You can't go wrong with a houndstooth dress shirt. They've become synonymous with men's formalwear. Like all dress shirts, houndstooth dress shirts offer a formal style. You can wear them with a pair of khakis or slacks, or you can wear them with a complete two- or three-piece suit. To take full advantage of their stylish properties, though, you'll need to choose the right houndstooth dress shirt.
What Are Houndstooth Dress Shirts?
Houndstooth dress shirts are formal button-up shirts that feature a houndstooth pattern. The term "houndstooth" specifically refers to a pattern. Also known as a dogstooth pattern, it's a uniform arrangement of broken checks in alternating colors.
Some houndstooth patterns feature black and white broken checks. Others feature blue and white or red and black broken checks. Regardless, all houndstooth patterns consist of abstract shapes or broken checks in alternating colors. They are known as "houndstooth patterns" because they resemble canine teeth. Each broken check looks like the tooth of a canine.
Houndstooth patterns are found on a variety of products, some of which include the following:
- Men's suits (jackets and trousers)
- Men's dress shirts
- Furniture upholstery
- Handbags
- Wallpaper
- Women's dresses
The Rise of Houndstooth Dress Shirt
Houndstooth patterns have been around for centuries. Some of the earliest known uses of houndstooth patterns can be traced back to the Bronze Age, during which they were used in Scottish tweed cloth.
In the 1930s, a retail fashion boutique known as De Pinna began selling houndstooth suits. Prior to this time, most people had never heard of houndstooth. But houndstooth suits soon became a popular choice among men looking to achieve a formal style.
It wasn't long before other designers and stores began selling houndstooth suits -- and they didn't stop at suits, either. They began making other garments with these same houndstooth patterns. You can now find houndstooth dress shirts, for instance.
Choose a Seasonally Appropriate Material
If you're going to buy a houndstooth dress shirt, you should consider the material from which it's made. All houndstooth dress shirts feature a houndstooth pattern. That's essentially what distinguishes them from other types of dress shirts. Nonetheless, you can find houndstooth dress shirts in different materials.
Some houndstooth dress shirts are made of linen. Derived from the flax plant, linen is a lightweight and breathable material. These properties make it an excellent choice for a summertime houndstooth dress shirt.
In addition to linen, tweed is commonly used in the production of houndstooth dress shirts. Tweed houndstooth dress shirts are typically made of cotton, but they feature a tweed weave type. For the cooler months of the year, you may want to choose a tweed houndstooth dress shirt. Tweed is thicker and heavier than linen, so it offers greater protection against the cold weather.
Make Sure The Colors Match
You can't choose a houndstooth dress shirt without considering the color combination. There's no such thing as a single or solid-colored houndstooth dress shirt. Houndstooth patterns all have multiple colors. Therefore, you'll need to choose a houndstooth dress shirt in a color combination that matches the clothes and accessories with which you intend to wear it.
Many men wear houndstooth dress shirts with a suit. It's a classic combination that offers a stunning appearance when done correctly. But if you're going to wear a suit, you'll need to choose a houndstooth dress shirt that matches it. More specifically, the colors of your houndstooth dress shirt should flow cohesively with those of your suit.
Some colors flow cohesively when worn together in the same outfit. Other colors clash with each other. For an attractive outfit, choose a houndstooth dress in a color combination that matches the clothes and accessories with which intend to wear it.
Look for a Formal Collar Style
Houndstooth dress shirts are designed to be formal. Therefore, they should feature a formal collar style. The collar, of course, is the uppermost part of a dress shirt. It accentuates the neckline while projecting a stylish, dressy appearance in the process.
There are different collar styles in which dress shirts are made. When shopping for a houndstooth dress shirt here at StudioSuits, you can choose from over a half-dozen formal collar styles, including normal spread soft, normal spread stiff, normal button down soft, normal button down stiff, white normal spread soft, white normal spread stiff and more.
Consider Collar Stays
In addition to choosing a formal collar style, you may want to opt for collar stays when shopping for a houndstooth dress shirt. What are collar stays exactly?
Collar stays are rigid or semi-rigid tab-like accessories that are designed to preserve the original shape of the collar. They come in pairs. You can insert one collar stay on the left side of the collar, and you can insert the other collar stay on the right side of the collar. Once inserted, the collar stays will prevent your dress shirt's collar from deforming. Collar stays are available for many types of dress shirts, including houndstooth dress shirts.
Go for Premium, High-Quality Buttons
Another tip to follow when shopping for a houndstooth dress shirt is to go for premium and high-quality buttons. Houndstooth dress shirts feature buttons on the front. You can fasten and unfasten these buttons when getting dressed. While buttons may sound like an insignificant element, they can affect the overall appearance of a houndstooth dress shirt.
Avoid choosing a houndstooth dress shirt with cheap, low-quality buttons. Low-quality buttons are a sign of poor craftsmanship. Premium and high-quality buttons, on the other hand, are a sign of excellent craftsmanship. You can achieve a more formal, stylish appearance by opting for high-quality buttons. At the same time, high-quality buttons are less likely to break or succumb to wear and tear than their low-quality counterparts.
In Conclusion
Houndstooth dress shirts offer a stylish alternative to traditional solid-colored dress shirts. While available in different color combinations and materials, they all feature a houndstooth pattern. Houndstooth patterns consist of broken checks that resemble canine teeth.
