The Men's Shirt Print Glossary
The PrintGlossary
A definitive guide to the print traditions behind the bold shirt — what each pattern means, where it comes from, and how to wear it well.
A printed shirt is never just a pattern. Every motif carries a history — some centuries old, some born on a race track or a beach — and knowing that history is the difference between wearing a loud shirt and wearing a considered one. For over twenty years, Claudio Lugli has designed its prints in-house in London, reimagining these traditions in limited editions that are produced once and never repeated. This is the reference: twelve print families, what each one is, and the rule for wearing it without looking overdressed.
One principle runs through all of them. A bold print works when it is the single loud element in an outfit. Keep everything else quiet — plain trousers, restrained colour, clean shoes — and let the shirt lead. Do that, and any print below reads as confidence rather than costume.
Paisley
The teardrop motif we call paisley began as the boteh, a Persian and Indian symbol of life and eternity, and reached Britain through the Scottish weaving town of Paisley in the 1800s. It is one of menswear's most enduring patterns precisely because it is so intricate — a paisley rewards a second look.
The Claudio Lugli take: ornate paisley and baroque interpretations on premium satin-weave cotton, whose subtle sheen gives the print depth and a richer finish.
Keep trousers plain in navy, stone or dark denim and let the print lead. A darker baroque paisley under a neutral blazer is elegant after sundown.
Baroque & Ornamental
Baroque print borrows the language of 17th-century European art and architecture — scrollwork, gilt filigree, ornamental symmetry — the visual grammar of palaces and cathedrals. On a shirt it signals unapologetic opulence.
The Claudio Lugli take: artisan-detailed baroque and embroidered “Legacy” pieces with gilt-toned artwork designed in-house to hold richness without tipping into pastiche.
Let the ornament be the event. Pair with plain black or deep navy, keep accessories minimal, and save the most gilded designs for evening.
Floral
The floral shirt has shed its novelty reputation to become a warm-weather smart-casual staple. The modern move is away from the loud, oversized Hawaiian toward a smaller-scale print on a structured, fitted cut. Dark-ground florals are the easiest to wear — the deep base does the grown-up work for you.
The Claudio Lugli take: from forget-me-not gardens to painterly midnight blooms, our florals span fitted satin cotton and relaxed summer weights, all London-designed.
Pair with plain trousers or chinos and let the shirt be the one loud thing. Save the brightest for holidays and parties.
Hawaiian & Tropical
The Hawaiian — or aloha — shirt was born in 1930s Honolulu and became the definitive holiday garment of the twentieth century. Its open camp collar and relaxed cut are made for heat. The trick now is to trade the tired tourist print for original artwork with a genuine point of view.
The Claudio Lugli take: exclusive tropical prints — palms, lagoons, cruise ships and midnight florals — on breathable, relaxed-fit cloth. Holiday dressing that still looks designed.
Open over a plain white tee with tailored shorts and loafers for resort, or buttoned with linen trousers for evening. Our Hawaiian styles are cut relaxed and true to size.
Check, Houndstooth & Dogtooth
Check is menswear's heritage pattern — from tattersall and gingham to the broken checks of houndstooth and its smaller cousin, dogtooth. Rooted in British and Scottish tailoring, these patterns read as smart and grounded, which makes them the most office-friendly of the bold prints.
The Claudio Lugli take: classic and reinvented checks in premium cotton — from tidy puppytooth to statement multicolour takes — cut in a tailored fit so the pattern reads sharp.
Houndstooth carries an outfit alone — keep trousers plain. A classic dogtooth reads smart under a blazer; a bolder multicolour check works open over a tee.
Animal & Wildlife
Wildlife prints turn a shirt into a talking point. From fighting fish and prowling lions to partridges and battling dragons, the animal print is where a shirt becomes storytelling — a favourite of the man who wants his clothes to open conversations rather than close them.
The Claudio Lugli take: richly detailed wildlife artwork, often on dark grounds that let a single striking creature dominate, all designed in-house.
The busier the creature, the plainer everything else should be. A dark-ground animal print under a neutral jacket is a reliable evening move.
Equestrian
The equestrian print — dressage horses, polo players, the iconography of the racecourse and the shoot — is the natural language of race-day and country dressing. It carries a built-in occasion: Goodwood, Ascot, the county show, the polo lawn.
The Claudio Lugli take: galloping dressage figures, game-bird and polo motifs, often with a contrast insert detail, cut for the smart-but-characterful register race days call for.
Perfect for Goodwood: pair with chinos or tailored trousers, loafers or clean boots, and keep it to one statement piece.
Motorsport
Motorsport print channels the glamour of the world's great circuits — Monaco harbour, vintage Grand Prix machines, headlights and chequered flags. It is the enthusiast's print, worn to race weekend or any night that deserves a little speed.
The Claudio Lugli take: Grand Prix scenes, vintage race cars, Vespa and headlight motifs — heritage you can wear — with many designs available as matching shirt-and-boxer sets.
Lean into the reference at the races; otherwise treat it as any bold print — plain trousers, clean shoes, let the shirt lead.
Music
The music print — guitars, vinyl discs, cassettes, a medley of instruments — is a love letter to a lifetime of records. It's cultural shorthand: worn to a gig, a festival, or any night with a soundtrack.
The Claudio Lugli take: vintage cassettes and discs, neon musical medleys and guitar motifs, ranging from subtle tonal designs to full neon statements.
Festival and night-out territory. A neon music print is the whole outfit — everything else black or denim.
Skull
The skull has been fashion's symbol of rebellion since the rock-and-roll era — a memento-mori motif that reads as edge rather than menace when it's well drawn. It's the print for the man who wants a harder edge to his statement.
The Claudio Lugli take: from embroidered skull detailing to all-over skull-badge prints, designed with enough craft that the motif reads considered, not costume.
Keep it monochrome — a black-ground skull print with dark denim or black trousers is the sharpest way to wear it.
Art & Abstract
The abstract print is the purest expression of the “wearable art” idea — smoke, paint-splash, pop-art and painterly designs that owe nothing to tradition and everything to the studio. It's for the man who treats a shirt as a canvas.
The Claudio Lugli take: smoke and paint-splash artwork, pop-art motifs and painterly prints — some of our most gallery-like designs, produced as true limited editions.
Because these prints are unpredictable, anchor them with the plainest possible tailoring and let the artwork speak.
British Heritage
The British heritage print wears its origin on its sleeve — Union Jacks, countryside scenes, homegrown iconography. For a London design house it's the most on-brand register of all: a little patriotic, a little tongue-in-cheek, unmistakably ours.
The Claudio Lugli take: Union Jack and countryside-farm prints designed in London, celebrating the brand's home with the same fearless eye for colour.
Best worn with confidence and a wink — plain trousers, clean shoes, and no competing patterns.
A print isn't decoration — it's the reason someone remembers you across a room. Our job is to give that memory a story worth telling, and never to repeat it.Hoss Salimian — Founder, Claudio Lugli
Questions, answered
For a wedding as a guest, a smaller-scale floral or an elegant paisley on a dark ground reads celebratory without upstaging. For a race day like Goodwood, an equestrian or a refined floral is perfect — pair either with plain tailored trousers and keep it to one statement piece.
Follow one rule: the shirt is the only loud element. Keep trousers plain (navy, stone, black or dark denim), restrain your colours, wear clean shoes, and avoid any competing pattern. A bold print worn against a quiet outfit reads as confidence, not costume.
Floral and paisley are the most versatile — both span smart-casual and occasion dressing. Dark-ground versions are the easiest to wear, because the deep base does the grown-up work and lets you pair the shirt with almost anything plain.
Primarily premium satin-weave (Egyptian) cotton, whose subtle sheen gives prints depth and a richer finish; plus TENCEL and linen for summer weights, and cotton poplin. The fabric is listed on every product page.
Yes. Every print is designed in London and produced in a limited run — once a design sells through, it is retired and never reprinted. The brand's motto: “We never repeat. We reimagine.”
Find your print
Every design is made once. Rated “Excellent” on Trustpilot, 4.8/5 from 1,200+ reviews. Designed in London, in 9 sizes S–6XL.
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