On ESPN and other networks I’m seeing more guys wearing plaid shirt and striped ties, or visa-versa, or with various other mismatched patterns and colors.
Is that a common and current style? I just know when I see it I think the show’s stylist must have chosen that combination, or basically “your Momma must have picked that out for you.”
I’m not really around a lot of people who suit up, but is this common?
That is wrong. Just wrong!
You’re not supposed to wear “patterned” shirts and ties together. The shirt is supposed to be solid with a patterned tie. Or, the shirt can be patterned with a solid tie. A solid tie and solid shirt? Okay.
It’s like the passive voice or ending a sentence with a preposition: it’s a “rule” for people who don’t know anything other than the rules for people who don’t know anything else. It’s totally fine unless you fuck it up.
That’s how my Momma raised me!
So, you’ve worn a plaid shirt and striped tie together?
Sounds like they’ve fired the person responsible for making sure everybody is dressed properly, and left it to the sportscasters.
Yeah, but you see that in men’s fashion ads too. I think it’s a fashionista thing.
Gotcha.
Well, in that case the world has gone mad. MAD, I tell you!
Sports scores, gossip too
And I don’t know where I am goin’ to.
Plaid shirt, striped tie
I don’t need a reason why.
They come runnin’ just as fast as they can
Cause every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.
The Duke of Windsor is credited as the fashion trend-setter who first flouted the convention of matching tie and handkerchief. He was also a craven, Nazi-loving asshole.
I use this bit of trivia to remind myself that if I want to make a statement, it’s better albeit more of a challenge to do so with my conversation, not my wardrobe.
Pattern mixing in general is a huge trend in women’s fashion right now, and apparently in men’s fashion as well.
I don’t really do plaid dress shirts because if I’m in a suit I’m probably in court, but striped on checked or plaid on stripes, yes. I promise, it’s perfectly normal looking if you don’t do it at random.
I’m having a hard time imagining a plaid shirt that would be worn with any tie. A vertical-striped shirt, fine, but plaid?
Maybe not theplaid and stripe combo you had in mind.
I’ll do windowpane or checked shirts with striped ties, but plaids is a bit much for me.
The general rule is like patterns of different sizes or different patterns of like sizes. So, if you wear a striped tie on a striped shirt you would do broad stripes over pin stripes, but if you wore a patterned tie over a stiped shirt, you would probably do tight or broad patterns on both. Same goes for shirt and suit mixing of patterns. Going patterned on all 3 is pretty tricky to pull off, you’re best bet is to go with a solid shirt and you can do pretty much wahtever with the suit and tie at that point.
But the simplest approach is to read some fashion stuff every now and then, listen to your tailor and/or a salesperson you trust, put some combos together that you like, and feel good about what you have on.
It can be done, you just need a really good sense of style to pull it off. Whoever designs the mannequins at Express for Men, knows how to mix plaid shirts and ties well.
Like these:
http://www.ballnroll.com/Uploads/Blogs/ExclusiveAccess/images/Amar8.jpg
http://blog.debate.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Merril-Hoge-2.jpg
http://masterplangroup.typepad.com/not_joshin_around/images/2008/05/14/keyshawn_2.jpg
http://www.djones.com/weardjones/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/stripe-pattern-tie.jpg
Just search GQ’s site for plaid shirts. They’ve been featuring them going back several years.
I wouldn’t wear any of those combos. But, I’m pretty boring.
I don’t like any of those combinations, and I’m a big fan of pattern-on-pattern.
Sportscasters are actually in a good position to reflect lots of current fashion. They can be a little more “out-there” than politicians, while still having to be conservative enough not to freak out people who get shocked easily.
For example, someone who always dresses extremely well, and has a real eye for (or a really good stylist for) patterns is Harold Reynolds. Including pattern-pattern-pattern.
