Patterned Sweaters: Daggy or Dapper?

Patterned sweaters don?t just belong on grandparents anymore. It seems like what?s old is new again in recent trends, so don?t be afraid of getting cosy in a woolly patterned jumper.

How to wear a patterned jumper

A patterned sweater is a statement piece of clothing, so you have to keep the rest simple and streamlined. A knitted sweater looks great paired with chinos or jeans, either straight-cut or skinny depending on your style. Your pants should be reasonably tight to balance out the heavy sweater.

Pattern it up

For a quirky but stylish aesthetic, wear a cotton shirt underneath the sweater, with the collar protruding. The shirt should be a block color, as a patterned collar sticking out from under a patterned sweater would be too much of an eyesore. Pick a color which is on your sweater, or failing that, a neutral brown will go with most patterned sweaters. As it can get really warm under a knitted sweater, you may at some point need to take it off- and wearing a shirt underneath means you will still be wearing a stylish outfit.

Finish the look with a pair of dress shoes, preferably wingtips, if you are wearing jeans, or more casual canvas shoes if you are wearing chinos. Desert boots are an edgy footwear option, if that?s your style. Again, match the color of your shoes to one of the colors on your sweater to pull your look together.

Accessories should be kept to a minimum- anything more than a plain leather belt and maybe a watch is too much. Patterned sweaters are so eye-catching that adding jewelry is overkill.

One garment which you never need with a knitted sweater is a coat of any kind. It?s redundant as it?s already boiling underneath a knitted sweater, and it makes you look bigger than you are, and not in a good way.

Is it geeky to wear a patterned sweater with glasses?

For the bespectacled among us, looking daggy is often a fact of life. But the appeal of a patterned knit comes from its quirkiness. Glasses just add to the look. But you?ll want to add some trendy touches to your outfit so it is clear that it was born from a sense of style, rather than from letting your grandmother dress you. This is wear a good pair of wingtip shoes can be a great asset.

Mind the stripes

Patterned sweaters often have a horizontal stripe design. Often they are not plainly striped, but horizontal lines are strongly incorporated into the print. If you are of a round build, horizontal stripes are not your friend. Instead, go for an argyle (diamond) print for a stylish but interesting alternative to horizontal designs.

Never wear a holiday sweater

By all means experiment with different prints, but there is one print which should never grace your torso. Christmas jumpers are only ever appropriate to be worn as a joke, and even then, only during the holiday season.