HOF: What Are You Wearing Right Now - Part III - Page 1193

Originally Posted by Manton 


Herewith the first of the promised Apparel Arts charts.

This first set is from an eight-page gatefold from 1935. It begins with illustrations that demonstrate first principles:



On the left we have a "Don't!" and on the right we have a "Do." The commentary speaks well for itself. I add only that the ensemble on the left looks quite a bit like the Prince Charles picture posted in the first thread. The combination on the right is the classic way to combine patterns in a sophisticated manner. It's relatively easy to pair a neat patterned tie with a striped suit if the shirt is solid, or even a striped tie and checked shirt with a solid suit. Pairing a patterned shirt with a patterned coat is much harder. This is the place to start if you are just learning. Using a solid tie in this way is a time-honored sign of a well dressed man.



On the left, another disaster. Like the prior example, the problem is too much of a single meme. On the right, success. It may look jarring at first, but remember that these are line drawings; they are not seriously suggesting that you wear a white jacket with black stripes. Reading the caption, you can see that it was drawn this way to emphasize the lines. Note also the capacious ground on the tie, and the far-spaced dots. This is in keeping with some of the comments I made in a prior thread.



Both of these are successes. Try to get past the Bugsy Siegel first impression of the jacket on the left. Remember: line drawing. It's just to represent scale, in this case of a bold check. It's another application of the principle: Jacket and shirt patterned, plus solid tie. It works. On the left we have a "diagonal stripe" coat. This is apparently not merely a twill weave but something like the Richard Anderson signature. Not something one sees much. I really doubt this would work if the stripes on tie went the other way. Also, clearly a checked or spotted tie of some kind would work, too.



Two more that "work." We have only one pattern on the left, but a striking ensemble nonetheless. The ensemble on the right is a bit mundane -- who doesn't know how to pair a dotted tie with a basic patterned coat -- but it works.



Here we have a brief explanation of pattern design. While the judgement is correct in these two cases, I'm not sure I entirely buy the explanation. A busy pattern is not in and of itself a disaster. This particular busy pattern fails in its attempt to meld two small elements. A pattern that melds one big with one small -- say, a nailhead with a windowpane -- can work marvelously.



This is just a cautionary about how to pair stripes. I trust none of us will find it controversial.