Chalk lines, pinstripes, windowpanes...there are a number of options in suit fabric patterns. When it comes to dress shirts, the options are even more varied. While white shirts give the ultimate ability to coordinate with ties and suits, colored shirts let you brighten your look. In between the two exists an array of pencil-striped shirts-offering interest and color while maintaining the clean, tasteful look required in business clothing. Pencil-thin stripes can give a shirt weight and variety without being visually distracting.

The pencil stripe isn't a seasonal phenomenon like summer linens or winter wools. They're suitable for year-around wear, and go beautifully with crisp jeans and a blazer, or your suit.

Whether you opt for a single stripe color, such as the traditional blue stripe on white, or prefer a more modern repeating pattern of two or more colors, the options available add color and life to your wardrobe.

With many designers cutting their shirts more slim now, the thin vertical lines in a pencil-striped shirt enhance the subtle look of height offered by the trim cut. Adding the visual texture and variety of pencil-striped shirts to your wardrobe can help create a sense of elegant presence.