Paisley is one of the most known designs in fashion and style. The droplet-shaped vegetable motif has an Indian and Persian origin and is originally called buta or boteh. The pattern became well-known in the Western world in the 18^th and 19^th century, following imports of post-Mughal variations  of the design mostly from India’s Kashmir region.

 

 

 

Since then, paisley has become a staple of great prints and can be found everywhere. This is why we have put together a guide that goes through the ways in which the modern man can wear this beautiful design.

For clarity’s sake, our visual examples consist of shirt-tie combinations, but these rules can apply to any type of clothing combination.

 

 

 

With a neutral

 

 

 

A good way to wear paisley is with a neutral. In fashion, “neutrals” refers to a series of colors that can be matched to any other color. These colors are black, white, gray, beige, khaki, tan, ivory, brown, dark blue, etc.

Given that paisley is such a busy print, those who want to keep it a little on the conservative side or don’t feel too sartorially adventurous can pair any type of paisley print with a solid neutral.

This combination is safe and nobody can tell you that the two don’t go together well.

 

 

With a solid

 

 

 

Another great way to wear paisley is to pair it with a solid color, but this time with a color that is not a neutral. For best results, you can replicate one of the colors found in your paisley print. For example, if you are wearing a shirt that features a red-orange-green paisley, you can wear it with a solid orange tie. This is a sign of subtlety and refinement and will let others consciously or unconsciously know that you are a man who pays attention to details.

If you want to go for a more different look, you can create a color scheme.

 

Here are some easy tips on coordinating colors:

a) Colors that lie close to one another on the color spectrum go well together (blue and purple, red and orange, etc.) For example, you can wear a blue shirt and a pair of pants that features a paisley print that is predominantly purple.

This type of combinations falls under the so-called “analog” color schemes, which are usually found in nature. Therefore, wearing such a combination will make you look harmonious and balanced.

b) For more of a quirkier look, you can mix colors that that lie on opposite sides of thecolor wheel. For example, red and green, blue and yellow, etc.

Of course, it all depends on how busy your paisley is and whether there is one predominant color, two predominant colors or more. There are many other types of color schemes you can create, especially if you add a third or fourth color in the mix. For example, colors that lie at equal distance from one another on the color wheel go together very well (an easy rule that applies to color combinations that feature three or more colors)

 

 

With another print

 

 

 

Many men want to wear multiple prints or patterns at the same time, but don’t know whether this looks good. The truth is that mixing patterns takes practice, but it can be done with extremely good results. The main rule of mixing patterns and prints is that they have to be of different sizes.

 

Here are some rules of mixing patterns that apply to general situations:

For example, you can wear both a striped shirt and a striped tie at once, but the stripes of the shirt need to be of a different thickness than the stripes of the tie. You can also mix two patterns or prints that are not the same, such as stripes and polka dots. In this case, the rule applies just like above: thick stripes go with small dots and vice versa.

When speaking about patterns and prints, note that a pattern is a repeated construction, while a print is an image that features a composition, like a drawing. If you want to wear a pattern and a print, or two prints, the same rule applies, just that you need to check the type of element from which the print is made. For example, if you want to wear a print that features heavy lines and big blocks of color, you should wear it with something that features thin lines, regardless of whether they are straight or curved.

 

These rules apply to paisley and to mixing paisley too. You can wear two paisley prints at the same time, but, in this case, they should be of different sizes and you can mix paisley with something else, but in this case, the elements that compose the two patterns or prints should be of very different types.

 

 

To conclude, we can assure you that following these rules will give you great sartorial results. Paisley is such an amazing design that is transformed in so many great ways and we definitely encourage you to wear it. Of course, as always, our rules are guidelines that will make you sure you will look great, but we also encourage you to break the rules and make your own combinations!

 

 

Fraquoh and Franchomme

 

 

 

 

 

Further reading:

The complete guide to mixing patterns and prints

A guide to coordinating the colors of your clothes (+examples)

Choose the colors of your clothes like a pro!

Choosing the colors of your clothes according to your skin tone

Discovering what colors to wear according to your natural features

Choosing the best color of clothes for dark skin tones

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