Master the art of pattern on pattern with our guide to pairing contrasting designs without looking like a clown.

In the typical male wardrobe, there tends to be a lot of stripes and checks. Individually, they’re a great way of adding subtle texture to an outfit and breaking up flat colours – we don’t all want to teeter around like personality-less androids, after all. Mixing them together, though, can be more of a difficult proposition. Difficult, but not, however, impossible. Scroll down and allow MR PORTER to walk you through the key concerns when attempting to unite these two warring halves of your casual sartorial arsenal.

There is one very simple rule to mixing any two different kinds of pattern: make sure to mix textures of different scale. What we mean by this is clearly demonstrated by the two items above – the Lanvin coat, in a distressed grey-brown fabric, features a tartan pattern in which the smallest squares are just one or two centimetres across. The sweater underneath, meanwhile, features thick stripes of black that, at their widest, span several inches. The contrast between the two allows each to be clearly visible without overwhelming the other. They’re also aesthetically in the same grungy ballpark. In short, it’s a match.

When you’re fielding multiple patterns, you want to keep the rest as simple as possible. Which isn’t to say that it can’t be stylish. For sleek, minimal tailoring in the timeless shades of black, grey and navy, we know of few brands more consistently wonderful than the much name-dropped Italian house of Prada – the greatest proof of this fact being the above wool trousers. Wear them with a pair of chunky soled Derbies from Belgian designer Dries Van Noten to complete the slightly grungy feel of this outfit.

Accessories don’t necessarily hinder or help your stripes and checks, but if you are fielding both, as with the trousers, it’s probably best to stay on the minimal side. As far as backpacks go, this means opting for something like this sleek number from Saint Laurent, which with its subtle branding and all-black trimmings, is what we would definitively term a “stealth bag”. Wear it with an equally understated black bracelet from US accessories brand Miansai.