Satisfied with solids

Has anyone else come to this conclusion?
After a long, experimental journey through patterns and stripes, I've settled on solids for....pretty much everything.
Suit fabrics (flannel for winter and tropical worsted for summer) are plain, the most adventurous winter option is a Loro Piana Corneliani wool/cashmere navy chalk stripe and for summer a subtle POW check light grey Pal Zileri.
Shirts (bespoke) are mainly solid pale blue and white - but all have surface interest such as basketweave, twill, herringbone.
Same with ties...solid colours from pale gold to navy, burgundy, charcoal and black....but in grenadines, lattice, twill etc.
It seems to me now that a superior cut and quality in solid colored suits, jackets, shirts and ties can make a sort of "stand alone" impact.
I also find there are more combinations available whereas sometimes a striped or patterned tie can be very limiting.
Or am I just boring?

I've been coming to this conclusion for myself. It's even trickled down to only liking plain-toed shoes and boots. I like doing interesting things with texture and color rathern than pattern. I prefer for the cut, color and texture of my ensemble to do most of the work.

It also makes it easier for your clothes to frame your face. Too much or too loud of a design attracts a lot of attention. People look more at the pattern than your face.

Also...we're in good company. Someone by the name of Cary Grant wore a lot of solid ties and shirts as well.

Good post.

I also like solid suits with surface interest. Certain cloths have inherent surface interest eg: fresco (spring/summer) and flannel (fall/winter).

With shirts, I like some patterns to give variety. Base colour that dominates is the various shades of blue. Ties are a mix of subtle Marinella type patterns and solid grenadines.

My shoes are often very simple in design. I prefer the last and leather to show through. I also like the subtle difference in texture and patination in calf vs cordovan vs suede. I could imagine having the same shoe in the same last in these various materials.

Good point kolecho. White based shirts w/ patterns sometimes appear too strong for my taste, but blue background with subtle striping might be very interesting.

I completely agree on letting the leather show through too. I've even gone so far as to focus most of my shoe interests on plain-toe boots. I love the lustre of a newly polished boot of high-grade leather.

I would say the issue with patterns vs. solids is that solids you can always love while you have to choose patterns more wisely lest you find they no longer appeal to you. Which is why certain gauges and color (or color combinations) of stripes and checks are also considered classic.

Originally Posted by Film_Noir_Buff

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I would say the issue with patterns vs. solids is that solids you can always love while you have to choose patterns more wisely lest you find they no longer appeal to you. Which is why certain gauges and color (or color combinations) of stripes and checks are also considered classic.

Absolutely. One of my mtm shirt purchasing experiences saw me haphazardly picking multicolored checks for several shirts. I can't (don't) wear them with suits at all. They've been demoted to humid-summer-day only shirts. Unfortunate seeing as how I paid about $200 a piece for them. Lesson learned though.

"Choose patterns more wisely let you find the no longer appeal to you."

I've sort of been through more solids part of the cycle and am now looking into more patterned shirts. It looks like I'll settle on some of each.

My tastes tend to be getting more subdued with every passing year. I do love the look of an all solid ensemble from time to time, and wear a lot of solid ties and suits (shirts, not so much). Yet I doubt I will ever get to the point where I will wear nothing but solids.

Late-career Cary Grant was a solids man.

Cary Grant, Kofi Anan and Connery's early James Bond - indisputably three of the best ever style models - how often did you see them wear patterns (I do admit I like subtle checks and stripes in shirts from time to time though).

I haven't reached the point where I wear solids exclusively, but I sometimes feel like wearing an all-solid ensemble. Virtually everything I buy in solid colors has some textural interest and an all-solid ensemble highlights the textures that can easily get lost among patterns.

Originally Posted by spectre

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Cary Grant, Kofi Anan and Connery's early James Bond - indisputably three of the best ever style models - how often did you see them wear patterns (I do admit I like subtle checks and stripes in shirts from time to time though).

Originally Posted by AlanC

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True, but from his earlier days. In later life I think he stuck almost exclusively to solids.

I've been doing a lot of all solid suit ensembles in recent years. Less is more.

i too like solids and also i POW check and a chalk stipe but nothing too OTT, and the more i am moving out of fashion and in to style i find solids to be alot more versitle and timeless!