Patterns can present a challenge to the modern gentleman. It can be difficult enough to blend color and texture in an outfit; patterns present their own difficulties. We would therefore recommend that a gentleman just beginning to discover fine menswear keep his patterns simple at the beginning. You should stick with one piece that has one pattern, and keep the rest of your outfit texturally plain. One great beginning pattern is herringbone, but it is more than a beginner- it is a solid, perhaps an essential addition to any man’s wardrobe.
Herringbone’s name is a case of literalism: it derives from the fact that the alternating lines of woven fabric zig-zagging across the garment look like nothing so much as the bones of a fish. Herringbone is commonly found as a pattern in sport coats, particularly wool tweed in the Fall and Winter, where, in brown or black and white, it adds a distinguished complexity to the jacket in question. It is also found sometimes in the weave of dress shirts, though it is less visible there as the cotton is typically of a single color. Sometimes entire suits will be woven in a herringbone style. All of these can further be found in lighter weights for Spring and Summer, both in fresco weaves of wool and in linen or cotton.
With a herringbone sport coat as your foray into patterns, feel free to keep the rest of your outfit simple, as we advised before. Pair a gray sport coat with dark jeans, a white shirt, and a plaid tie for a weekend in the city. A brown sport coat can take navy pants, a pink shirt, and a golden bow tie to a dinner with a special someone. Congratulations: you’ve passed Patterns 101. Class dismissed.
