Quote Originally Posted by Dale Seago View Post
I've been under the impression that tweed and tartan are different fabric weaves, with tartan referring originally to what we would call a twill weave: Nothing to do with color patterns/designs.
I think that may refer to the fact that the original french root word 'tartane' was about the cloth and not the pattern, just like plaid was about the large Highland brat-like garment and not the pattern, but I think it's safe to say the meaning has shifted over the years and that today the words tartan and plaid refer to a particular pattern, whether it is printed on cotton, twill woven wool, tweed, a carpet, polyviscose etc..

Perhaps someone in the garment business could confirm, but that's my understanding of how the word is used today.