Men's Patterned Shirts: Prints, Checks and How to Wear Them
Hold the navy Giovanni shirt at arm's length and you would call it plain. Bring it closer and it is covered in small white bicycles. That gap, between what a shirt says across a room and what it says across a table, is how most men's patterned shirts get worn well. It is also why so many of the new DG's Drifter prints this autumn are drawn small.
There are big ones too, and a run of neat checks, and none of them is as hard to wear as it looks on a hanger.
At a glance
- Small prints read as plain from a distance. Start there.
- A large print wants plain trousers and a plain layer.
- Small checks sit naturally with cords, chinos and knitwear.
- One pattern per outfit until you are sure of yourself.
- A contrast collar band shows when the top button is open, and finishes the shirt.
Start with a small print
A small print does everything a plain shirt does. It goes under a navy blazer, it tucks into chinos, it survives a meeting. The difference shows up close, which is where people who know you are standing anyway.
The DG's Drifter navy Ivano carries a print so fine it reads as a deeper navy. The white Ivano has a tiny navy and red motif, and works anywhere a white shirt would. A dark green Giovanni geometric turns soft sage from a few feet off, which makes it an easy first step away from blue. And the Giordano Dino looks navy on the hanger until you notice it is covered in little keys in rust, cream and pale blue.
Bigger prints
A big print does most of the work for you. Once the shirt is doing the talking, everything else can be plain, and plain is quick to put together.
The Giovanni 14189 has curling waves and blossom in navy, blue and soft peach. Its brown sibling, 14188, is a floral in brown, rust and cream on a pale ground, and it belongs to autumn more than any other shirt in the range. The 14185 is something else again: bold tile medallions in navy and white, at a mid scale, and the most confident shirt of the lot.
Wear them with navy chinos or dark jeans and brown shoes, and keep any layer over the top in a single colour. A plain navy crew neck with the collar out is about right. So is nothing at all, with the sleeves turned back twice.
Checks for autumn
A check is a pattern most men already own without thinking of it as one. The Ivano 14171 comes in two versions of the same neat check. The brown has flecks of blue and orange through it. The red is red, navy and white, and looks best with navy.
These belong with cord trousers and a lambswool jumper, the clothes of a long walk and a late lunch. Put one under a plain overshirt and the two patterns stay apart because the overshirt is the quiet one.
What to wear with it
Plain things, mostly. One pattern per outfit is the rule that never lets anyone down.
- Navy blazer: small prints and small checks, top button undone
- Crew neck jumper: any of them, collar out over the neckline
- Dark jeans: the bigger prints, with brown boots
- Chinos in navy, stone or olive: everything in this piece
Look inside the collar on the DG's Drifter shirts. Most of them carry a contrast fabric on the band, blue on the bicycles, brown on the small brown print, red on the pale blue. You see it when the top button is open, and it makes the shirt look finished rather than just unbuttoned. For something smarter, the Olymp Luxor prints in a black geometric dot and a navy honeycomb are cut closer and sit well under a blazer.
The full run is in the shop at 30 Seamoor Road, Westbourne, alongside the rest of the DG's Drifter range. Prints look different in daylight than they do on a screen, so it is worth seeing the colours for yourself.
Frequently asked questions
How do you wear a patterned shirt?
Keep everything else plain. Navy chinos or dark jeans, brown shoes and a single-colour layer over the top let a patterned shirt work without the outfit looking busy. If you are new to prints, start with a small one that reads as plain from a few feet away, then move to larger prints once you are used to wearing them. Wearing one pattern per outfit is the simplest rule to follow, and it rarely goes wrong.
Are printed shirts suitable for work?
Small prints are, in most offices. A fine geometric or a tiny motif looks like a plain shirt from across a room, and it goes under a blazer as easily as a solid colour. Large florals and bold medallion prints are better kept for the weekend, evenings and dress-down days. If your workplace is formal, a small check or a fine dot print is the safest place to start.
What trousers go with a patterned shirt?
Plain ones. Navy, stone or olive chinos suit almost any patterned shirt, and dark jeans work well with the larger prints. Cord trousers go particularly well with small checks in autumn colours like brown and rust. Avoid patterned or checked trousers with a patterned shirt unless you are confident with it, because two patterns of a similar scale tend to fight each other.
Can you wear a patterned shirt with a blazer?
Yes, and a small print or small check is one of the easiest ways to make a blazer look less formal. Choose a plain blazer in navy, grey or a soft texture so the shirt has room to show. Leave the top button open and skip the tie for a smart casual look. Larger, bolder prints can also work under a blazer, but they need the jacket to be very plain.
Where can I buy men's patterned shirts in Bournemouth?
Baks Menswear is at 30 Seamoor Road in Westbourne, a few minutes west of Bournemouth town centre. We carry printed and checked shirts from DG's Drifter, Giordano and Olymp, from fine prints that read as plain through to bold florals and medallions. The shop is open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5.30pm, and no appointment is needed. Call 01202 751008 if you would like us to check a size before you visit.
