When it comes to adding stripes to your wardrobe, where do you draw the line? Vertical? Horizontal? Both? How many colours are too many? And that’s before we’ve even started on width. Whether on shirts, tees, jackets or ties, stripes are a smart move this season – when colour and pattern can really carry an outfit – but perilously easy to get wrong. Here’s a guide to learning your lines.

Classic menswear etiquette stipulates that you should never mix your stripes, much less combine the vertical and the horizontal kind in the same outfit. However, when it comes to style, rules are only as good as the outfit that breaks them. Choosing stripes of alternating width – pinstripes on the shirts, wide ones on the tie – or even orientation, as is the case with this COMME DES GARÇONS HOMME jacket and T-shirt, can still look intentional without crossing lines. A shared colour palette may be the easiest choice, if the stripes come from two different layers. Scale, on the other hand, is about opposites. Try a fine pinstripe with a bolder, wider stripe to create enough contrast to register as deliberate – two stripes of similar width might just cancel each other out.

Unlike a single bold colour, which commands attention, three colours working in rotation feel a little lighter, which is why a striped tee or crew-neck sweater can do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to visual interest, but still remain an inoffensive layer. Our suggestion is to pick something that has two complementary shades – adjacent earthy tones of browns and greens, beiges or greys, or two neutrals paired together – and that’s punctuated with a bright yellow, pink, red or even white. The same logic would apply to four-colour designs. Brands such as WTAPS, Beams Plus, KAPITAL and Polo Ralph Lauren have that down to a tee.

Polo and rugby shirts. Two of the most adaptable items in a man’s wardrobe. Practical enough to take you from a game of, well, polo, to an off-duty day out and even dinner (in its knitted form by Officine Générale, with loafers). Also, ubiquitous enough to have acquired the status of “essentials”. How to stand out? Ramp up the colour with JW Anderson, Drake’s, CELINE and more, or look to Paul Smith and Oliver Spencer for smarter options.

When it comes to stripes, the tie remains the most traditional territory, so its rules are worth knowing even if you plan to bend them. Regimental stripes, running diagonally and often affiliated to specific contexts, are everywhere. Ant they’re best worn with a degree of wit if you don’t usually wear one. Repp stripes – bold, single-direction bands – feel right at home with a preppy look. Meanwhile, shepherd’s or bar stripes, which are usually finer and closer together, are as understated as a striped tie gets, which makes them easy to style if the rest of the outfit already has some character. CELINE, SAINT LAURENT, visvim and Dunhill all offer excellent options.