Are you looking to break out of the daily monotony of solid or plain shirts? The most obvious pattern choices to spice up your wardrobe would be ginghams for any occasion, check shirts and finally, stripe shirts. Here, we will be looking at how you can pull off a stripe shirt.
Horizontal Stripe Shirts vs Vertical Stripe Shirts
Most fashion blogs advocate wearing a vertical stripe shirt over a horizontal one. However, it depends on whether it is the right fit for your body type. Stripes on a shirt make observers travel the lines and create illusions for the wearer of appearing taller or wider. Hence, for a shorter man, a vertical stripe shirt is generally the way to go, while a thin man would opt for horizontal stripes. This does not mean that tall men cannot wear vertical stripe shirts or wider men should not wear horizontal stripes – although horizontal stripes are difficult to pull off on formal occasions. I believe Michael Douglas pulled it off the best for formal wear.
Color of Your Stripe Shirt
When choosing a stripe shirt, do not go for bold colors that clash with the pants color unless you are looking to stand out. Try and stick to the right colors for your skin tone when choosing the colors for your stripes. For a tall man to pull off a vertical stripe shirt, it is important to choose a more subtle color combination where the stripes don’t appear garish.
Size of the Stripes
You should keep the stripes thin with the general rule of thumb being no wider than an inch. Wide stripes are very bold and not fashionable on dress shirts – with either vertical or horizontal stripes – and tend to look dated. Wider stripes are more suitable for casual wear.
Stripes Are Not Limited To Shirts
Besides a stripe shirt, pinstripes on pants are also in vogue – going well with your solid colored shirts. So you may invest in new stripe pants instead of stripe shirts. For more formal occasions, consider a subtle stripe or a pinstripe suit. Be sure to complement your stripes with a solid or gingham shirt.
So next time you reach for your dress shirt in the morning, be a little bold and go with a stripe shirt instead.
Key Takeaway for Pulling Off A Stripe Shirt
- Go for a vertical stripe shirt unless you are extremely thin or going for a very casual look.
- Don’t just stick to stripe shirts. You can also wear pants or suits with stripes while keeping the shirt plain.
- Rule of thumb for size of stripes on dress shirts: Less than 1 inch.
