Byline: Elizabeth McMeekin

Some people qualify as style barometers - those whose choice in clothes we follow as closely as anything we eye up on the catwalk or shop rail.

Karl Lagerfeld is one such fashion weather vane. Although he's been a little quiet of late, Tom Ford, the former Gucci designer, is another. Kate Moss should be heeded for her quirky style statements, as should Sarah Jessica Parker, the teeny-tiny actress whose fashion prowess knows no bounds.

Take SJP's outfit for this year's Costume Institute Gala, held in the New York Metropolitan Museum. A medley of tulle, lace, satin, corsetry and tartan, it should have been a disaster akin to Jordan's pregnancy outfits. It was quite the reverse: chic, tremendously of-the-moment and designed by Alexander McQueen, which no doubt helped in the style brownie-point stakes.

And while nobody could praise SJP for singlehandedly making tartan or plaid cool again, she has tapped into one of the biggest trends of 2006. What with the AngloMania exhibition going on in New York and many of Britain's designers coming into their own, this quintessentially Scottish fabric has been given a new lease of life.

Originally tipped as a big autumn/winter trend, celebrity endorsements and media hype have thrust Scottish style into the spotlight sooner than designers such as McQueen intended. The prospect of styling and wearing tartan in summer temperatures might explain the plaid-tulle mix that was going on in SJP's Highland-inspired dress.

Tartan has had plenty of backing from designers. McQueen, again, was a big fan of the fabric in his autumn/winter 2006-07 collection (pictured), styling it with Arran knitted jumpers and frilly petticoats. He even made some of his signature razor-sharp suits in red tartan for a modern-day Highlander.

Julien Macdonald, the flamboyant Welsh designer, shied away from bright tartan in his autumn collection. He did include some softer plaids in greys and whites, though, providing an alternative to brighter weaves. Even Paul Smith, most famous for his trademark swirl stripe, showed blue tartan skirts in his autumn collection. The look on his catwalk was reminiscent of a royal country visit, but incredibly stylish nonetheless.

That said, rows of winter outfits in the hottest fabric of the moment won't help the dedicated fashion follower emulate SJP's McQueen dress anytime soon. Tartan was absent from the spring/summer catwalks (although checked fabric was not), so there isn't much plaid hitting the high street at the moment.

Your best bet is to rake through the back of your wardrobe to find that old red tartan scarf that probably smells of mothballs. After washing it, use it as a pashmina substitute. Alternatively, copy McQueen's own outfit at the Costume Institute Gala and wear it as a plaid fastened with a brooch - sparkly, of course.