The printed shirt occupies similar territory to the graphic tee in that the pattern is doing the visual work and everything else needs to step back and let it. The difference is that a printed shirt sits slightly further up the formality register than a tee which means it can work in situations where a graphic tee wouldn’t quite cut it. A clean abstract print or a botanical pattern on a relaxed fit shirt with simple chinos and loafers works for smart casual occasions in a way that feels genuinely contemporary. The main thing to avoid with printed shirts is wearing them with anything else that’s competing for attention. Neutral bottoms and simple footwear are essentially mandatory. The shirt is the event. Everything else is just context for it to exist in.