The Sad Plaid Story: How to Cope With Plaid Shirt Seperation

How many times have you shown up at a party, or at a bar to meet your friends, and found that more than half of you are wearing a button up, plaid shirt? Sometimes, your best friend will wear his blue plaid shirt on the same day you do - but that's okay, because it's a different blue plaid, right? Wrong. Plaid shirts are great, comfortable, and have been in fashion almost consistently since the 90's. That means that every guy and his dad owns multiple plaid shirts. There is nothing specifically wrong with wearing plaid, but it does lump you into the broad category of the everyman. If you're trying to set yourself apart from the crowd and catch the wandering eye of a new woman, wearing plaid is like black and white stripes in a herd of zebras - she can't tell were you end and where the next plaid-clad gentleman begins. 

Generally speaking, I'm not an enemy of plaid. Subtlety plaid suits, and vibrant plaid ties, can look stylish and modern. Plaid socks, bow ties, and shorts are fun and quirky (when worn separately  of course). Even, I'll admit, plaid button up shirts are not all that bad, because they have a trim fit, are made of soft material and can be worn casually. However, they are not special or unique. A true shark would never wear a plaid shirt in public. To help you break out of your plaid shell and into a fresh spring style, here are some handy plaid shirt alternatives. 






Gingham feels like cheating on a no-plaid diet, but it's on the list. Gingham is baby steps away from plaid because it only consists of two colors, woven together in alternating squares. This year, white + [any color] gingham has been extremely popular. Black, purple, red, green and pink gingham have been showing up in stores and on well dressed men. Look for a classic cotton gingham shirt that is more fitted that your typical plaid shirt, and can be tucked in.

 Club Monaco offers a variety of quality shirts for men that can be worn casually or to dress up. The mustard yellow shirt has a small paisley handkerchief print, dubbed the Paisley Max Shirt. Also available in blue, this unique print will grab far more attention that plaid ever did. Wear it untucked with a denim jacket and a cool pair of sunglasses.

The mint green Linen Shirt will provide maximum comfort and breatheability in the summer. Though linen isn't a print like plaid, the loose weave give a certain texture to the garment. Wear it tucked in, with the sleeves rolled up. Don't worry about wrinkles in your shirt - that is one of the qualities of linen. 

The dark blue Owen Shirt features a small white diamond print, and is another great shirt to wear casual and untucked, just like your old plaid shirt. Polka dots are finally in again for men, but some are still hesitant about the trend. This small, geometric dot will allow you to rock the dots whilst keeping your masculinity intact. All of these shirts have a great, slim fit and can be found on the Club Monaco website.


Looking for a novelty shirt? This Eton shirt is one of my favourites, but only true sharks can get away with wearing fish on their chest. Let me know what you think @GreatWhiteStyle

Happy Hunting,

Mr. Darcie