A beginner’s guide to wearing prints
It’s a concept most men shy from, but spring’s the time to try something new, says Stephen Doig
Sometimes this job, as the roving eye of Sauron on all things men style, can inure you to the more outré realms of male dressing. Tie-dye? Sure. Jewellery jangling from necklines and earlobes? Harry Styles has a lot to answer for. From “drespadrilles” to pussybow blouses, this frontlines-weary correspondent has seen it all, so you’ll perhaps forgive me for being somewhat perplexed as to why, in 2020, print is still a tad taboo for men.
I write this in an embroidered bomber jacket, awaiting delivery of a floral patterned shirt from my own form of religion, the cult of Dries Van Noten, so I have a blind spot (see above byline picture) as to why men would be reticent, but it’s a bona fide concern – a
(male) colleague’s response to this headline was: “Don’t”.
It’s even more pressing as we look towards thoughts of spring and the sense of “liveliness” that it brings into our wardrobe after winter’s greiges and tweeds. Which is why Gucci – which has led the charge in all things printed, embroidered and Mick Jagger swagger-esque in men’s style – launches a pop-up in Selfridges on Monday geared around the psychedelic and high octane. The brand, and its cohorts like the usually austere Prada, champion a bold take on dressing for men, but why hasn’t it translated to the masses? Part of it lies in men preferring to look somewhat invisible, an apologetic approach to dressing, and some of it lies in being thought of as a showy peacock or – shock, horror – rather effete. But it’s 2020, and life’s too short to spend it in a pale blue button-down shirt and jeans. Tan France of the Netflix hit Queer Eye might continually steer men towards “printed shirts”, but what does that actually mean? Let’s start with what we’ll term the “invisible print”; something so discreet and micro that it’s only obvious up close – tiny dots or super-shrunken checks on a shirt. Consider this a gateway into other, bolder variations. And while the idea of floral patterned shirts might seem a step into garish holidaymaker territory (and David Beckham was certainly a fan last year while partying on Elton John’s yacht), not all flower prints are made equal. Officine Generale is a label that I routinely guide men towards because of its laid-back appeal and (relatively) easy price points, and while its printed shirts are richly decorative, they are discreetly masculine – vine patterns and faded palm prints take the showiness out of flower power.
There’s also a backbone of men’s style – a perennial that comes around season after season – that’s always relied on print in a subtle, nuanced way; the cult of preppy. Championed by the likes of Ralph Lauren, or his British counterpart Jeremy Hackett, print has always been intrinsic to the Ivy League aesthetic thanks to the prominence of club stripes, nautical emblems and plush polka dot pocket squares and evening scarves. Leave the leopard print to latter-day Rod Stewarts.