More Style with Plaids & Other Check Patterns

Take a walk down any busy city street, and you’ll no doubt be inundated with check patterns. Regardless of season, check patterns are some of the most popular in men’s fashion, and can be found in practically any type of piece whether it be a tie, shirt or even a pair of pants. Strangely enough, however, checks are actually widely misunderstood. Many people don’t realize that there are actually a variety of different “sub-genres” of the check pattern, each of which is unique to itself and lends itself to particular pieces. The more you can learn about how to properly wear checks, the easier it will be for you to take your fashion sense to the next level. Inspired by the popularity of check patterns in men’s fashion, I took a closer look at the 9 most common types, and give you some tips on how to best incorporate them into your daily rotation.

Argyle
Argyle is one of the most popular varieties of checks in men’s fashion, and should have a place in any fashion-forward man’s wardrobe. Typically, this pattern is made up of an overlapping motif of diamonds and lozenges, which gives it a three-dimensional sense. The result is a pattern that practically screams movement and dimension, which can add texture to even the most basic pieces. The pattern became especially popular in England after WWI, followed quickly by prominence in the US. The Duke of Windsor helped to make the pattern famous, associating it with golf and other leisure sports.

As a pattern, argyle can most often be seen in sweaters and socks. Given the fact that it has somewhat preppy connotations, it’s perfect for wearing during the spring and summer seasons with khakis and boat shoes. Golfers prize the pattern still to this day. My tip: Incorporate an argyle cashmere vest to your street-style by pairing it with a harris tweed jacket, knitted tie, and beige colored dress pants.

A perfect way to incorporate this check pattern into your daily rotation. The argyle sweater vest is paired with a vintage harris tweed jacket. The only thing missing would be a cognac brown knit tie.Argyle vests loo excellent when paired with a necktie. The rich orange color on the tie is nicely paired with the colors found on the sweater.Plaid
Similar in popularity to argyle, plaid is a pattern that has all but completely infiltrated the landscape of American fashion since its inception many years ago. The pattern can be seen virtually anywhere, and typically consists of vertical and horizontal bands of two or more colors that cross one another. It is closely associated with tartan, although there are certain values that differentiate the two.

Plaid is very commonly seen in flannel, although it can just as easily be found in dress shirts. As a result, it’s the perfect pattern for business-casual professionals, as well as those who like to embrace the outdoors. It’s one of those patterns that will never go out of style, making it ideal as an addition to one’s wardrobe. My tip: Wear a plaid flannel shirt with a quilted vest, dark wash jeans, and urban boots.

Perfect outdoorsy street-style! The classic plaid flannel shirt is paired with vest, waffle cone long-sleeve shirt, jeans, and urban boots. Picture courtesy of Nordstroms.Tartan
As a pattern, tartan is that which is most associated with plaid in today’s fashion landscape. In America, it is often interchanged with plaid. Plaid in Scotland, however, is typically a term used to refer to a cloth slung or even a blanket, which is where the differentiation comes into play. The pattern has quite a bit of history, symbolic in that it was adopted as the national dress of Scotland in the 1700s. Consisting of pre-dyed woven threads that weft and warp at right angles, tartan is a very recognizable pattern that continues to enjoy prominence throughout the world.

As with plaid, tartan is often found in woolen pieces such as flannel shirts. Kilts, of course, also utilize the pattern, although to say that the kilt is prominent in modern times would be a rather dramatic misstep. The most famous tartan-check in fashion today is the one made famous by English fashion house Burberry (shown above). My tip: Because tartan is usually quite a bold plaid pattern, it is best left to the smaller accessories. Good choices are neckties, bow ties, umbrellas, as well as cashmere scarves.

Gingham
Gingham, a pattern that once found a great deal of use in the British MOD culture a few decades ago, is once again a very popular menswear pattern – primarily used on dress shirts but also neckties. Consisting of tight, square checks in two colors (typically white and a contrasting color), it resembles what many people might refer to as a “tablecloth pattern.” Given the fact that the pattern is laid out in such a way, it does not have a right or wrong side, and can be worn in practically any fashion.

In men’s fashion gingham is commonly found on dress shirts, ties, as well as scarves. My tip: Take a gray, charcoal, and white gingham-check shirt and pair it with a charcoal tie made from worsted wool. Because gingham dress shirts very popular these days, I recently added a post titled the TOP 5 Ties for Gingham Shirts. Take a look for some tie matching tips to your gingham dress shirt.

A perfect example of adding the gingham check into your rotation. Here the shirt is paired with solid midnight blue bow tie, sports coat, cream colored chinos, and contrasting pocket square.Windowpane
While many people don’t know this pattern by name, windowpane is actually quite commonly found in men’s fashion. This pattern consists of very wide checks, often in white or offwhite. It gets its name from the fact that the pattern does indeed look like a series of window panes, which adds quite a bit of dimension to practically any piece it is applied to.

Perhaps the most common application of the windowpane pattern is in the men’s suit. Windowpane outlines can look extremely attractive on the right suit, especially when the pattern outline is an attractive shade of grey and subtly melds into the piece. My tip: work with a tailor and create a well fitted double-breasted suit featuring this unique pattern. Also great in combination with window-pane check are 3-piece suits as well as sports coats.

One of my favorite looks of a window-pane suit. The earthy colors, and the tweed herringbone tie make this a perfect ensemble come early Fall.Glen Plaid
Glen Plaid is a pattern seen not quite as often in America as in other parts of the world, although some Americans still swear by it regardless. Glenurquhart Valley in Scotland is where the pattern gets its name, and it also sometimes goes by the Prince of Wales check, as the Duke of Windsor helped to popularize it. Typically, this pattern consists of tightly woven small and large checks in muted colors, often utilizing greys and whites as well.

The Glen Plaid pattern is usually seen in woolen goods; cabbie caps commonly utilize it. Pee-wee herman actually helped to popularize Glen Plaid, as his trademark suit made use of the pattern. My tip: Go for the vintage look of a glen-check patterned sports coat. Chances are you will find the perfect piece at a thrift store for less than $50. Pair this piece with narrow striped shirt, dress pants, and a crisp white pocket square.

Tattersall
Tattersall is one of the more interesting forms of check patterns, as it truly has a look and feel all its own. The “square within a square” look is formed by vertical warp stripes that intertwine with horizontal weft repeating stripes, which tend to be in alternating colors from one another. Prominent in London as far back as the 18th century, Tattersall still remains popular today.

Since this pattern is all about contrast, it can very often be found in dress shirts, as well as waistcoats. While casual in design, it adds an air of sophistication to practically any piece that it is added to, and is perfect for the modern man. My tip: add at least one or two tattersall check shirts to your rotation. These pieces pair exceptionally well with repp-stripe as well as solid colored ties.

Madras
Originating in East India, Madras is a pattern that many people see daily, yet don’t know the exact name of. This is a very summery fabric that consists of checks and stripes in muted, yet soft and vibrant colors. The checks that are formed from Madras tend to be uneven, which gives a sense of depth and dimension to the pattern.

Typically, Madras is associated with preppy attire, and can often be found in shorts and chinos. Since it is ultra-casual in nature, it isn’t usually found in business attire. My tip: take a colorful madras-check necktie made from cotton and pair it with a cream colored suit – a perfect look for the next summer wedding you are attending.

A perfect summer look! A colorful cotton tie with madras check is paired with a micro window-pane check shirt, and double breasted navy blazer.Houndstooth
Houndstooth is one of the more interesting check patterns, as it is quite loud, yet often seen in various aspects of men’s fashion. This pattern consists of a tight weave of broken/uneven checks; it gets its name from the fact that the checks literally look like dog teeth. Traditionally in black and white, houndstooth can also be seen in other colors as well.

While the pattern is sometimes found in ties, it can most often be found in certain types of hats such as cabby caps. It has a throwback, retro quality to it, which many people find to be one of its strong points. My tip: because houndstooth is quite an attention-grabbing pattern, use it carefully. Personally I enjoy this pattern as inner lining for contemporary sports coats, as well as neckties.

The Power of Paisley – Style & Matching Tips for Paisley Ties

If you have found yourself wearing either striped or solid ties day after day, then it is time for a change. 2013 is all about patterns, layering, and contrast, and few accessories will do as good of a job in doing just that, than a paisley tie. But before you head out to your next Nordstroms in search of the perfect paisley, make sure you familiarize yourself with these basic style tips. Depending on your personal style, I created three looks: “The Sophisticated”, “The Dapper”, and “The Renegade”.

“The Sophisticated”
You like 3-piece suits, classic brass-button blazers, and black tie events. Your tie collection consists of plenty of solids, repp-striped ties, and you even own a few paisleys. While you do own paisley ties, it is time to upgrade your wardrobe for the 2013 season. Pick bold paisley patterns but stick to classic colors such as navy, reds, hunter green, amber, charcoal, and brown. Besides these ties you should consider investing in a few key accessories such as tie bars, paisley pattern pocket squares, vests, and cardigans. Below are a few of my favorite looks found on some of my favorite style blogs, Pinterest, and google images.

A perfect play of pattern and color! The bold large-scale paisley pattern on the tie is paired with a very subtle micro-check shirt. The strong contrasting pin-stripes on the suit add yet another element to this uber sophisticated ensemble.

Again, the paisley tie is paired with a pastel colored checkered shirt. The muted colors on the tie as well as the classic navy blue suit give this ensemble a slightly more mature/conservative look compared to the first picture above.



“The Dapper”
You subscribe to GQ, prefer slim ties over wider pieces, and half of all your facebook page likes are for sartorial style blogs. You do own a nice tie collection but I bet that there is not a single paisley tie among them – but this is about to change. Choose slimmer (but not skinny) paisley ties that are about 3 to 3.25 inches in width. Chose bright colors but stick to a monochromatic color theme. Perfect here are pastel tones such as baby-blue, lavender, pinks, and mint-greens. Here are some of my favorite paisley tie looks for “The Dapper” dude in you.

TV character Chuck Bass is not afraid to show some color on his ties. Pinks and lavender are among is favorites. Here he opted for a pink paisley tie paired with a lavender and white striped shirt. If you like a bright and somewhat “flashy” look, then this may be an outfit for you.

The “Dapper” is not only a fan of bold colors, but also of attention-grabbing patterns. The navy paisley tie is paired with a trendy window-pane check suit, light blue shirt, and a white pocket square featuring navy edging.



“The Renegade”
You don’t really care about following a certain trend but instead focus your energy on being different. While you may not be an everyday tie wearer, you too can benefit from owning a few paisley pieces. Best for you are vintage inspired paisley designs in muted colors. Both silk and wool are strong contenders for you. Here are a few looks that my inspire you to experiment with paisley neckties.

A look that is both flashy yet sophisticated. The pink and coral paisley tie is paired with a window-pane-check sports coat, and double breasted indigo-blue overcoat. The rose colored hanky adds another interesting element while helping tying the colors together.

The “Renegade” likes shopping at Vintage stores. The Harris tweed jacket paired with muted paisley tie, golden tie clip, and complementing pocket square shows that vintage can be stylish.



Other Related Posts:
Check Our my New Mens Dress Shoe Guide
Guide on How to Wear Knitted Ties

Thanks for Reading

Hendrik
Tie-a-Tie.net

A closer look at all common bow tie styles, along with tips on how to best wear them

Just like there are different necktie styles, there are quite a few different styles of bow ties. The main difference lies in cut, size, and fabric. Below I am discussing each style and give you some tips on when/how to best wear it. Last but not least, I added a few images of some of my favorite bow tie looks ranging from casual to strictly black tie. Enjoy!

Cut:
The biggest difference here lies in the spread of the bow (horizontal size) as well as the shape of the tips. Usually the spread of the bow tie needs to be proportionate to the rest of your outfit, meaning larger butterfly bow ties usually look best with wider lapels and/or double breasted jackets. Here are the four most common bow tie cuts:

From left to right: bow tie with pointed ends, batwing bow tie, classic (aka Thistle) bow tie (usually: 2″ – 2.5″ spread), butterfly bow tie (usually 2.75″-3.5″ spread)

Fabrics & Texture:
Most bow ties are made from silk, but that is not to say that there aren’t other choices out there. For the summer cotton is an excellent fabric that combines nicely with typical summer patterns and colors (seersucker, pastel tones, and multi colored checks). Another fabric that is a must mention is velvet. Bow ties made from velvet were popular in the late 50’s, and until recently, had vanished from the fashion scene. Today velvet bow ties are back in style. They can be seen on black tie aficionados like George Clooney as well as dapper dudes embracing New York streetstyle. Last but not least fabric textures can add a huge amount of diversity to your bow tie collection. From subtle ribbed textures, worsted wool (winter), formal pique (popular for white tie dress), and many more.

Lengths:
Most self-tied bow ties can be adjusted in length usually fitting a wide range of neck sizes. Fixed length bow ties do exist but should only be bought if you have the chance to try it on. The benefit of the fixed length: the bow tie spread is cut in proportion to your neck size, and they do look nicer when worn with a wing tip collar (check out my dress shirt collar guide for more info).

Some of my Favorite Bow Tie Looks:
Because pictures are worth a thousand words, here are a few examples of some great bow tie looks. For more bow tie matching inspiration, please check out this board on Pinterest:

Velvet bow ties are back in style! George Clooney did a nice job pairing a modern velvet bow tie to your formal black tie ensemble.

A perfect look pairing a glen-check patterned bow tie with a fine herringbone textured blazer and a V-neck cashmere sweater. A perfect combination of color, pattern, and texture.

Something quite unusual but very stylish are so-called Grenadine bow ties. The unique fabric texture paired with the larger butterfly bow tie makes this a stand-out accessory. Nicely paired with charcoal trench coat and checkered shirt.

Who said that “black tie” bow ties have to be solid in color? A nice combination of polka dot bow tie paired with double breasted tux.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Hendrik
Tie-a-Tie.net