Men’s Style Guide: How to Wear Prints Like a Pro

Prints and patterns are one of the easiest ways to bring personality and depth into your wardrobe.

But they're also easy to get wrong.

The goal isn't to avoid pattern or always play it safe. It's knowing when a print adds something to an outfit—and when there's already enough going on.

When I'm introducing pattern into a client's wardrobe, I usually start with pieces that work naturally with what he already owns. From there, we can determine how subtle or expressive to go based on his personal style.

Here are four patterns worth understanding and how to wear them well.

1. Plaid

Brand to Consider: Brooks Brothers

Plaid is a menswear classic, but because there's already a lot happening within the pattern, it doesn't need much help from the rest of your outfit.

The scale and colors will determine how noticeable it feels. A smaller plaid in muted colors can work well in professional settings, while larger-scale versions tend to feel more casual.

How to wear it: Let the plaid do the work. Pair a plaid shirt with solid chinos or trousers and understated footwear. Navy, charcoal, tan, and brown are easy colors to build around.

If the plaid is already prominent, you don't need another statement competing with it.

2. Vertical Stripes

Brand to Consider: Reiss

Stripes are one of the easiest patterns to introduce because they can be as subtle or noticeable as you want.

A fine blue-and-white stripe can function almost like a solid underneath a jacket, while a wider stripe has considerably more presence and works particularly well for relaxed dressing.

For work: Try a narrow striped shirt with tailored trousers, an unstructured sport coat, and leather loafers.

Off-duty: A wider striped shirt can work with clean denim, chinos, or tailored shorts depending on the season.

If you're new to pattern, a subtle stripe is one of the easiest places to start.

3. Botanical Prints

Brand to Consider: Vince

Botanical and floral prints can absolutely have a place in a refined wardrobe. The key is choosing the right scale, color palette, and setting.

I tend to prefer muted or tonal versions over bright, highly contrasted prints. They're easier to integrate and don't overpower the person wearing them.

Pair a botanical shirt with solid trousers or clean dark denim and keep everything else restrained.

For dinner or an evening out, try a darker botanical shirt with navy trousers and suede loafers. If the print is subtle enough, an unstructured jacket can bring another level of polish.

When the shirt has personality, the rest of the outfit can stay quiet.

4. Checks

Brand to Consider: Ralph Lauren

Checks give you plenty of range because the scale of the pattern can completely change the way a shirt feels.

Gingham tends to read more casual. Tattersall is understated and traditional. A larger windowpane creates more visual presence.

For casual settings: Pair a gingham shirt with dark denim, chinos, and a bomber or casual jacket.

For more polished settings: A restrained check can work underneath a solid sport coat with tailored trousers and leather footwear.

The important thing is maintaining balance. If your shirt has a noticeable check, you don't need every other part of the outfit competing for attention.

A Simple Rule for Mixing Patterns

You can wear more than one pattern at a time. You just need to create enough distinction between them.

If you're wearing a striped shirt with a patterned tie, for example, vary the scale of the patterns so they don't visually compete. Keep the colors connected and allow one pattern to be more dominant than the other.

But you don't get extra points for complexity.

When you're unsure, one pattern surrounded by well-chosen solids almost always works.

The Final Take

Prints and patterns shouldn't feel like something you add just to make an outfit more interesting.

They should make sense within the wardrobe you're building.

Start with subtle stripes and checks if your style is more understated. Introduce plaid, botanicals, or larger-scale patterns if you want more personality. And always consider what you're wearing around them.

The strongest outfits have a focal point. They don't have five.

Find the Right Balance for Your Wardrobe

If you're not sure which colors, patterns, and combinations actually work for you, book a Private Consultation.

Through the Private Wardrobe Advisory, we'll build around your lifestyle, proportions, preferences, and the way you want to show up—so your wardrobe feels personal and considered, without feeling overdone.