From the timeless classic to the modern twists, plaid nail art is really having a moment. From the subtle accent nail to a bolder vivid full nail set, this trend is going to catch some attention. It’s eye-catching without being too glam, so it can match any outfit or season and can add a little elegance.
Add a little personality to your manicure without overwhelming them with some plaid flair. From simple designs you can do yourself to something more intricate for your nail tech to work with, we scrolled through thousands of designs to put together some of the best inspiration from a lot of talented artists.
If you like the idea of plaid but maybe want something a little easier to do, take a look at our checkered nail designs. A similar look but it can be a little easier to do.
We are starting this collection with some short almond-shaped nails. We have black and green matte plaid nails. I love how well these two colors look together!Here’s a pink and yellow nail set with really subtle sparkles. We’ve also got a multi-colored diagonal plaid design, and all the nails are finished with a glossy topcoat.If you’re looking for a cute nail set, then this one’s for you! Here are some short green and blue plaid French tips topped with Hello Kitty nail designs, cherries, apples, and butterflies.Here’s a pink and white nail set that looks really light on the hands. We’ve got some pink sweater patterns mixed with a pink to white ombré, plaid pattern, and white nail topped with sparkles and gems.This green and gold nail set feels both comfy and festive at the same time. We’ve got a mix of gold nails, green sweater nails, plaid patterns, and snowflakes.Here’s a short round pink set. We’ve got some solid pink painted nails, plaid prints, and full opaque glitter nails.I love how this nail set is both fun and grungy at the same time. We’ve got some red hearts, bears, stars, and a red plaid pattern.Here’s a pastel purple set with hints of black and yellow on it. We’ve got a plaid accent nail with a sunflower tip, a full pastel purple nail with Hello Sunshine on it, and some sunflower designs.This green set has a combination of a couple of modern designs. We’ve got some daisies, checkered prints, hearts, and abstract waves.I love how this nail set is both fun and grungy at the same time. We’ve got some red hearts, joined bears, stars, and a red plaid pattern.We’ve got this yellow plaid design on these medium almond-shaped nails. I love how this color and print remind me so much of Cher’s famous outfit from “Clueless.”Here are some very muted nails with a bunch of fun nail designs. We’ve got some plaid prints, smileys, thunderbolts, and fire symbols.Here are some berry pink nails with the most adorable designs! We’ve got some pink and white plaid, white nails with a heart in the middle, some purple glitter, and full berry pink nails.Now, this is a nail set that’s a better fit for when you go racing. We’ve got some black French tips, some plaid Frenchies, and a French tip topped with yellow to orange to pink fire.This nail set is gorgeous! We’ve got this nude base nail topped with some pretty long square French tips. The tips are designed with this two-tone blue plaid pattern with some gems and crystals on top.I love this pretty muted nail set that’s mixed with a bit of red. We’ve got this grayish-brown glitter base topped with brown and red plaid patterns.Here’s a short blue set for those who like it a bit cooler. We’ve got two shades for the glitter nails, which are mixed with these white nails topped with a plaid pattern.If you’re looking to try more bright colors, then this is the nail set for you. We’ve got some yellow, green, blue, and red plaid patterns on top of a base-free nail set.This is the nail set you should get if you love to keep things simple and clean. We’ve got a white polka dot nail, a nude brown nail, and a pink nail designed with a subtle plaid pattern.Here’s another nail set that reminds me of Cher’s iconic skirt and blazer set from the movie “Clueless.” This one’s different because two of the nails are painted with a solid yellow matte polish.Here’s another classy set that is predominantly painted with this light milky pink shade and is topped with a thick layer of glossy topcoats. There’s also a simple plaid accent nail.We’ve got a nail set that’s got a brown colorway with hints of cream. We’ve got some cream-painted nails topped with a glitter top, some tri-color nails, and a multi-hued plaid print.This set is predominantly painted with this muted brown color. The nails have a glitter lining on the moons of the nail, and the thumbs are painted with a plaid design.This is such a lovely reddish peach shade. We’ve got some plain, fully painted nails paired with some marbled designs and gold foil on top.Here’s a mix of black, red, and gold. We’ve got some fully painted gold glitter nails, black nails with a deer head, and red and black plaid. Here’s a magenta and nude set. Most of the nails are predominantly painted with magenta, while two nails have a diagonal plaid pattern topped with some silver glitter.I love how this nail set has a mix of a bunch of different colors on it. It’s a pretty easy way to combine a couple of your favorite colors into one nail set!This nail set is for those who love monochromatic black and white nails! We’ve got a bunch of trendy designs but my favorite has to be the painting design because it makes everything look sophisticated.Here’s another multi-colored plaid nail set. I love the white base and how there’s only one color on each nail because it makes everything seem a lot lighter and cleaner.This nail set is a mix of muted pink, brown, and white. The muted pink accent nail is a great accessory nail because the color isn’t too bold that it’ll clash with the brown.This nail set is a classic! We’ve got your typical black and red plaid nail set on top of these short round nails. It’s definitely a great look for those who don’t want too much going on.This is a nail set for those who love cutesy looks! It’s got a variety of trendy and unique looks. The large toppers definitely make this short nail look stand out!This nail set is a lot more retro because of the color palette used! I love how there’s a mixture of neons colors, bold colors, and pastels.I love this two-tone pink French tip nail set that’s topped with some cherries. The artist did a good job going for a monochromatic look because adding more colors would make it overwhelming.We’ve got two different designs on this nail. The first one is a multi-colored pastel plaid, and the second is a full pink shimmer. I think that the pink shimmer is great with the plaid because it makes the nail set a bit fancier.Here are some short blue nails with a French tip toped with daisies and a plaid design. I love the use of pastel blue along with the trendy designs! It’s definitely a look that younger and older people could wear!These nails would instantly make me happy because of how cute the designs are! If you’re the type who prefers charming large toppers, then you’d surely love this pink and yellow set.Here we’ve got some nails painted with a royal blue shade. The accent nail is great for breaking up the bold blue colors because it’s a plaid pattern that mixes red and green together. Here’s a nail set that plays with multiple shades of brown. I love how this wearable this nail set is, yet at the same time; it’s still pretty chic because of the variation of shades used.This nail set is great for those who don’t want something too bold and colorful. The muted color makes this more wearable for a lot of people who don’t want crazy designs.Here we’ve got an iris-themed nail set. Notice how the two accent nails differ slightly in color. One is blue plaid while the other is pink plaid. These plaid patterns make this set look dressy enough without going too overboard.The plaid pattern on this nail is quite similar to the plaid pattern from the yellow nail set that looks like Cher’s outfit. This one, however, is made with pink polish! I find that this set is a lot less intimidating than the yellow one.Here’s a milky white tapered nail set. We’ve got this interesting neon green and black plaid pattern with a bit of silver glitter. The accent nail adds a lot more character to this nail set.There’s just something about yellow and green pastels that makes everything look so clean and light. The yellow plaid design doesn’t stand out too much and serves as the perfect complementary design for these simple green nails.I love how interesting the designs are on this set. We’ve got a mix of glitter, plaid, layered color, and painted eyes. I think that the pop of green along with the pink gives this look a lot more character.We’ve got these short round nails with a blue and beige plaid design. I love how this plaid design is a lot more intricate and textured compared to other plaid patterns.This nail set is a bit more fun and colorful. We’ve got a bunch of different colored plaid nails that have really unique colorways. They surprisingly go so well together!
How to DIY Plaid Nail Art
Plaid nail art is so versatile that you’d probably have an easier time taking inspiration from this list rather than completely copying a design (not that you can’t try). In either case, if you try this style yourself, let us see! Our inspiration photos come from user submissions and open sources and we’ll always give credit. All of the fantastic styles belong to their respective owners. If we’ve got a credit wrong or you’d rather we don’t feature you – just drop us an email.
