Micro-check pattern fabrics, like gingham and houndstooth, have been used in fashion since the 1960’s. With fashion having it cycles, “What’s old is new again.” This year, there is a resurgence of the use of these micro-check patterns in both menswear and women’s wear. All the design houses have their own versions of this pattern.
One of my favorites in men’s dress shirts is the Armani Jeans Check Shirt in navy. From a distance, the micro-check pattern acts like a solid color, but becomes an interesting surprise as you get a closer look. The check pattern is also accented with a micro-sized eagle that is the Armani Jeans logo. This particular dress shirt is made of 100% cotton and has the designer details of a slim fit, a solid navy trimmed pocket, and the embroidered logo on the pocket.
This type of micro-check pattern shirt can be either dressy or casual. It would be fantastic under a black suit, with a solid or striped matching tie or you could just as easily wear it with a pair of linen pants or chino trousers and brown leather loafers. If you are daring enough to wear this micro-check pattered shirt with another pattern, instead of a solid color, then the trick is to use a larger pattern to off-set the smaller one and keep the total look from being too busy.
As far as pricing goes, the “Armani Jeans Check Shirt” tends to be on the higher side at $143 Euros/$189 USD. Other designers that are in the same price range are those men’s dress shirts from Eton and Hugo Boss, while Michael Kors, John Varvatos, Ralph Lauren, and Brooks Brothers have a version of the micro-check patterned shirt that runs closer to $100 and under.
So, the next time you reach for a dress shirt, why not try something that is a little out of the ordinary like the “Armani Jeans Check Shirt”. You may be surprised how it can perk up wardrobe items that you may have thought were tired and old.
