Daily Outfit: Volatile Patchwork

Patchwork is volatile. It is one of those design elements that needs to be treated with respect and handled carefully, much like explosives. The volatile nature of patchwork stems from the fact that it can look incredibly scruffy, or worse still incredibly crafty, if it is not done properly. It takes a daring dresser or someone with advanced style to pull this compound fabric off, and in all honesty I am neither of these things. That is why I take volatile in small doses, like I have today with this vintage Gap necktie.

My volatile Daily Outfit consisted of:

Gunmetal blue leather jacket – Zara
Blue and white striped button-down shirt – Polo Ralph Lauren
Blue and white cotton patchwork necktie – vintage GAP
Gold-tone tie bar – gift
Brown leather belt – Sportscraft
Indigo wash Riley loose tapered jeans – G-Star
Brown leather pointed shoes with buckle – Raphael Steffens

I bought the necktie on a whim because the etsy seller had two other neckties and a shirt that I wanted. Finding anything to wear it with was problematic at first. I thought because of the multiple patterns within the tie itself, that it ought to be paired with a plain shirt. This was a mistake, as that just serves to highlight the volatile nature of the necktie. Pairing it with another clashing pattern actually diminishes the eye-sore of the patchwork, and I think really tones it all down to an appropriate level.

What do you think?