As we endeavour to expand your sartorial vernacular we turned to the pages of GQ’s The Handbook of Style for some inspiration where we found these nine key patterns every man should know. These patterns are an essential building block to any wardrobe and understanding their unique attributes will help keep you one step ahead of the pack. Mixing and matching some of these patterns in your suits, shirts and pants is a great way to add depth and character to your overall style. But before we talk about how to wear-it, lets learn more about each pattern.
Windowpane as the name suggests is a pattern that resembles the panes on a window. Good for: Business suits that moonlight as party wear -GQ [The Handbook of Style]
Houndstooth is a large checked pattern with notched corners suggestive of a canine tooth, typically used in cloth for jackets and suits. Good for: Bold jackets and suits for special occasions – GQ [The Handbook of Style]
Chalk-stripe flannel is a pattern of thin white stripes on a dark background. Good for: Hearty cold-weather suits that mean business – GQ [The Handbook of Style]
Pin-stripe refers to a very narrow stripe in cloth, similar to chalk-strip but the main difference is the thickness of strip. Pin-stripe in comparison is thiner. Good for: Business of any kind – GQ [The Handbook of Style]
Bird’s eye is a micro pattern of circular/diamonds that make up the full garment and is a great way to add depth and texture to any shirt or suit. Good for: Cocktail suits that women always seem to notice – GQ [The Handbook of Style]
Herringbone is an arrangement or design consisting of columns of short parallel lines, with all the lines in one column sloping one way and all the lines in the next column sloping the other way so as to resemble the bones in a fish. Good for: Casual blazers and cold-weather trousers – GQ [The Handbook of Style]
Glen Plaid (short for Glen Urquhart plaid) or Glenurquhart check is a woollen fabric with a woven twill design of small and large checks. It is usually made of black/grey and white, or with more muted colours, particularly with two dark and two light stripes alternate with four dark and four light stripes which creates a crossing pattern of irregular checks. Good for: Classic suits for the office – GQ [The Handbook of Style]
Madras Plaid/check is a lightweight cotton fabric with typically patterned texture and plaid design. Unlike Glen Plaids, this pattern favours bolder colours and uneven checks. Good for: Warm weather blazers paired with jeans – GQ [The Handbook of Style]
Seersucker is a printed cotton or synthetic fabric that has a surface consisting of puckered and flat sections, typically in a striped pattern. Good For: Suits and pants that look sharp in torrid heat – GQ [The Handbook of Style]