chanel maintaining the sophisticated silhouettes but experimenting with modern styling techniques.
Celebrities like Lily-Rose Depp have embraced this revival: in 2024, she was photographed in a classical school-inspired houndstooth skirt and blazer ensemble that perfectly balanced vintage inspiration with contemporary details.
Image Sourced From W Magazine
1960s–1970s: Mod Style and Optical Art Experiments
In the swinging 1960s, houndstooth's bold, graphic quality made it a natural fit for the Mod aesthetic and the emerging Op Art movement. Designers and trendsetters embraced the classic black-and-white pied-de-poule in psychedelic contexts, taking advantage of its dizzying optical punch.
Gres, L'Officiel Magazine 1968 | Image Sourced From Pinterest
That way, by the 1970s, the pattern had become a full-fledged pop art emblem. The high-contrast houndstooth motif added a jolt of visual energy that perfectly epitomized the retro-futuristic vibe of these decades.
The resurgence of 1960s aesthetics has been unmistakable throughout 2025. Fashion journalist Karya Schanilec captured this trend perfectly: "Jackie O style, mod silhouettes, and the rebirth of boho chic are clear indicators of the influence of the 1960's on today's designers."
In her article, Schanilec documented numerous 60s-inspired pieces that appeared at 2025 fashion events, including pied-de-poule patterns reimagined with contemporary twists. Her analysis shows how this vintage pattern continues to resonate with modern ideas while honoring its roots.
Image Sourced From Karya Street Style’s “The Rise of 1960's Aesthetics”
1980s: Power Dressing in Bold Houndstooth
The 1980s saw houndstooth roar back to the forefront of style, this time as a power-dressing staple. In this era of big shoulders and bigger statements, the classic print was blown up, exaggerated, and often paired with bold colors or accessories, transforming it from a traditional motif into a symbol of confidence, edge, and high-fashion drama.
The 80s fashion aesthetic continues to make regular comebacks in the industry. In fact, 80s-inspired trends made headlines in 2025 collections. More specifically, houndstooth patterns received an energetic update with neon accents in 2023 trend reports, reviving the bold, disruptive, and colorful essence that defined 80s power dressing.
Image Sourced From Grazia
1990s–2000s: Runway Highlights and Bold Reimagining
Designers continued to feature it in standout runway moments through the 1990s and early 2000s. For instance, Oscar de la Renta gave the print a glamorous turn in his memorable 1992 runway show.
By the end of the 2000s, the motif was ripe for a dramatic reinvention. The most famous example arrived with Alexander McQueen's Fall/Winter 2009 "Horn of Plenty" collection, where McQueen blew up the classic check to outrageous proportions.
Alexander McQueen RTW Fall 2009 | Image sourced from WWD
This tongue-in-cheek use of oversized houndstooth was actually a witty homage to Dior's New Look tweed suits, cleverly bridging past and present in a single visual statement.
McQueen's avant-garde take proved that even the most traditional pattern could be subverted and made strikingly new again on the runway. It set the stage for a wave of bold houndstooth experiments in contemporary fashion.
More than a decade later, we still see this 'amplifying' strategy (making the pattern oversized rather than the original small one) in famous designer collections.
Louis Vuitton's Spring/Summer 2024 collection showcased this augmented version of pied-de-poule jackets, similar to McQueen's 2009 feature, proving how the pattern continues to be reimagined in contemporary fashion.
Image Sourced From Lofficiel
Styling Notes: Modern Applications
Beyond the runway, how can brands incorporate pied-de-poule into their collections? For fashion labels looking to capture this trend, houndstooth offers a powerful opportunity to blend heritage with contemporary appeal.
Industry forecasters have been tracking a significant houndstooth revival in recent seasons. One writer has identified it as "a standout choice for Fall/Winter, bringing versatility, sophistication, and a touch of boldness" that resonates with today's consumers.
Whether your brand identity is minimalist, vintage-inspired, or avant-garde, incorporating houndstooth can provide an instant visual upgrade to your collection.
So, below you’ll find key applications to make this iconic print feel fresh in your upcoming collections, with styling advice you can pass along to your customers:
These styling suggestions can serve as inspiration for lookbooks and marketing materials that will help your customers envision how to incorporate this classic pattern into their wardrobes. Let’s dive in:
Make it the Star
Advise your customers to let one houndstooth piece shine as the focal point of their look. You can showcase in their lookbooks how a statement houndstooth coat or blazer works beautifully over an all-neutral outfit.
Selena Gomez photographed pairing a black button-down top with a houndstooth coat in 2022 | Image Sourced From ELLE
The classic black-and-white check creates striking contrast against solid colors like camel, gray, or black, for example. Your brands’ styling guides can emphasize that keeping the rest of the ensemble simple allows the pied-de-poule piece to truly stand out and elevate one's style.
(Suggest outfit combinations like a sharp houndstooth blazer paired with a white t-shirt and jeans for instant polish with minimal effort!)
Mix in Modern Textures
Encourage customers to blend houndstooth with other textures to add depth and interest. In your seasonal styling recommendations, highlight how this pattern pairs especially well with fall/winter materials.
Suggest combinations like a houndstooth wool skirt with a chunky knit sweater, or a houndstooth jacket over leather pants. The contrast between the classic woven check and sleek leather or cozy knits creates a rich, tactile mix that customers will appreciate.
Image Sourced From Pinterest
Image Sourced From Pinterest
These contrasting tactile elements create visual intrigue and depth that elevates the classic pattern beyond its traditional applications. In other words, the interplay between the precise geometry of pied-de-poule and the texture of modern materials creates a compelling tension that feels thoroughly contemporary.
Play with Scale & Color
Designers looking to make houndstooth feel modern should consider reimagining and transforming conventional proportions or tones. While traditionally the pattern comes in a small-size black-and-white form, brands can differentiate by offering larger, smaller, or colorful variations.
One way this can be done is by featuring oversized houndstooth prints on coats or dresses to create a bold, graphic punch in your collections, as shown earlier in the example from the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2024 collection runway.
Image Sourced From Voge Philippines
This approach reads almost like a pop-art version of the classic.
Color-wise, brands can also consider developing houndstooth in unexpected palettes: suggest styling options like a red-and-black houndstooth suit, a pastel pink and white checkered skirt, or even multi-colored tweeds.
These twists instantly update the pattern for contemporary consumers. As industry trends show, mixing houndstooth with bold colors or novel scales is now common, giving a contemporary twist to the venerable motif.
Accessorize with Houndstooth
For brands looking to incorporate this pattern more subtly, suggest tapping into modernity through accessories.
Highlight in your merchandising how houndstooth appears everywhere, from head to toe in current collections, appearing not just in coats and suits, but also hats, bags, and shoes featuring this pattern.
A houndstooth scarf, for example, can be a good composition over solid-colored outfits to instantly introduce uniqueness and contrast. Invite your buyer to dive in this possibilities.
Image Sourced From Pinterest
That said, featuring houndstooth in your accessories line can be an excellent strategy to help customers enliven their look and think outside the box when it comes to this classic pattern.
Through your collections and marketing styling content, you can educate customers about how incorporating one patterned accessory (especially if it's a universally recognized one like houndstooth) delivers that timeless vibe in a more approachable dose.
High/Low Mix
Show customers how to modernize houndstooth by blending formal and casual elements. Show them how to break away from its traditional "proper" imageand that it can be for sure a pattern for everyday wear.
For example, a tailored houndstooth blazer could look casual, but distinct, with jeans and sneakers.
Image Sourced From Pinterest
This mix of heritage pattern with contemporary silhouettes creates that effortless contrast today's consumers love. It's about honoring the pattern's history while making it relevant for modern wardrobes.
Plus, these versatile combinations gives you brand flexibility in positioning houndstooth as either sophisticated or edgy, depending on their customer base.
In short, pied-de-poule is as at home in 2025 as it was in 1940. It's all about how designers and brands interpret it for today's market and embrace its timeless appeal while adding their unique perspective.
Whether offering a bold head-to-toe houndstooth statement piece or incorporating subtle touches in accessories, your collections will benefit from this pattern's rich fashion legacy and its current trend appeal.
Keep reading to find out where to buy certified pied-de-poule fabrics if you're looking to incorporate this timeless pattern into your next collection.
Top Sustainable Houndstooth Fabric Suppliers for Designers in 2025
At this point, you might be feeling inspired to bring some pied-de-poule magic into your next collection. So, how can designers and brands get their hands on houndstooth fabrics in 2025?
Fortunately, in today's global textile market, sourcing classic and iconic patterns is easier than ever, especially with platforms like World Collective's Ecosystem, which connect you to a list of global, vetted suppliers and mills that offer sophisticated textiles with distinctive character.
Inside or textile library today, you'll discover premium alternatives that capture that same timeless appeal of the pied-de-poule iconic geometric patterns.
For instance, our supplier Stantex (a full-service global textile, garment and design company with over 25 years of experience in women's, men's and children's markets) offers the "YD Tropical Twill" with excellent drape and structure, perfect for modern tailoring applications.
ST-AL025000 (YD Tropical) | Textile From World Collective’s Ecosystem
Twill 2 / 1, 41% Polyester, 37% Polyester, 18% Viscose, 4% Elastane (Spandex), 229 gsm
And if you're seeking an even more distinct alternative, still carrying the same vibe, our supplier Calvelex's (a global reference in premium garment manufacturing) Navy Plaid Coating Fabric provides that sophisticated geometric visual interest with its premium wool blend construction, delivering the same high-end heritage appeal that designers love about houndstooth.
Navy Plaid Coating Fabric 7556 | Textile From World Collective’s Ecosystem
Navy Plaid Coating Fabric 7556 $26.22 Woven, 70% Wool 25% Polyamide 5% Other Fibres
World Collective is a growing ecosystem featuring not just a comprehensive textile and material library (all certified and vetted by our team of professionals), but also a network of trusted suppliers.
Our platform goes beyond simple sourcing, offering a complete ecosystem with industry insights, innovative solutions like digital product passports and demand aggregation, strategic partnerships, and much more, all designed to bridge the gap between suppliers and brands/designers.
Our textile library already includes many iconic patterns like dots, lace, and various geometric designs, with pied-de-poule soon to join our expanding textile offerings. We're constantly adding new materials that meet our rigorous sustainability and quality standards.
We invite you to explore our product library today to discover the perfect materials for your next collection. And don't forget to stay updated by following us on social media, where we'll announce when new patterns, including the iconic houndstooth, come online.
Whatever classic pattern resonates with your design direction, World Collective is here to connect you with the perfect materials to bring your creative vision to life.
