Men’s Style Guide: The Art of Mixing Patterns via Urban Beardsman Maga – General Knot & Co.

Chances are you may have encountered this issue before … Be it the shirt and necktie conundrum of what patterns work together or trying to navigate assembling a check suit with just the right pair of stripe socks. The art of pattern mixing can be mastered by following a few simple rules.

To illustrate these style commandments we will be using the ubiquitous bow tie and its sidekick, the pocket square to show how pattern mixing can be effortless and effective. Plus we promise you will not end up looking like your 7th grade science teacher.

The idea with each of the following rules is that the bow and the square should compliment the entire look rather than overtake it. While some gents prefer to go the route of matching bow and square, these mix and match options will give you much more versatility.

Rule #1 Don’t Be Afraid to Play with Scale

Big dot, little dot. Large check, small check. As long as both patterns have harmonious colors, you’ve struck the proper balance. The key here is to make sure that in addition to the commonality of color, the scales of each pattern differ enough so they compliment each other rather than fighting for attention.

Check out the rest of the article over at Urban Beardsman Magazine...