An ideal selection for both casual and formal occasions, a patterned shirt makes a great addition to any wardrobe. Due to its versatility, there are many different ways to take its appearance and blend it to fit any event. Here are our tips for how to rock patterned shirts.

Stripes

Available in a variety of widths and colors, a striped shirt creates statements. Typically, as the stripes get wider, the statement gets bolder. This also means the more attention you draw to your shirt, the less you want focused elsewhere. For both business and casual, a striped shirt with a basic pair of chinos or darker denims is one most men can pull off in their sleep. Striped shirts also wear well under a textured or solid-color suit.

Checks

A check—or checkerboard—pattern is commonly found on dress shirts. Check patterns are a modification of stripes, with lines that travel horizontally and vertically. This creates small squares on the shirt that are affected by the size and thickness of the lines that created them. This pattern goes better with darker colors, especially with solid-color suits, and is best used to keep a simple look. The best ties to complement checkered shirts are simple, usually consisting of a single complementary color.

Plaids

The rest of our tips for how to rock patterned shirts are concerned with plaids. The lines on a plaid shirt are usually different colors and widths, used to create the boxes that make up the pattern. These boxes are generally different sizes, creating even more variety in the shirt. Plaid shirts are often very “noisy,” so keeping things simple is the way to go when accessorizing. They look best when paired with solid-color pants and are seen as being less casual than other patterns. Suits are usually out of the question, but a pair of sneakers fit perfectly.

At Hive & Colony, we are the bespoke clothing experts, intent on making our clients look their absolute best. Our line of men’s custom dress shirts are available in a wide variety of colors, patterns, and sizes, all perfect for helping achieve this goal.