Beyond Basics: Shirts III
Level 3: grey and white stripes. Plain grey shirts are nearly impossible to use in classic menswear, but done right it can look great. The first step is, again, finding the right cloth: the stripes should not be too thin to blend together completely nor too wide to make you look like an ice cream vendor. For most men, between 2 and 4mm wide stripes work best. Wider stripes go well with ties featuring floral or geometric patterns, while thinner stripes look great with bold or simple striped ties, such as block stripes or double bars. The grey and white stripes should be of the same width to keep the look balanced. A very good, basic combination with this type of shirt is a solid grey suit and a dark tie in navy, charcoal, or burgundy. For pocket squares, we recommend white linen or any light-colored motif. Once you feel comfortable in this outfit, you can further experiment with this shirt.
