(Click the pic to see more from Viola Milano)
I’m not seeing much to inspire me these days. There are rare exceptions on Tumblr (from whence came the photo above) and Pinterest. But I am intrigued by the emergence of pattern as a “menswear trend.” Combined with the use of color, it can be quite striking (in a good way.)
Most men (perhaps excluding Southerners?) are afraid of color, and with good reason. A misstep and, as The Architect is fond of reminding me, you look like you’re ready for the PGA Tour. I think that color and pattern can be used to cheerful effect. But it does ask that you think out of the box — or in this case, color outside the lines — of grey, blue, tan, black.
I styled this custom jacket at my tailor’s shop the other day and was very pleased with the result. I would have taken it one step further by adding in a lavender stripe shirt, but he hadn’t one lying around (custom tailors don’t stock much of anything, except neckwear and a few accessories.) Green, purple and yellow. That’s a lot of color. But with a pair of gray trousers and a brown shoe, it is perfectly acceptable Friday-wear and great for weekends when a jacket is required.
