Menswear's love affair with patterns continued this season as we explored fair isle, tartan and dogtooth check, which suited all the tweeds and brogues that needed an injection of colour and personality.
The Argyle pattern, usually seen on knitwear or socks, is made up of coloured diamond or lozenge shapes. It hasn't really been full explored yet and looks great with traditional English brown shoes and tweed trousers. It adds the whole Duke of Windsor/Bertie Wooster on the golf course vibe but in a vintage or historical way.
Quick History Lesson - Argyll, sometimes referred to as Argyllshire, is located in western Scotland. In the 13th century, Mr. Gillespie Campbell acquired a parcel of land there. The King of Scotland looked favourably upon the Campbells and bequeathed them, in addition to various estates, his daughter of marriageable age. The argyle pattern is derived from the Campbell tartan and from the patterned
socks worn by Scottish Highlanders since at least the 17th century. The argyle check is simply the tartan rotated 45 degrees.
Argyle knitwear became fashionable in England and then the USA after the first world war. Pringle of Scotland popularised the design, helped by its identification with the Duke of Windsor.
ChicGeek's How to wear it - Avoid the majority of the knitwear, still a little bit eighties Nick Faldo golfer so stick to the socks or accessories. Don't be afraid of the stronger colours and also mixing it up with other patterns; a fair isle tank top for example, as long as the palette or colours are of the same strength.
Burlington Socks - £10