A patterned shirt is an essential classic for any gentleman who wishes to make his mark with style and class. Whether trendy or in a more formal print, a shirt with a printed pattern can always give that extra touch to any look. Checks, stripes and designs – everybody has their favourite, but be careful about combinations, because it’s easy to make mistakes when you play around with different colours and motifs.
How to combine patterned shirts.
To create a perfect outfit with a patterned shirt, you just need to follow some simple rules such as, for example, never putting more than four different colours alongside each other, including jackets or cardigans. Pay close attention to colour combinations, too. There are colours that clash with each other and, as a guide, we can easily find help from the Itten Circle: colours that are close to each other should be placed together, but we can also play with shades of the same colour, or combine colours that are diametrically opposite. With regard to whites, blacks and greyscale shades, theoretically they may be combined with all colours, but always with taste and without exaggeration.
Are you a fan of floral patterns? Remember to choose a coat or jacket that repeats even just one of the colours of the shirt, so as to create an element of uniformity in your look. One example could be this splendid patterned shirt in shades of dark green, pale blue and orange; we can match it with a great pair of slimfit jeans, a dark green jacket, tone on tone, a pair of dark-coloured Derby shoes and a pashmina in orange tones, to give a metropolitan dandy look.
Maybe you’d miss wearing dark blue? This blue shirt with houndstooth pattern and light blue inserts is perfect for a sporty look together with dark blue chinos, a coordinated destructured blazer, a pair of light-coloured sneakers and a blue slimfit quilted jacket, to create a look with a contemporary flavour.
Do you like checks? If so, the ideal outfit fora tee or under a bonded wool cardigan, to face the coldest months with a casual look, always very smart and refined.
But if you prefer a more formal style, then micro-patterns are ideal. Combined with a classic suit in your favourite colour, they will be able to express your business casual style in an impeccable manner. If we choose a dark blue suit, we can match it to this white patterned shirt with a classic, light-blue herringbone motif – a textured shirt with large grain which will make you stand out immediately. However, if your preference is for a darker shirt, we might think of an optical micro-pattern, and even better if it’s an Active shirt, ideal for a dynamic lifestyle; created in a highly breathable, 3D-stretch technical fabric, these shirts are perfect for any occasion.
