But, after several decades of developing into one of fashion’s most favored patterns, the plaid returned to its insurgent origins as a form of liberated, devil-may-care style. As such, rockers took to wearing plaid flannel shirts, used by bands like Nirvana, The Breeders, and Pearl Jam in the early 1990s. It was considered the “unofficial symbol of the grunge movement” in the early 1990s.