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LAKEVILLE, CONN. — The tattersall is country. The tattersall is sporty. And the tattersall looks good with a tie and a tweed jacket. So what the hell do we do with it? I find I have a total of seven - no, nine - whoops, ten...a bunch of shirts that fit the general idea of a tattersall.
What does tattersall mean, anyway? The dictionary says it's "a pattern of colored lines forming squares of solid background."
Wikipedia has it this way: "A check pattern...composed of regularly spaced thin alternating even vertical warp stripes, repeated horizontally in the weft. The stripes are generally darker than the ground. " And Will of the "A Suitable Wardrobe" blog proclaims "A tattersall is a regularly spaced plaid, usually a half- inch rectangle that's a little taller than it is wide, combining two dark colored lines on a light ground. The pattern was named after Tattersall's, a London horse market founded in 1766 where blankets with the design were in common use.
" Like what's his name on pornography, I might not be able to define it precisely, but I know it when I see it.
Two of mine are Brooks Brothers' version of Viyella fabric — an 80/20 cotton/wool blend, with checks on a cream/yellow background and a straight collar. One is from Orvis - also a cotton/wool blend by the feel of it, although the fabric tag has disappeared. More yellowy, with dark, almost black checks and a short straight collar that does not provide for stays. Another hails from a thrift shop and is similar to the Orvis, albeit with a bigger collar and built-in stays. (It also has a hole in the sleeve, and I can't button the top button anyway, so it's a fishing shirt.)
I have a beauty from Mercer and Sons — what they call a James Bond tattersall. Buttondown collar, and at $145 a pop a shirt I refuse to smoke cigars in, lest the inevitable eruption of ash contain a still-glowing ember.
I also own several pinpoint or broadcloth versions, with checks of varying sizes, from J. Press and Lands End (with buttondown collars) and Paul Frederick.
These last were a pleasant surprise. The price was so low it was irresistible, and they have features a purist tries to avoid — averaged sleeve sizes and a non-iron fabric, yet with their straight collars and general air of neatness they are two of my favorites for use with tie and jacket. Which gets me to the nub of the problem of how to incorporate these shirts into the rotation. The Orvis and no-name shirts are casual, without a doubt, suitable for fishing, hiking, or an extremely low-key function, such as a barn-raising.
The Brooks Bros. offerings and the two from Paul Frederick, with their straight collars, require ties and jackets, to my mind. I am not a fan of the free-flowing collar, especially with a sweater. (Seventies disco reject or English chartered accountant on holiday? You decide.) The offerings from J. Press and Lands End can go either way — such is the versatility of both the pattern and the collar. The temptation for me is to go with a solid and/or knit tie to anchor the presentation; Brownshoe shows below you need not fear the striped tie in this situation.
And the Mercer? I have worn it with a tie, but the fabric is really just too heavy. Here are a few examples of tattersall deployment:
 Brownshoe demonstrates the elegant side of the tattersall. Do not fear the Striped Tie!
 Redmanca has discovered that checks and herringbones make a pleasing combination.
 
I give you the sportier side of the tattersall on a chilly autumn day in the Catskills last year, a look at a tattersall vest, and the combo with herringbone again, this time with a larger check.
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