Checkered Suits

Pattern with intent

A checked suit is the easiest way to look like you own more than one suit. It carries visual interest that a solid cloth cannot, and it photographs with depth rather than flatness. The only thing that matters is scale, because scale is what decides whether a check reads as considered or as costume.

Varrison checkered suits are cut in a tailored fit and arrive ready to wear, made from high quality fabric.

The checks, and what they are for

• Glen check: also called Prince of Wales. A woven check built from small and large squares, usually in muted tones. The most versatile check and the most business appropriate.
• Windowpane: widely spaced thin lines forming large open squares. Bold, confident, best for social and daytime events rather than conservative offices.
• Plaid: broader and more colorful. The least formal of the family and the strongest choice for autumn events and creative settings.

The scale rule

The smaller and lower contrast the check, the more formal the suit. A muted glen check in gray reads almost as a solid from across a room and works in most offices. A high contrast windowpane announces itself from the doorway. Neither is wrong, but they belong to different rooms.

Wearing it

One pattern at a time. With a checked suit, wear a solid shirt and either a solid tie or one with a pattern at an obviously different scale. Brown shoes work with almost every check and generally look better than black, which can be too severe against a patterned cloth.