Get Checked Out in a Check Shirt

The humble check shirt is a potent fashion statement, and it?s not just for metros. Whether your style is sleek or fiercely masculine, the check shirt can become one of your favourite garments this season.

Are checked shirts even in fashion?

In the past few years, it seems everything daggy has become fashionable again. Check shirts, once viewed as an impossibly geeky item of clothing, now emerge from the wardrobes of stylish men annually around springtime, and don?t disappear until the close of summer. You will be making a very fashionable statement in your check shirt this summer.

Versatile styles

Get checked out

Unlike other niche garments such as bow ties and patterned jumpers, check shirts are not restricted to be worn by men with a sleek, indie sense of style. Checked shirts can also be worn in a manly, rugged way. After all, check shirts were once the domain of hard-working tradesmen. Have the top button or two undone, and pair with loose jeans and worker boots for a masculine aesthetic. Your shirt should be untucked for the manly look, so make sure it is a suitable length- you don?t want it to start resembling a dress.

If you are going for the geek couture look, keep your outfit sleek by tucking in the check shirt to fitted jeans. Have your shirt buttoned all the way up, topped off with a bowtie if you?re feeling adventurous. A pair of polished wingtips on your feet completes the look.

If having your entire torso covered in checks is too extreme for your liking, try wearing a check shirt with a collar underneath a plain jumper. The collar, which should sit above your jumper, will add a hint of style to your otherwise drab outfit.

Avoid looking like a clown

There is the risk that you could resemble a clown when wearing a checked shirt. The key to avoiding this is to keep your outfit simple. Checks are eye-catching, so you don?t want another focal point on your outfit. Wear pants in a neutral or dark color rather than a bright color. Also, if your hair is unfortunate enough to resemble a clown wig, it?s inevitable that people will think you look like a clown if you wear a colored and patterned shirt.

You?re not a chef, so don?t wear checked pants

Checks should not go on every garment- especially not pants. You don?t want to look like you?ve escaped from the local diner?s kitchen. As with all patterned men?s clothing, checks look best on the top half.

However, there are some items other than shirts which look great with checks. Scarves, bow ties and cardigans can all look fantastic with a checked print, but you have to follow one rule: only wear one checked item at a time. While an outfit that matches is generally a good thing, having two prints that exactly match is certainly not. The checked item is a statement piece, and demands that the rest of your outfit be kept in solid colors with minimal detailing.