One of my favorite, and one of the most underrated, layering pieces for fall is a striped rugby shirt. During this sometimes-cool-sometimes-warm time of season, it’s often all you need on top.

Grab a rugby with a simple stripe in neutral colors, or colors that work easily with other tones (think primaries). When shopping for a rugby – or sweater or jacket for that matter – many people make the mistake of “buying one size up so I can fit a layer underneath”. This is unnecessary. If a layer is too thick to be worn underneath a well fitting garment – a chunky knit for example – it should probably be worn as the outer layer.

The rugby is a great alternative to the everyman’s v-neck and crewneck. Throw it over a t-shirt, over another collared shirt, under a jacket, or a combination of these.

Striped rugdy shirt by Michael Bastian (size 50). Navy washed “reverse seam” shirt by Steven Alan (size M). Brown donegal tweed trousers by Michael Andrews Bespoke (custom made, my own design). Canvas briefcase by Filson. Suede chukka boots by John Varvatos. Tortoise aviator shades by Ralph Lauren Purple Label. Navy cashmere blend socks by  Marcoliani.

Remember that if your top has a bold pattern/color, anchor it with subtle pieces like a solid shirt and subtly textured pants. The shirt already makes the statement, frame it rather than adding to it.

Bonus tips: unless you are purposely doing some kind of “pop” at the ankle (again, this is not recommended with a bold shirt - one statement piece is all you need!) your socks should be one or two shades darker than your pants. When in doubt, go with navy socks.

The color of the season is green. From forest to olive, it is very chic (and again, underrated, as I mentioned in this post).

I pulled out the subtle green stripe in this rugby by pairing it with dark green jeans. Similarly, the blue suede boots accentuate the blue stripe, and the grey mini check shirt plays off the grey stripe. By keeping it cohesive, you can wear a number of different colors while keeping your look non-distracting.

Rugby shirt courtersy of Canterbury of New Zealand (size M). Shirt by Steven Alan (size M). Jeans by Dior Homme (size 52). Chukka boots by Church’s. Canvas tote bag by Filson. Watch by Montblanc. Shades (in shirt) by Persol (649).

For those with good memories, the rugby from the first look above is the same one I wore during my 15 seconds of fame on The Today Show:

This photo was not taken by Jenilee (who is also featured above in this post  - she has great style that is almost always menswear inspired – post on her coming soon!)

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Yours in style,

SB