What's up, guys? I'm Brian Sacawa, you're watching He Spoke Style, and today we're
talking about three simple rules for mixing patterns.
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Okay, so patterns are one of those things about menswear that really make it so
much fun and also one of those things that has the ability to add a lot to an
outfit. However, wearing patterns can be a little tricky, especially if you are
trying to mix different kinds of patterns. It takes a little bit of
thought and planning, but if you use these three rules, you will be mixing
patterns like a pro. Okay, the first rule for mixing patterns is, you do not talk
about mixing patterns! No, the first rule for mixing patterns is to choose two
different types of patterns. Now, in terms of patterns in menswear, they basically
come in three different flavors. You have stripes. You have dots. And you have
checks. Now, there is obviously a wide spectrum within those families, but the
best thing to do is to choose to a stripe and a dot, a check and a stripe, a
dot and a check. Now, can you mix patterns within the same family? Yes, but that is a
topic we'll cover in another video. Next rule is to vary the size of the pattern.
Now, the name of the game when it comes to pattern mixing, is to make things
complementary. And pattern size is how you do that. Make sure that the scales of
the patterns are different. Now, this is something you can exaggerate, like this,
or that you can do with a little more subtlety, which is what I typically
prefer. Third rule is to make sure that you have one pattern that is bolder and
one pattern that is more subtle. If you had two bold patterns, for example, they're
going to be competing with each other and that's going to create a very big
clash. As you can see, the jacket I'm wearing has a check pattern, but it's on
the more subtle side. Now, the tie, on the other hand, has a very big and bold
stripe. That's going to draw your eye to the tie and make it the focal point of
the whole outfit. Okay, just to sum up quickly. The three rules for pattern
mixing are as follows. Choose two different types of patterns. Vary the
size. And have one pattern bolder, while the other one is more subtle. Now,
remember that these rules, like all rules of style, are just guidelines. Just
because something meets this criteria doesn't necessarily mean it's going to
work in practice. As always, you want to use these rules as
a starting point. But you should always go by feel and
instinct, as well. The only hard and fast rule of style, in my opinion, is that if
it looks right, it is right. And if it doesn't look right or doesn't feel right
to you, it's not right. Leave your comments below. Thumbs up if this video
was helpful. Hit that subscribe button for more tips, advice, and outfit
inspiration. And until next time, thanks for watching and stay tailored.