How To Mix Shirt & Tie Patterns and Colors

It’s fair to say the most boring shirt/tie combo is the white button-down with the random tie. It just might be the male equivalent to the female sweatpant and matching track jacket combo. Wearing either just screams, “I give up! I have no clue how to inject creativity into my clothes, so I simply won’t!”  Now, I’m not saying the white button-down/random tie combo doesn’t have a proper time and place, because I suppose it does to some.  But mixing patterns and colors  just looks way more put together, and way more sophisticated. But – there’s a catch. There are certain rules one must adhere to when attempting to mix patterns and colors, so listen up.

Rule #1: One pattern must be bold, in pattern, or color, or both. The others, should stay subtle.

Think of it like a movie: one pattern is the main star, and the others are just supporting actors. For example, let’s start with this shirt: The pinstripe here is very subtle, so it acts as a supporting actor.  You are free with to play with ties in the same color family, that have a large, bold pattern, such as this one:

Now let’s say you wanted to bring in some different colors, beyond just blues (which we got from the shirt). Why not mix it with brown? It’s  a rich color combo that just looks  yummy. A tie like this one would work as well:

Even thought the shirt and tie are both striped, this combo works because again, the tie is still the star of the show. Now, what if you are feelin’ really jazzy, and wanted to bring in some wilder colors? Something like this would also work with said shirt:

Some of you may be thinking, blue and orange?! This chick is crazy. But pay attention: blue and orange are opposite colors and are super eye-catching when paired together. This look says you have style guts, and that, my friends, is sexy.

Rule #2: Do not be afraid to mix in a 3rd pattern in your suit.

You could do any of the above combos with a solid suit and be good to go.  But why not take things one step further and do a 3 pattern mix? That means that instead of the safe solid suit, you could wear a suit with a subtle pattern, whether it is a pinstripe, or what’s called a window-pane or a glen  plaid. Again, as long as the pattern is a supporting actor to the tie, you are good to go.

Here’s a tip: The tie doesn’t always have to be the star. If you have a great checkered shirt, go for it. But then if the shirt is the main star, then that means the tie and suit must be to subtle supporting actors. Get it?

Rule #3: Embrace the pocket square.

The 3 pattern combo is a hot look. It screams, “I’ve got my sh*t together and I’ve got places to be so get out of my way,” which is obviously much better than, “I give up.” So if you’re confident enough to go this far, I’ve got one more challenge for you. Embrace the pocket square. This is where you can have even more fun with pattern and color, and have everyone around you wondering, who IS that guy? A real estate mogul? A hip hop bigwig?  A pipe smoking debonair sophisticato?

And guess what? The pattern doesn’t matter. Even the color doesn’t matter. You are free to wear whatever color and pattern your little heart desires.  And before you ask me how to fold a pocket square, here ya go:

And I’m sure you all know this, but just to put it out there….those little cardboard pocket squares from your favorite suit superstore that already comes folded? A big no-no.

The point is to have fun and be fearless. Whether you like it or not, clothes say alot about the man.  So you better make it good.