Q. What pattern of tie is needed to wear with a
windowpane-patterned sports jacket and a striped shirt? I don't want to
look boring, but I also want it to work as I see in GQ.
A. Well, if what you see lately in
GQ is the look you like, I would say you can add almost any tie on your tie
rack. But I’m afraid I don’t really think such publications are giving much
helpful advice these days. All too often their glossy photographs show models
decked out in what I see as multiple clashing patterns. Some combinations are
so busy, they can make your head spin. But, because the models are super
handsome and are so well photographed, readers may be lulled into thinking
these are good examples to follow. I don’t agree.
Men’s clothing guidelines have
evolved from safe styles of the past to more innovative current looks. For many
years, the art of wearing patterns was a no-brainer. The total opposite of what
you see now, it was easy. Sartorial advice about patterns was primarily limited
to: “Wear only one patterned item at a time, and everything else should be
plain (solid color).” Today, such advice is totally dated and might indeed be
dull. So, I'll try to provide you with advice between the classic looks I
prefer and the clownish mix often presented as acceptable. But before we get to
which is the right tie, how do you go about combining two patterns?
The main rule, when mixing two
patterns: Avoid combining two large,
busy patterns. Combine one small pattern with one that is large and more widely
spaced. Thus, with your windowpane patterned (a large, widely-spaced plaid)
sports jacket, your striped shirt should not be a wide, bold stripe, but a
thin, close-together stripe.
Two more rules that apply when
mixing patterns: 1.] Make certain that
the colors are exceptionally well coordinated. The colors in the patterns
should not look as though they just happened to fall together, but rather that
they were the result of thoughtful planning 2.] Repeat colors. In your example, if your windowpane plaid is a shade
of blue with a very fine red line, then your shirt could be either a
red-and-white or a blue-and-white stripe. Or, if the jacket’s windowpane is
basically brown with, say, a narrow blue line, the striped shirt could be
beige-and-white or blue-and-white.
For some reason, fashion
magazine stylists of today seem to think that if combining two patterns is
good, three (or even more) must be better. Three patterns can be worn together, especially by sophisticated dressers. Still,
whenever the question is asked at my seminars, my advice is, “Never wear three
patterns together unless you have impeccable taste – and you’re not the only
one who thinks so.”
So, yes, you can wear a
patterned tie with your windowpane plaid jacket and a striped shirt (perhaps a
small all-over foulard tie), but it is so difficult to do well that I strongly
suggest you stay with a solid. When you put together a guaranteed-to-look-good
mix, you can end up looking terrific. So, why seek out ways to make dressing a
problem when it can be easy? To follow the safest path, choose a solid-color
tie that repeats one of the colors you are wearing. In that earliest example,
your choice could be a solid tie in some shade of red or blue. The second one
calls for a solid-color tie in brown or blue.
Then,
when you follow this advice, your only remaining decision is what type
of solid-color tie to choose. The easiest and surest one is a knit tie. It
always works. Another possibility is a dressier solid silk in a smooth or
slightly pebbled texture. Oddly enough, most men do not own solid-color ties
even though they are among the most versatile and useful additions to a man’s
wardrobe. They work well with patterned sports jackets, with navy blazers, with
matched suits, with striped shirts, with plaid sports shirts, and also with
sweaters.
And,
for those needing to provide something for a well-dressed man, one of
these in navy, black, brown, or dark red could make a great Father’s Day
gift.
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