Prints charming: Revamped classics for the modern menswear wardrobe

How do you wear them without looking too try-hard?

A printed shirt like this Gucci spring line piece is a definite head turner

If you’re prone to romantic flights of fancy since the days have started getting longer, this may well be the right time to add a little visual flare to what you usually wear.

And because this season the influential labels Prada and Gucci have embraced all things print and pattern, the question is are you able to successfully decipher the sartorial language of these authoritative designers without looking too try-hard?

Hopefully the answer should be yes, especially if you begin with that perennial favourite the nautical stripe.

Affordable classic versions are two a penny on the high street and although there's certainly nothing wrong with bulk buying when it comes to this ubiquitous staple, you might like to splurge on a top that's a little bit more unconventional. Loewe’s patchwork stripe knit is a case in point.

Experimenting with pattern can also have its practical side; this season the patterned waterproof reigns supreme and because we live on an island that gets far more rain than shine, you'll certainly get your wear out of any new cagoule you buy.

If you'd like to up the ante even further then a printed shirt is a definite head turner. But with hot house blooms calling the shots this isn't as easy and breezy as it might look.

If needs be tread cautiously with a checked shirt, side-stepping florals altogether. However, to carry off any of the above with a soupçon of success remember that clash of the titans this is not; always dial things down by wearing only one print at a time.