Warm Weather Patterns

The weather was beautiful here this weekend and it reminded me that summer is not too far off (and spring is practically here!). With this in mind I realized that I need to shift my thinking in terms of new acquisitions. I quickly took stock of my warm weather gear. This biggest hole in my wardrobe is patterned warm weather work shirts to wear on casual Friday. Below are the patterns that are on my short list.
Navy GinghamGingham – Gingham is a great pattern to wear in spring and summer. Some will argue that it is perfectly suitable for year round wear, but the association with the classic picnic table cover makes it a summertime classic. You can find gingham in almost any color and scale. I prefer navy  gingham in a smaller scale.
Muddy MadrasMadras – For trads Madras means summer. You can find Madras in psychedelic, bright colors or muted muddy earth tones (like the one above from O’Connells). While Madras is decisively casual it can easily work in business casual environments, but if you are like me you can always break it out on casual Friday.
Seersucker ShirtSeersucker – I am pushing the boundaries of business casual again by adding seersucker to the list. Again, since I am looking for something to wear on casual Friday I think that seersucker is a potential option. While it is not a pattern on its own it is rarely found on any non-striped shirts, but the classic striped seersucker is the one on my list. Blue, red, or pink are the best, but yellow or green can look cool as well.

There you have it. My short list of potential patterns to put into play this spring and summer. I focused on casual Friday, because dressing a little more casual on these days is something that I am working on (and no I don’t mean jeans…at least not yet!). I have not put together a list of top contenders yet, but I will have a lot more options to choose from if I keep in mind that this shirt is casual. This means that I do not have to focus as much on collar length or other dress shirt details. Now let the warm weather commence!

 

oxford cloth button down
Jerrod Swanton is a simple man interested in simple, classic, and traditional style.

8 Comments on "Warm Weather Patterns"

  1. What profession are you in?

  2. oxford cloth button down says:

    Michael – Digital marketing.

  3. Roger C. Russell II says:

    I am starting to get excited about Spring as well. However, I personally think we will have some cold weather to contend with. I live in the Deep South and a few years ago we had snow in April. Nonetheless my white bucks are in Easter morning mode. I think you should wear a large red and white gingham patterned shirt for casual Friday. Jethro Bodine rocked his every day of the week.

  4. Jim W says:

    I find that good quality Irish linen can have a place in a business casual wardrobe, but really should be ironed for best effect.

  5. FJW says:

    I was also hesitant to include a seersucker shirt for summer work wear but I made the jump last summer, few times, in both blue and pink striped. My workplace is casual (sometimes too casual) all the time and I had several positive comments.

    Though, not sure about the madras for work!

  6. oxford cloth button down says:

    Jim W – Nice addition, and I agree on the ironing!

    FJW – Thanks for feedback on the seersucker. To temper your madras opinion by saying that I would only wear it on Friday and that my office can very very casual (think jeans and untucked shirts).

    Roger – That sure would get everyone’s attention!

  7. JOA says:

    Cotton/Linen blends and Madras have basically become my staple casual Spring/Summer shirting fabrics (along with old, worn out oxfords). I’d also throw in for light weight chambray.

  8. James says:

    I think Spring is the best time, cool enough so you can layer but not so cool that you need too many layers. You can mix and match cool and warm weather pieces quite well in spring too.

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