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A Tartan Plaid Winchester and the DB Suit: If Patrick Bateman Went to Therapy

Once icons of power dressing, the Winchester shirt and DB suit are now nearly extinct. But in this look, they return — reimagined with plaid, character, and confidence. This isn’t nostalgia. It’s revival.

Arthur Zak

16 Jul 2025 — 3 min read

If Patrick Bateman went to therapy… and discovered tartan

There’s something oddly powerful about dressing like you’re up to something — but in a calm, collected, perfectly reasonable way. Think Patrick Bateman, minus the axe. Same attention to detail, same appreciation for refinement, but post-therapy, post-reckoning, now with a splash of soul. That’s what this outfit channels.

We’re talking a tartan plaid Winchester shirt — yes, Winchester, the nearly extinct species of business shirts. It’s the kind of piece that once roared in boardrooms and backroom deals but has since gone eerily quiet in the age of hoodies and startup “uniforms.” But here, it makes a defiant return. And not in pale blue. Not with classic French cuffs. But with Scottish attitude, full of pattern and life, worn without a tie. Rebellion meets nostalgia.

Double-breasted but not double-stiff. Relaxed structure, composed energy

Pair it with a double-breasted navy suit, and you’re entering rare air. Not just because the DB cut takes confidence to wear — but because few men today know what to do with that much presence. It commands without yelling. It leads without posturing.

This outfit is a conversation between precision and play. The tartan plaid shirt, rich in Scottish heritage, cuts through the clean lines with a rebellious undertone. The white collar lifts the look, keeping things sharp — almost clerical. But don’t let it fool you — this is not about being proper. It’s about being intentional.

The navy DB jacket brings the gravitas. It’s the anchor, the structure, the weight. But worn open, with ease, it softens. Suddenly, formality becomes fluid. The suit becomes something you live in — not something you just wear.

Then there’s the striped socks peeking out with mischief, the oxblood cap-toes grounding the look in tradition, and a touch of silver at the wrist reminding you that time, like style, is what you make of it.

This is dressing for those who remember when getting dressed meant something.
Not content. Not clout. Just character.