Are You Wearing The Right Suit & Tie?
“Nothing looks weirder than a man who is wearing the same pattern on every layer.”
Though they say it’s the suit that makes the man, what often goes unmentioned is that the knot around a man’s neck — his tie — can be his undoing. Like sporting a full-face sunburn, an ill-advised suit-tie combination tells you so much about how a man takes care of himself, his priorities and what he aspires to be.
Finding a combination that projects the personality and lifestyle you want is essential in your quest for self-improvement. The good thing is that once you master some basic steps in the selection process, it becomes easy to play with colors, fabrics and patterns, and to tweak your threads for any occasion.
In this article, we’ll review classic suit-and-tie (and shirt) commandments and then give you some of-the-moment examples for how these rules can be applied in real life.
Basic Rules For Matching Suits & Ties
1. If you don’t know what shirt to wear, choose a white one. White shirts go with pretty much any tie.
2. No matter how amazing the match between a suit and tie, an uncoordinated shirt will throw the entire outfit from a “do” to a “don’t.” Knowing this, keep the following rules of coordination in mind:
-Light tan shirts match with brown ties.
-Light pink shirts match with burgundy or navy blue ties
-Light blue shirts complement red, navy, yellow or burgundy ties
-When dealing with striped shirts, determine what its base color is and coordinate with colors as above. Just make sure the stripes on the shirt do match the stripes or pattern on the tie.
3. A suit with a solid base of dark colors is the safest way to emphasize solid, bold-colored ties.
4. Pattern sizes (stripes, etc.) across your suit, shirt and tie need to vary — nothing looks weirder than a man who is wearing the same pattern on every layer.
The Perfect Suit & Tie Combinations For Modern Men
There are many instances in life when a suit and tie is either required, desired or advised. Unfortunately if you’re matching the same suit and tie for the resort as you are for the red carpet, you are going to need some help. Here are the perfect suit and tie combinations every man needs, starting in order of importance.
The Classic Power Combination
Whether it’s for a life-changing meeting, job interview or a business trip, the classic power combination of a dark, solid or slightly pinstriped suit with a bold-colored tie is a cornerstone of every man’s wardrobe. Though teaming a dark suit with a classic white shirt allows you to choose almost any tie pairing short of one with bright yellow polka dots, a traditionally yet impeccably cut deep-red tie has been a go-to “power” look since John Kennedy wore the pairing in his first presidential debate.
