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Wearing graphic prints is a balancing act that constantly teeters between hit or miss. Wear them well and you’ll be turning heads on the streets for all the right reasons. Take them overboard and you’ll run the risk of looking like the victim of a textile factory explosion. Some prefer to refrain from prints entirely and stick to safe basics, but at HBX we like to live life on the edge. Why limit yourself to vanilla outfits when your palette could be all the richer?
When it comes to walking the line between eye-catching and gaudy, we’re the experts. The key to wearing digital prints elegantly is sticking to a restrained color palette, that is, high-contrast black and white. Obviously many designers felt the same way — desaturated graphics were found all over menswear collections this season, from Christopher Kane to Joseph. We’ve rounded up a selection of monochromatic graphic pieces from Marcelo Burlon, McQ and more to stir up a storm in your wardrobe.
Abstract natural textures have become regulation on runways lately, with geology-inspired prints making their way onto sweaters, tees and jackets alike. So why not give your outfit a dose of au naturel with Marcelo Burlon’s smoke print hoodie, which scores you extra points in the mystique department as well. If you favor prints of the more structured, architectural variety, McQ’s collection this season hits on all the right notes with its stylized, geometric branding on sweaters and headgear. Our favorites include this logo print sweater with a contrasting white band at the chest, and a black cap with the McQ logo rendered in linear form.
While you might not usually associate animal prints with high-end streetwear, Marcelo Burlon makes them cool again with his psychedelic tiger print tee from this season’s offerings. For another statement piece on the wild side, go for the KTZ bomber jacket emblazoned with a bold newspaper print. Crafted in an exaggerated fit with trappings worthy of a wartime pilot, this jacket is bound to cut a sharp silhouette on the streets.
We typically think of prints as repetitive and impersonal, but emerging designers Warren Lotas and Val Kristopher are looking to change that perception. Both have made waves with their personalized reworkings of wardrobe staples – the former rendering highly stylized portraits on the backs of sweatshirts, denim and flannels, and the latter crafting hand printed and distressed jeans. Warren Lotas’ black portrait sweater and Val Kristopher’s printed jeans make an unconventional but highly striking combination.
Discover more graphic pieces now on HBX.
