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ReadWrite's Stephanie Chan is kinda freaked out by the number of gingham shirts in and around San Francisco. While she concedes that the Bay Area isn't exactly an early adopter of the patterned look, she says "gingham seems to have made a special impression amongst the tech-savvy, even to the point of seeming overplayed to some." We suspect the real reason for its popularity is entirely practical: Gingham may leave you looking like you just stepped off a farm, but it's incredibly forgiving. Stains disappear in those cross-hatched intersections. The naked eye can't discern whether a gingham shirt is wrinkled, or just gingham. For the truly busy (or lazy), gingham is an attempt at trying without trying too hard. Here are four more reasons why you shouldn't hate the picnic print.
1. At least it's not a startup tee.
Startup t-shirts may be good for business and morale, but they're bad for our eyes. So every time you shudder at yet another gingham shirt on the street, remember that it could be a Pied Piper shirt.
2. And it's not a black V-neck
If Edward Lando and Yagil Burowski are right, the future is filled with black v-neck wearing minimalists who either are or dream of being billionaires. Gingham may be the last color combo you see up top. Ever.
3. The dude wearing the gingham shirt isn't opposed to buttons
As we've already discussed this week, the burden of buttoning is driving men into onesies. We don't love the mansie look, but we also don't hate it as much as the rest of the Internet. If your soul died when you read about the Suitsy, you should be thrilled that there are still working men who are wiling to use buttons.
4. You can find Internet fame with the right gingham shirt.
Anthony Bourdain has one. So does Josh Groban. We're talking about the blue and white J Crew gingham shirt that has been immortalized with the Instagram account @thatjcrewginghamshirt. With over 10,000 followers, the shirt definitely has staying power.
If you're still a gingham detractor, you'll need to shield your eyes in 2015. At New York Fashion Week this year, Elle and Harper's Bazaar crowned the print as one of next spring's must-haves.
· Normcore Nerds Flock to Gingham Shirts [ReadWrite]
· BlackV Club Insists That Billionaires Hate Options [Racked]