Buffalo Check
Origin and History
The origin of the name "buffalo check" is debated. One popular account credits Woolrich Woolen Mills, which introduced a red-and-black checked pattern in the 1850s and supposedly named it after a herd of buffalo owned by the designer. Another version traces the name to the Rob Roy MacGregor tartan of Scotland, a simple red-and-black check that resembles the buffalo check pattern closely. The MacGregor tartan connection is plausible, given that many early American textile patterns descended from Scottish originals carried by immigrants.
Whatever the exact origin, by the late 1800s buffalo check was firmly associated with American outdoor work. Lumberjacks, railroad workers, and frontier settlers wore heavy wool shirts in the pattern. The Paul Bunyan legend, which became popular in the early 1900s, cemented the association between buffalo check and the rugged outdoors.
Structure of the Pattern
Buffalo check is structurally simple. It consists of two colors arranged in a balanced, even grid. Where one color's vertical stripe crosses the other color's horizontal stripe, a darker blended block appears. This gives the pattern three visual tones: the two base colors and the darker overlap.
The blocks are typically large — much larger than gingham, which uses the same basic structure at a smaller scale. This large scale is part of what gives buffalo check its bold, graphic appearance.
Color Variations
While red and black is the classic combination, buffalo check appears in many palettes: white and black, red and white, navy and green, brown and tan, and seasonal variations. Interior designers have adopted softer versions in cream and gray or blush and white for more refined settings.
Buffalo Check in Fashion
Buffalo check has had multiple lives in fashion. Its workwear origins gave it credibility in the rugged outdoor clothing market, where brands like Woolrich, Filson, and L.L. Bean have featured it for over a century. In the 1990s, it crossed into grunge and alternative fashion along with flannel shirts generally. More recently, it has become a staple of the "heritage" and "Americana" aesthetic in menswear.
For women's fashion, buffalo check has been popular in everything from scarves and tote bags to shift dresses and statement coats. Its bold graphic quality makes it work well as an accent pattern.
Buffalo Check in Home Decor
The pattern has become enormously popular in interior design, particularly for cabin and rustic decor. Red-and-black buffalo check curtains, throw pillows, and table runners are common in lodge-style spaces. The pattern also appears in more refined settings — black-and-white buffalo check flooring tiles, for example, create a classic look. See Plaid in Home Decor for more ideas.