
Announcing The SG Timeless Style Sale

The good news is to dress well anyone with polite awareness, common sense and some effort can escape fashion scorn. The bad news, dressing well is to go beyond, and does require much familiarity with sartorial influences. But not difficult, dressing well is an acquired skill honed with practice. Foundational, understanding design elements and their unique relationships to each other; color at least an elementary understanding for most of us, texture a bit esoteric, understanding pattern mixing, a must. Style sophistication is inherently no more appealing with multiple patterns than dress of a simple elegance, but dressing would become rather boring without no pattern introduction.
So, here we go, first, the history. As with most enduring styles of today the Prince of Wales introduced America to a casual elegance identified mostly by his affinity for mixing an array of checks, stripes plaids and royal prints. Having acquired his fashion aplomb as relief from the stiff, formal fastidious dress of royal attire. And, preferring to spend considerable time with the English aristocracy on their country estates. The dress of the day reflecting an outdoor lifestyle. Royal hunting lodges and estates introducing a culture of fabrics, tartans, tweeds, plaids, argyles, and district checks worn by the hosts and guest in an affected but deliberately casual elegance.
First, articles of clothing we will harmonize by the mixing of patterns. Our canvas begins with our jacket (the trouser, with few exceptions is subordinated to a silent complimentary roll), then the furnishings and accessories we choose to compliment the jacket thereafter. The most common composition in the mixing of pattern apparel has always been the suit, dress shirt and necktie. And for the enthusiast a pocket square and socks should not be forgotten in the ensemble. Today with the necktie reduced in its prominence, the odd jacket, sport shirt composition, with the enthusiast never without the natty detail of a pocket square, most common.
You may have noted, the trouser seems to be an afterthought. No, only in need of some clarity. The trouser, should it be the patterned mate of a suit jacket, would have a roll in our composition, and the pattern sock applicable to the rules of design to follow. Similarly, an odd trouser of a pattern design and the pairing of pattern socks. Or an odd trouser with no pattern paired with a sock in a bolder either color, pattern, or both. Mindful of all the design rules to follow, most pattern mistakes are made with socks and easily corrupt all your efforts. Finally, not an absolute, but may I suggest no pattern mixing for the trouser and shirt.
To simplify the art of pattern mixing let us begin with the most forgiving, other than solids of course, the easiest patterns to understand, mixing two stripes. Always vary the scale of the patterns…one being noticeably different from the other. An example, the suit Jacket a wider space, the dress shirt a narrower space, and if you choose a stripe for the necktie, bolder. Of the three never similar spacing or design.
Next, mixing checks and plaids each requiring a bit more understanding and thought. While stripes are designs naturally compatible , checks paired together and plaids paired together, well, let us just not risk. However, checks paired with plaids, a sartorial favorite. And, a reminder of scale mentioned above, perhaps even more important in this mix. We should also introduce at this time the importance of color compatibility. While contrasting color (two different colors together) can be appealing and most interesting, rather than harmony, please know, the possibility of discord as well. Again, the risk exceeds the reward…a more conservative tonal color choice wins the day when mixing checks and plaids.
Further, exceptions and contradictions are both found when mixing two different patterns (stripes, checks, plaids etc.). While varying scale differentiates two like patterns, similar scale must be used to harmonize unlike patterns. Considering our canvas, a bold design paired with an unlike pattern should be paired with a bold design of equal scale. Also, helpful to the harmony are the colors chosen, preferably reflecting a color continuity. However, a contradiction, two unlike small patterns paired, are once again in need of varying scale, and the colors chosen also to reflect a color continuity.
Finally, the challenge of mixing three patterns. Truly a risk reward proposition…successful, and your best dressed in the room. Essential to your success, is all three patterns must differ. To harmonize, the scale should be similar for each pattern, complimented with a color continuity.
Enjoy some time in study. Develop a working knowledge of fashion, practice, it is fun, it is rewarding. Dress well.
Suits, in the beginning thought to originate from the seventeenth century. A costume nightmare of long coats, waistcoats, cravats, breeches, stockings and of course wigs. Legend or fact, before re-ascending the throne, King Charles while exiled to European travels was impressed by the various Courts of Europe, particularly the Parisian’s and their dressing splendor. By decree King Charles is said to have set executive standards of dress. Thus, assumed either by the decree or influence of the Kings dress, also the British Court’s fashion of the day. Beau Brummell, a nineteenth century cosmopolitan fellow by nature, rejected the fuss of dressing in favor of a simpler elegance, designing a fitted two-piece ensemble, jacket and trousers of matching fabrics (todays suit). Absent nobility, yet an original dandy, and somehow a mover and shaker of nineteenth century English court life, could not help, but to be noticed by society’s elite. His appealing style, befriended by the Prince (who would become King George 1V), understood the look as an understated statement of confidence and standing. A statement in which resonates as well today. From these prehistory beginnings American colonist certainly aware of the fashion, continued to be influenced by a more evolved European society. As such the Beau Brummell creation of what was known as a lounge suit, a casual garment for the elite and dressed-up for the working class soon became a symbol of American establishment. Easy to wear, the suit offered a polished and professional appearance to all. The suit today, generally consider worn as an expression of more serious intentions and respect for one’s workplace or host. An elevated level of dress, second only to evening formal (Tuxedo) or State Affairs (Tails). However, changes in the form of the suit have been many. To be sure the fashion industry, has on occasion made mistakes in suit design (we will address this another time), but more often changes in suit design represent the cultural sensibilities of the day: the industrial age, the roaring twenties, the golden age of cinema, the war years, 50’s conformity, the last impactful design changes 80’s materialism, the dressing down plague, and the costumed new millennium…super skinny 60’s rocker style, Thom Browne’s Pee-Wee Herman tribute, Mad Men cloning, the introduction of the elegance of Northern Italy (thank goodness), and the overzealous personal style extending competition to off the floor. Changes today, more subtle…the current prevailing trend, like it or not a tighter fitting suit. That too will likely change. But rest assured despite the threats from fashion and a continuing dressing down plague, the strength and commanding presence of this iconic fashion endures. Welcome to the social contract by which we all should understand, not obligated, but unwritten rules for dress that quite simply offer a bit more joy to life. Never underestimate the power of what you wear. It pays to dress well.