Black Watch

I really only feel comfortable wearing tartan plaid 6 weeks out of the year. It's a distinctly 'Holiday' print in my eyes just like most Fair Isle patterns. "Black Watch" is a specific color combination of tartan (blue/green) made common by a military regiment in Scotland. We Americans use it in blazers, outerwear, shirts, ties, bags.... all over. Because it's typically made in a thick wool material, it usually only comes up in the middle of Winter and often paired with something red to really kick the holidays where it counts. 

It's a loud enough print on it's own though so I stuck to my usual palette of greys to polish it up. Very English, I suppose. 

I have gotten in the habit of buttoning my shirts all the way up without a tie. The "Air Tie" was a way for hipsters and schoolboys to rebel against the man, but now guys everywhere are ditching their ties for a cleaner approach. "Too buttoned-up" is a thing of the past. Paired with a tux or denim, a cleanly buttoned collar is dressier than an open one and instantly polishes off a look. 

First requirement for pulling off the trend: a crisp, tailored shirt.

You want to avoid excess fabric. A shirt that fits properly should hug the body without too much extra fabric around with middle and you should be able to get two fingers between the collar and your neck. You also want to look for a crisp pointed collar. Nothing flimsy. You don't need to be David Lynch to don the air tie, you just need to have your haberdashery game in check. 

This navy cotton shirt from Trend Clothing meets all of those requirements and it has contrasting buttons you definitely don't want to cover up. So go ahead-- get your black watch and air tie on! Tis' the season, after all. 

Trend Clothing shirt / Ben Sherman blazer (old, similar here and here) / Gap trousers / Bedstu boots / Club Monaco scarf and gloves