Layering It On
November 7th, 2013
“DEAR ALEX”
“I got a new job and now I have to wear a suit to work but can’t figure out how to wear a striped suit with my favorite check (pattern) shirts . Blogs I read have too much info and I don’t want to stand out like that. How do I wear my shirts to the office with a suit and tie?” – MN, Manhattan
Putting a suit, shirt, and tie together can seem like an opportunity to make a wardrobe mistake, but if you read along with last month’s entry about pairing pattern and color, this will be easy. There’s a formula to putting together a good match – “2+1 and you’re Done.” Repeat: 2+1 and you’re DONE. You will work with (a) two solid fabrics and one patterned fabric, or (2) two patterned fabrics and 1 solid fabric.
a. 1 patterned suit + 1 patterned tie + 1 solid shirt or
b. 1 solid suit + 1 solid shirt + 1 patterned tie or
c. 1 patterned suit + 1 patterned shirt + 1 solid tie.
The keys to this formula are:
a. Making sure that when you’re working with two patterns, one of those patterns is significantly larger than the other
b. The colors you’re pairing are similar (but they don’t have to match exactly).
Take a look at some of the examples below:
EXAMPLE A:
1 Patterned Suit + 1 Patterned Tie + 1 Solid Shirt
EXAMPLE B:
1 Solid Suit + 1 Solid Shirt + 1 Patterned Tie
1 Solid Suit + 1 Solid Shirt + 1 Patterned Tie
EXAMPLE C:
1 Patterned Suit + 1 Patterned Shirt + 1 Solid Tie
1 Patterned Suit + 1 Patterned Shirt + 1 Solid Tie
EXAMPLE D:
1 Solid Suit + 1 Patterned Shirt + 1 Patterned Tie
1 Solid Suit + 1 Patterned Shirt + 1 Patterned Tie
Categories: Bespoke Dress-Up, Style Guide
