10 Tips on How to Style Graphic Prints with Any Outfit

Menswear has begun to embrace more adventurous colours and patterns in clothing, with graphic prints a particular favourite. All of the zigs, zags, swirls, and jolts of colour can make introducing prints into your wardrobe a daunting task. 

If you're still stumped on incorporating more graphic prints into your look, here's how you can do it with ties, shirts, and track jackets.

1. The Athletic Look

Keep things simple with an athletic look. Throw on a plain, solid-coloured track jacket or shirt. You can also switch it up with an all-white look. If you'd like to add a little print to your outfit, opt for a tie that's in the same colour family as the track jacket or shirt.

2. The Sleek, Simple Look

For more formal events, consider a simple tie that has thin, thin stripes or a thin, simple geometric print. Choose a tie that doesn't have too many different shades, such as a black and white vertical stripe. If all of the details in the tie are single-coloured, it's more likely to work with a simple shirt.

3. The Contrast Look

For an eye-catching look, try a tie that contrasts with the clothes. For example, keep the clothes muted in a light blue and use a tie with a neutral pattern. If you want to stand out even more, pick one of the brighter colours on the tie.

4. The Patterned Shirt Look

This look works best with a shirt that has a pattern or texture. Pair it with a simple tie in the same colour family for the most formal look. For the most casual look, you can go with a tie that has a similar pattern. You might also want to wear a tie that has a different texture.

5. The Bold Look

For this look, you'll want to match your tie with the pattern of the shirt. The shirt should be bold enough that the details on the tie can't be seen but subtle enough that the tie doesn't overwhelm the shirt.

6. The Corporate Look

A well-traditional look, this one doesn't require much work. Choose a solid tie in the colour of your shirt. If you're going with a patterned shirt, choose a bright enough tie to be seen but not so loud it takes away from your outfit.

7. The Suave Look

Consider a single-colour tie that has a small print. Use a tie that has one print if the shirt has one print and get a tie that has a different pattern if the shirt has a different pattern.

8. The Vacation Look

While you can wear suits and ties on vacation, you can also consider a more laid-back look that's still sharp. Go for a bold shirt with a bold tie for a vacation look.

9. The Minimalist Look

For a look that's bold but simple, consider wearing a tie with large stripes. You can also make the look bolder by choosing a tie with a solid colour and a bright pattern.

10. The Work Look

If you need to look formal but still want to be stylish, opt for a tie with a pattern on a solid background. Be sure to choose a tie that complements the rest of your outfit.

Adding prints into your wardrobe is one of the easiest and most enjoyable things you can do to add a bit of panache to your look. Use these tips on styling graphic prints to help you decide which outfits to try next.

Nkiti African Clothing is a UK based clothing designer that specialises in designing casual African wear. Our vision is to create modern, high-quality clothing that pays homage to our rich African ancestry. Whether you're black or not, we invite everyone to wear the African clothing designs we’ve created. Our African clothing store is an appreciation of our African heritage, a new take on African fashion and an access point for non-Africans who also want to celebrate African culture. If you’re looking for African apparel in the UK, we’ve got you covered! Browse our collection now!