On pattern coordination between jacket/shirt/tie.......................

[RJE]

Near the end of the thread? Then let's go out with an opinionated rant.

A few examples of themes I dislike. A couple include a solid, but show what too many people do. Some shirts look solid, but are patterned. I've counted strong herringbone, or a chunky knit, as patterns.

Dots on dots, where the dots are too similar



Squares on squares



Lines on lines…on lines



Strongly competing elements



Generally don't like

(There’s something I almost like about the first one)


This jacket was begging for a calm, solid tie


I think it’s the lines


Tie pattern similar size to the shirt pattern (the tie is also just horrible)


Better examples

 

[Jamesgatz]



Tie is navy and maroon stripe but looks solid from a distance. The colors are somewhat distorted in the photo.

I could have sworn it's a chocolate-brown knit.

 

[unbelragazzo]

Great post, RJE - thanks for going through and finding all those pictures. One thing I'm noticing in your "better" group (which I agree is better) - the color schemes are much better. In particular, there's not much color "matching" in them, but there's a lot of using the same color family, but with different hues. I think some of those in the "bad" category could be turned to good even keeping the patterns the same if the colors were different. (for example, change the shirt in 'dots on dots' #2 to a light blue check instead of a purple...

Among the ones you don't like, I think "squares on squares" #1 is pretty good and although I recognize it's very loud, for some reason I like "I think it's the lines"

 

[ntupres]

I like them,I tend to dress the way I feel.I like trying out different looks

 

[thinman]

OK, I'll play:

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In retrospect, the tie and pocket square colors above probably match too closely. I wear this combo with charcoal gray trousers and have worn it with charcoal gray trousers having a small cream check, just to play with four patterns. I find it interesting that worn with a light blue shirt, this combination elicited no reactions, but when I switched to a french blue shirt, compliments started rolling in. And yes, I know the shirt is solid, so it doesn't really fit Ed's criteria for the thread.

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IMO this one is fairly understated. I forget which pocket square I wore this day, probably plain white linen.

 

[F. Corbera]

This thread is like throwing a live skunk over a badminton net, and back again, repeatedly, angering it further each time.

If there isn't a grounding solid, or near-solid, in a jacket-shirt-tie-square combo, one is either (a) a successful fop (unlikely) or (b) an unsuccessful chimichanga (likely.)

 

[Manton]

thinman, that second tie is truly atrocious, I say that with no rancor in my heart, i've always though you were a good poaster.

 

[F. Corbera]

Seems Duchamp-y.

 

[tobiasj]



thinman, that second tie is truly atrocious, I say that with no rancor in my heart, i've always though you were a good poaster.

Both of them are awful. With rancor

 

[The Thin Man]

A couple of great Manton posts on a similar topic on another forum:

http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/...Combining-Patterns-Part-I&p=557878#post557878

http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/...ombining-Patterns-Part-II&p=558397#post558397

 

[DevinKirkland]

the top combination is my favorite out of the three although I do like them all, as I am partial to brown and blue paired together. The Gingham with the GlenPlaid plays well.

 

[Manton]

I remember when I was building my little clothing library way back when and I found a copy of Mortimer Levitt's book, I think it was called The Executive Look. He was the founder and owner of the Custom Shop chain. The book came out in the late '70s or early '80s. It's not a bad book though idiosyncratic and dogmatic at times. (I know, pot, kettle.)

Anyway, one of Levitt's iron rules was "two plains and a fancy." That is, among suit, shirt and tie, two should always be solid and only one patterned. I thought at the time that here was really narrow-minded advice guaranteed to make men dress dull, dull, dull. I still think that. And yet, every day this week I have followed the rule. For most of the summer I have. Hell, for most of the last five yaers I probably have. Well, with the exception that I always wear a square and Levitt never does.

 

[edmorel]

this Levitt sounds like a smart man.

 

[F. Corbera]

Gravity and dark energy are neck and neck in this thread.

 

[edmorel]



Gravity and dark energy are neck and neck in this thread.

I'm usually not this dark, I just got really tanned on vacation.