Grids, Plaids and Windowpanes: Checked Patterns in Menswear and How to Wear Them

About this video

The Gentleman’s Gazette team provides a comprehensive guide to square and rectangular check patterns in classic menswear, including graph checks, windowpane, Tattersall, gingham, shepherd’s check, gun club check, tartan, madras, and Glen check. They explain the technical definitions, historical origins, and formality levels of each pattern, then teach viewers how to tastefully incorporate checks into outfits through accessories, shirts, jackets, trousers, waistcoats, and suits.

Key takeaways

• The Gazette team argues that check patterns range from formal to casual depending on line definition, color intensity, pattern density, and box size—smaller, more muted checks are more formal while larger, bolder checks are more casual
• The Gazette team recommends starting with check patterns in accessories like ties, pocket squares, and scarves before progressing to shirts, then jackets and outerwear, as a way to build confidence with the pattern
• The Gazette team teaches that checks should generally be paired with solid garments below (solid trousers with a checked jacket), and when combining two patterned pieces, the pattern densities must differ enough to avoid visual conflict

Episode details: published January 13, 2020 · 66K views · 20:12 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. The style guidance summarized here is the Gentleman’s Gazette team’s own teaching and opinion, presented for education; product recommendations are theirs, not ours. Summaries are written by Self Growth Videos from each video itself.

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