Candy Striper

One of the biggest changes in menswear over the last decade is the return to colorful “candy stripe” shirts to a man’s casual and dressy wardrobe. The striped shirt as a business garment had become pretty boring, with its simple blue or burgundy stripes associated with old men and polyester suits. During the first decade of the 21^st century, however, store shelves were filled bold, colorful stripes that begged to be worn to the office, to dinner or just around town.

The foremost example of these shirts is the Jermyn Street-based Thomas Pink. Named after the traditional British hunting jacket, Thomas Pink became one of the heralds of the return of the candy striped shirt. Available in a variety of collar and cuff options, the shirts also helped make the spread collar and French cuff so popular in boardrooms or on the street. While Thomas Pink has an amazing variety of offerings available for perusal on-line, The Thomas Pink shop in the State Street Macy’s (formerly Marshall Field’s) is well stocked with shirts and accessories.

            Of course, the price tag on a Thomas Pink is a bit steep to some. For those looking to incorporate a pop of color and pattern into their work wardrobe, the ever-present offerings of Van Heusen and Geoffrey Beene may be friendlier to your budget. Most are button-cuff and the spread of the collar is not so extreme, but the color offerings are just as varied.

When worn to the office, tie selection is critical. The bold stripes or checks of the shirt should serve as the primary focus of your ensemble. Solid ties are easiest to match up, but pattern or striped ties are also possible with a bit of thought. Striped ties should have much larger stripes (or at least stripes that are quite a bit different in thickness and composition). Small patterns are just as easy as solids to match up. With suits or jackets, keep them pretty plain for ease. Solids or simple stripes serve to frame the colorful shirts and ties you’ll be wearing.