Patterns on Patterns

You’ve got the basics down and you’re looking to show off your personal style a little more. It’s time to venture into the world of patterns on patterns with some prints thrown in there too. It is perfectly stylish to have a patterned shirt, tie and jacket all together, you just need to know how to make it work.

First point to note – whatever patterns and prints you go with, be sure to wear them with confidence. That is the critical element to pulling off these looks.

Scale
To avoid the wallpaper look, be sure to vary the size of your patterns. Whether it’s polka dots, checks or herringbones, they can be worn together if each piece has it’s own distinct size. For example, if you’re going with stripes pick more than one thickness of stripes throughout the layers. This adds dimension, breaks up the wallpaper and is easier on the eyes.

Tonal
When in doubt with colour – keep it in the same family. As a general rule, tones in the same colour family will always go together. Repeating the same type of colours in your patterns brings an element of unity to tie everything together. Once you’ve done tonal you can add in some complimentary colours and classic combinations that you know will work. Consult your colour wheel!

Grounding
Add a few elements of mixing patterns and then throw in one solid piece to wrap everything together. There aren’t many that can pull off the head to toe patterns.

Personal Style
If you really want to go for it, throw all these rules out the window and let your personal style shine through. Contrasting colours, head to toe patterns, stark differences – they can all work when it’s your own personal style bringing it together. Everything that shouldn’t work, suddenly does.

Here’s another great article if you’d like to read more: Men’s Fashion Basics – The Art of Pattern Mixing