They don't do much for me I'm afraid, I find them just a bit to ubiquitous, however, I can appreciate the appeal if you work in a conservative environment, as they're a step up from the solid blue/white shirt.
Those shirts are the business.
I had a dark blue Stephens Brothers with a white stripe that I really loved.
On the Ivy side, blue with stripes (in all sorts of permutations) used to be a real strength for Ben Sherman. Lovely cloths though slimfit unfortunately. You do not see it at all these days
Last edited by John Rotten (2008-09-21 14:53:16)
I remember I used to disfavor the ol' Brooks blue oxford BD with wide-spaced white stripes. They no longer make it, but they used to offer that one and the reverse with blue on white. I sort of like them now that they're gone.
You should be able to see it now, bottom shirt, purple with white stripes.
I think the blue solid has this connotation more directly. I recall a salesperson in the 80's referring to a shirt as "bus-driver blue".
Last edited by The_Shooman (2008-09-25 04:48:31)
You are on to something here. Those shirts are definitely a little more challenging to pair a tie with, but I have had some luck. They look decent with a knit. I may try to ape FNB and post some combinations later today, or maybe this weekend when I have more time. They are not for everybody, which for me, is part of the appeal.
I suppose it depends on where you are and what you're used to. Those types of shirts were very common amongst my set. A variety of white or pastel stripes on pastel backgrounds were popular.
The blue versions often took a medium to bright red solid tie or one with some sort of geometric.
I rarely limit any shirt to wearing with just one theme, but I find that with the two of these shirts I have, I almost always wear a tie in the wine family with white dots and solid or chalk stripe medium to charcoal gray suits. Both shirts have French blue grounds, one with narrow white stripes at quarter inch intervals and one with broader white stripes at about half inch intervals. I wear pin dots with the narrow stripes and the chalk stripe suits and polka dots with the wide stipes and solid suits. It is remarkable how many different colors/patterns in pocket squares work with these combinations, but my favorite is probably a madder print of burgundy/navy/gold paisley on a forest green ground. Dark brown suede shoes, of course; I especially like plain monks. And though the shirts don’t say conservative on their own, with the wine ties, a solid charcoal suit, white linen handkerchief (points, please; I hate the TV fold) and black punch cap oxfords I would appear, and have done so, in the most staid of court proceedings.