Zayn Malik Just Made The Gingham Shirt Cool, Not Preppy

The gingham shirt might be a menswear staple most guys own, but few have thought to wear it as Zayn Malik just did. Instead of being a preppy partner to chinos or the tasteful pop of pattern under a neutral suit, Malik wore his gingham shirt rumpled and untucked with a pair of paint-splatter jeans and a black baseball cap while in NYC this weekend. The effect was way grungier and edgier than most gingham shirt looks, and not at all out of step with what’s happening in menswear right now. For the record, it’s not that we don’t appreciate the traditional approach to wearing this universally stylish shirt. Malik looked great at the 2012 Brit Awards when he wore a gingham shirt under a light linen suit, for example. Even five years (and a total reinvention on Malik’s part) later, the look still pretty much holds up. See more at GQ.