Color / Pattern / Texture
When you wear a suit, a shirt, and a neck or bow tie, you have almost limitless opportunities to mix and match colors, patterns, and textures. You can express your personality, your mood, and your taste. You can let whomever you meet know who you are without saying a word.
In this article, I will showcase a few of the many possible combinations. If you have any questions such as what shirt to wear with what tie, please let us know. We are here to help.
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Blue Blazer 1.
Nothing is more versatile than a blue blazer. It allows you to run the gamut from conservative to creative.
Here is an example of a traditional look. The jacket is paired it with a light blue shirt, and a blue tie with a tight pattern of muted colors.
It is sophisticated and elegant. It speaks of trust and confidence.
Blue Blazer 2.
A blue blazer is an opportunity to experiment with patterns.
When you mix and match patterns, make sure that the patterns are of different sizes. Here, for example, a thin striped shirt is matched with a wider striped pattern tie.
It is a dynamic, self assured, and creative look.
Pinstripe 1.
A pinstripe suit is also a versatile garment, and one which forces you to play with patterns.
Here is a combination of three patterns: wide stripes, thin stripes, and polka dots. If you add the pocket square, you get a 4th pattern.
Note the use of grey and brown. It is an elegant and sophisticated color combination.
Pinstripe 2.
Pinstripe suits can be formal, but they do not have to be.
Here, for example, the suit has been paired with a casual shirt and tie. The result is an elegant but less formal look.
It speaks of taste, confidence, and authority.
Pinstripe 3.
If you want a classic power look, try a pinstripe suit with a wide lapel. It evokes the elegance of the 1930s. It looked good then and it looks good today.
Here, the blue suit is paired with a brown tie. Blue and brown can be great combination.
Jacket with Pattern 1.
When your jacket has a pattern, getting the right tie can be difficult.
A good rule is that the color of the tie should match a color in the jacket. Here, for example, the dark brown/grey tie perfectly matches the color found in the jacket’s Prince of Wales pattern.
The red striped shirt adds color and boldness. It is a confident look. It speaks to a man who knows his business.
Jacket with Pattern 2.
This is a complicated color / pattern combination. Still, it is done to perfection. The colors in the tie, and pocket square, are the same as those in the jacket.
Also, note the play on texture: the wool jacket, the silk tie, the cotton shirt, all add a dimension of interest and sophistication.
This is a dandy look, no doubt about it.
Jacket with Pattern 2.
The pink in the bow tie is almost exactly the the same pink as in the jacket. The bow tie also has a blue band that matches the blue in the jacket.
When the jacket and bow tie work together, as they do here, they strengthen each other. They look better together than they do apart.
One word of caution: you don’t want to over match your outfit. You always want to show a bit of personality, which this look certainly does.
Stand out Tie 1.
Since there are so many suit / shirt / tie combination, the question is: Where do you start?
Well, if you have a spectacular tie, you might want to create your look around it.
This gentleman clearly wants to make the most of his extraordinary tie, and thus selects a light color suit and shirt so that his tie stands out.
It speaks of taste and boldness.
Stand out Tie 2.
This gentleman also has a fantastic tie. To ensure that it gets the attention it deserves, he does two things:
First, selects a dark suit to ensure that tie stands out. Second, selects a somewhat unusual knot. It looks like a Prince Albert.
Also note the play on texture between the wool suit and and silk tie.
Stand out Tie 3.
This is a statement tie: a bold pattern, exciting colors, and unusually wide tie.
Though the tie would have made just as much of a statement with a solid color suit, the fact that it is matched with a pinstripe suit makes it more dynamic.
It is an outfit that speaks of confidence, creativity, and boldness.
Carl Rutberg, Ph.D. is the creative director and founder of Lindman New York, a full service neckwear company focusing on the custom made. Dr. Rutberg has extensive fabric, design, and tailoring experience. In fact, Lindman New York is one of the very few companies in the United States that are able to custom make ties, bow ties, scarves, and logo tie. For the past 20 years, Dr. Rutberg has been a adjunct professor at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in NYC. There he teaches a course American history and fashion, and he often incorporates neckwear in his lectures.