tankerjohn
A little poofier than I prefer
Interesting. I tend to think the opposite way. A busy shirt will more likely clash with a jacket, but on its own is more visually interesting than plain white or blue. Maybe depends on the jacket. I like patterned sportcoats, but a navy blazer looks better with more types of shirts.For me, a big consideration is if you will be wearing a jacket with the shirt or not. That allows you to have more adventurous colours which are then toned down by the jacket.
I will admit that as I have aged I have become more austere in my taste of clothing.
I also tend to prefer lighter colored shirts with jackets for more contrast. Helps accentuate the "V-shape". But no jacket favors a darker shirt and less contrast between top and bottom to avoid highlighting my not-so-svelte beltline.