How To Style: Bold Patterns And Prints
By Rachel Tooley | January 20, 2020Bold shirts have been given a nod of approval in recent seasons. Great for all round wear, a patterned shirt can transform your fit into an eccentric, sophisticated look – whether you’re dressing up for an occasion and wanting to add a bit of oomph to an outfit, or you’re going more for the James May vibes of floral shirts and denim jeans, sometimes a bold print or pattern is perfect to complete the look.
It’s always the easy option to choose plainer clothes when putting an outfit together. Patterns and prints can be a challenge to style without looking too over the top, so we’ve got a few tips and tricks for you to keep in mind for the next time you’re feeling a little more adventurous.us leo.
Tip 1 – Be careful of clashing.
Busy looking shirts don’t mix so well with clashing colours, texture or patterns, so choose carefully when it comes to choosing coordinating pieces. Analyse the colour palette of your print – one of the easiest things to do is match other pieces like trousers and t-shirts with one colour from the shirt. Echoing colours often complement each other well in an outfit, try to use similar shades of the chosen colour to those on the shirt to smarten up the look. If you have a patterned shirt then try to keep patterns elsewhere to a minimum to prevent a patchwork effect with your mix of fabrics. Keep the trousers toned down and relatively plain.
Tip 2 – Neutral shades are your best friend.
You’ll be entering risky territory piling colour upon colour, so mix in some neutral shades to add dynamic to your fit. Bright colours counteract well with muted shades such as white, cream or black. When you’re wearing a bold looking shirt, layer a white t-shirt underneath and opt for neutral trousers to tone down the look and keep it looking organised and subtle.Â
Tip 3 – Chose your shoes wisely.
Coordinating your shoes with the rest of your outfit is a key trick to pull the whole thing together. Matching your shoes to another piece in your outfit stops bright fits looking too much – it’s usually a better look to match your shoes with a colour that sits on your top half instead of your trousers to give balance. This trick will make your whole look seem more flattering and effortless, even if you did spend a good two hours picking it out.
Selecting the right piece when it comes to bold prints can be a challenge in itself. We’ve lined up a couple of our favourite shirts from our own trusted retailers, which we’ve styled into two outfits to give you a little inspiration.
Fred Perry x Nicholas Daley Striped Shirt, Reduced from £140 to £70 at Stuarts London
Pair this vivid striped shirt with a plain white t-shirt underneath to initially tone down the outfit from the orange hues. This piece would also look great with a pair of oversized navy trousers, like these Polo Ralph Lauren Briton Pants, and some Clarks Originals Wallabees from The Hip Store to finish of the look.
Stenstroms Blue Paisley Slim Fit Shirt, Reduced from £149 to £89.40 at Repertoire Fashion
This bold paisley print is a really stylish print to go for which works really well dressed with darker colours. The slim fit shirt would look great buttoned up if you’re wanting to go smart, worn with a pair of tan chino trousers like the A.P.C Quake Chino Trousers in ‘Tobacco’ from Repertoire Fashion. Complete the outfit with a pair of Wild Bunch Vibram Sole Wally shoes from The Hip Store in navy to compliment the shirt and tie the warm and cool tones together.
