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HOME // MEN'S FASHION GUIDES // A GUIDE TO MENS SHIRT & TIE COMBINATIONS
A Guide To Mens Shirt & Tie Combinations
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Article By Will Colman on 4th April 2014
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IMAGE: HOUSE OF FRASER CORSIVO SS14
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Some men have terrible taste in shirts and ties a quick glance around your work place will
confirm it.
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For those unfortunate enough to be confined to suits for the majority of their working week,
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fashion has to take a back seat. Corporate suits can often be mind-numbingly dull and the sea
of miserable faces trudging to work every morning is, to my mind, a mix of both work-based
hatred and the realisation that they really dont know how to match up their shirts and ties.
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Getting creative with your shirt and tie combinations is one of the best ways to showcase your
love of fashion and style within a formal environment, but theyre extremely easy to get wrong.
After all, colours and patterns can be confusing individually, but when you start mixing them
together, all hell can break loose.
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Body Shape
With this in mind, today we bring you our basic guide to mens shirt and tie pairings
Colour Wheel Basics
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The concept of colour matching continues to stump even the most stylish of men. But the
problem you have with combining shirts and ties is that, unless you want your work wardrobe
to be very, very dull, you will at some point have to tackle the issue of colour getting to grips
Top 5 Mens
Combinations
with it once and for all.

The best place to start is with the colour wheel:
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The colour wheel above offers you a visual representation of every shade and, more
importantly, the similar, complementary and contrasting colours of each. Its all very simple
really: the sections on either side of the colour in question are similar, directly opposite is
complementary and contrasting hues are separated by three sections of the wheel.
For example, red is opposite green, making it a complementary colour; purple and orange are
either side of red, making them similar colours; and both yellow and blue are three sections
FASHION & STYLE ROUND-UPS
away from red, making them contrasting. Yet, even armed with this knowledge, combining
colours is easier said than done.
When it comes to shirts and ties, its often easier to pair contrasting colours than it is
complementary. For example, a mid-blue shirt, burgundy (red is a contrasting hue) tie and navy
suit combination is one that every man can pull off.
Complementary colours are harder to match because wearing them full strength is sometimes
too much for the human eye to bear. The key here is to vary the shades, such as a light blue
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The small missteps that can undermine any
outfit
shirt with a burnt orange tie. Of course, this will already be second-nature to you because your
tie should always be a darker shade than your shirt, without exception.
Of course, the easiest and safest option is to just combine a bold coloured/patterned tie with a
crisp white shirt but wheres the fun in that? Experiment with colour mixing and you will
quickly learn what works and what doesnt, eventually creating some go-to combinations you
can reach for on a daily basis.
Choosing Your Ties
How To Buy A Bag That Works Everywhere

Give cost-per-wear a helping hand by investing
in an accessory that takes you from the office to
the gym to the pub
Always buy nice ties. Nice doesnt necessarily mean expensive, but it does mean tasteful. If you
have terrible taste in ties then there is very little that we, or anyone else for that matter, can do
for you.
As a personal preference, I avoid anything too shiny or smooth. Textured and matte finishes
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make ties much easier to wear and help deflect attention to your outfit as a whole.
Dont know whether to opt for a standard or skinny width tie? As a general rule, your tie should
be as close to the width of your suit lapel as possible.
Plain Shirts
These are your wardrobe workhorses and default option during the working week. Essential
shirt colours that every man should own include white, sky blue and pink.
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Join the navy with one of the seasons most
versatile jackets
Important Note: throughout this guide we will be considering all shirt and tie combinations
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independently of your choice of suit. The majority of you will be confined to plain, neutral suits
in navy, grey or charcoal during the working week anyway, which will help anchor any of the
pairings advocated in the article.
As previously mentioned, white shirts offer you maximum versatility. No matter if you opt for a
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offers from all your favourite stores for
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preppy stripe, tartan check or knitted navy version, you can combine almost any tie with a
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white shirt.
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If you are going down the safe white shirt route, make sure your tie is full of character
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whether that is provided by pattern, colour or an interesting texture.
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Blue/Pink Shirt Guidelines

Shirts
in blue
or pink
you
show -off
yourthis
colour
prowess.
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youto will
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find a few go-to combinations for each:
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Sky Blue Shirts:
Try darker patterned or textured ties in the same family. A knitted navy version or
navy polka dot tie is ideal.
Orange is a complementary colour and a burnt orange tie works particularly well with
a sky blue shirt.
Both yellow and red are contrasting hues, so ties in shades of burgundy/oxblood or
mustard/gold look great set against this shirt colour. These could be solid ties or
mixed with navy (think club stripes).
Green is a similar colour to blue try a dark forest green tie if you want to make a
refined and effortless statement.
Pale Pink Shirts:
Similar colours include mauve and purple. Opt for any of these in a nice deep shade
and you cant go wrong.
Green is complementary, and a matte khaki shade is a bold choice that will really
separate your look from the crowd.
Blue is a contrasting colour and we would argue that nothing looks better than a pink
shirt with a predominantly navy tie, whether solid or patterned.
Blue/Pink Shirt Lookbook
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Example Combinations
Below you will find three ties that could be paired with a white (left column), sky blue (centre
column) and pale pink (right column) shirt:
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Striped Shirts
Printed shirts are where things start to get interesting. Standard colour rules still apply for
classic striped shirts but because you have already introduced a pattern, the design you opt for
on your tie needs a bit more consideration.
Block-colour ties are the obvious go-to whether in similar, contrasting or complementary
shades but when you want to branch out into pattern mixing there is just one key rule to
remember: always vary the size/scale of the patterns you combine.
For example, thin striped shirts should be combined with larger patterned ties and wide striped
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shirts (think butchers stripe) should be paired with smaller, more intricate motifs.
Stripes also work perfectly well with other stripes, again, so long as they arent the same size.
For instance, why not try a thin pencil stripe shirt with a larger club stripe tie? Pick out the
colour of the pencil stripe with one of the colours on your tie and it suddenly helps pull your
entire look together showing you are a man that pays attention to detail.
Another great tip here is to simply vary the orientation of the stripes you combine. For
instance, a vertical striped shirt can be paired with a horizontal or diagonal striped tie. This
offers a clear contrast and helps to differentiate each piece.
Otherwise, polka dots, paisley and geometric designs are all fair game. It all comes down to
personal preference, so try out different pattern combinations and see what encapsulates your
personality and approach to style best.
Striped Shirts: Tie Combinations Lookbook
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Checked Shirt
You may immediately think that combining a check shirt with a patterned tie would follow a
very similar set of rules to those of the stripe shirt. Not so. While stripes require a bigger or
smaller pattern depending on their width, a check shirt always requires a bigger pattern on your
tie to avoid it becoming lost.
The exception here is a window pane check, which is similar to a pencil stripe and offers much
more flexibility due to the scale being so large and the pattern so subtle.
Small gingham check shirts are the most traditional and dress code-friendly on the market, yet
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those who work in strict formal offices may even find this type of shirt too casual.
If your gingham shirt features a classic white base, bear in mind the colour matching principles
outlined above and opt for a tie that is in a similar, contrasting or complementary shade to the
check colour. For example, a navy tie looks great with a sky blue or pink gingham check shirt.
If you opt for larger tartan/plaid versions, the key is to pick out one of the more subtle base
tones in your shirt with a solid, block-colour tie. Just remember to keep the shade darker than
the colour present in the shirt itself.
Stripes are perfectly acceptable to combine with check shirts. Choose a tie with a big bold stripe
so that it can easily compete with the pattern on the shirt and, again, make sure that one of the
colours present in the stripes is the same as one of the secondary hues used on the shirt. Polka
dots can also work well if you follow the same principles.
Avoid more intricate patterns such as paisley or geometrics as they are likely to create an
optical illusion for anyone taking a cursory look at your unfortunate shirt and tie combination.
Checked Shirts: Tie Combinations Lookbook
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Final Word
Shirts and ties are a difficult business get it wrong and youre the laughing stock of your
office; get them consistently right and suddenly youre seen as the best dressed gent in the
company.
Practice and experimentation is the only sure-fire way to make sure that you get it bang on
every time, but the general guidelines above should help you on your way.
Make sure you let us know your top tips and favourite shirt and tie combinations in the
comments section below
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Will
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THERE ARE 42 COMMENTS
Paul
Posted On 4th April 2014:
Thanks for this article. In attempting to liven up my work wardrobe lately Ive been receiving
a number of humurous (if not down right offensive) comments from so called colleagues.
Hopefully your advice will set me on the right path..
Dom
Solid, heavily textured navy wins every time. A knitted version for less formal events, a
grenadine for all. Followed by burgundy.
I guess the universal TOP10 in terms of class and versatility would be the following, in this
order:
1. Navy grenadine
2. Navy solid knit
3. Burgundy grenadine
4. Burgundy solid knit
5. Navy polka dot knit
6. Forest green solid knit
7. Grey flannel
8. Black knit
9. Navy/red club woven silk
10. Burnt orange flannel
This should be a general starting point, and after these ten are collected, the world is full of
more quirky options (with that said, knits and flannels are already a massively quirky choice;
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sad world).
Andres
Posted On 7th October 2014:
Trying to pair a blue suit with a sky blue shirt/light Blue. would like to know what ties
would go best. i have a conference to go to and would like something conservative but
not to boring.
Ruben
Nice article.
But in the image heading this article we can see a model wearing a tie and pocket square with
exact the same pattern/colour. I thought this was not done?
Dan
You forgot lavender shirts, even though I only see people wearing them badly it would be
good to see how to wear them well.
Also, if you want to look like an experienced dresser, never wear solid blue shirts with a grey
suit. The combination is too obvious and no matter how many other aspects of your outfit
you nail, you will just look like one in the crowd.
Alan
Wonderful topic! And scope for millions of combinations which really helps with the
creativity.
but guys, whats happened!!? The opening picture is of a matching tie and pocket square,
the no-no of the sartorial world and the sort of things you get in a naff matching set at entry
level department stores?!?
Ben Herbert - FashionBeans Editor-In-Chief
Due to popular demand, we found another (better) close-up.
Oliver
Hi there, been reading your articles for a while now but this is the first time ever I seek for
counsel.
So as Ive learnt so far, the rule is to have your shirt always brighter than your tie. So what
about a navy shirt with a brown tie? Is it ok if theyre both dark? And the ideal material for
those two if it was a acceptable combination? I am looking forward to a wedding of a friend
so might as well use a (navy) waistcoat also.
My sincerest thanks.
Will Colman - Resident Writer
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A navy and brown tie will work fine, I would look for a tie with more texture though.
Something knitted or woolen. This will help separate the two colours.
Generally with a dark shirt you should go for something lighter because you want to
avoid the colours blending in; but as long as there is a clear point of difference then
you should be ok.
Tom
I say that it can work, but you have to keep the shirt on the lighter side of navy and contrast
textures, but it also depends on what suit youre wearing it with. I would wear it with a brown
suit thats lighter than the tie and navy suede derbys.
I would say no to the navy waistoat, maybe replace it for a burgundy one. Also, if youre not
100% confident it works, your tie should definitely be darker than your shirt
Oliver
Ok, so how about this: light-blue gingham shirt, burgundy(or brown) textured tie, then
navy waistcoat. Sorry I didnt mention that its going to be hot so Ill skip the suit jacket
and just pair the trousers with the above-mentioned waiscoat.
Again, a bunch of thanks.
Justin
By far, my favourite shirt/tie combo is a blue gingham plaid shirt with a blue tie with small
white polka dots. Just my two cents.
Ben
hi guys, great article, what shirt/tie combo would anyone recommend for a faint pinstripe
suit? it is black in colour.
Adam
If you go with a white shirt you can wear pretty much any tie you like except spotted.
Tom
Ben, I would go for a subtly striped white or pink shirt with a red or burgundy micro pattern
tie. Also, if this is for buisness, dont forget your tie bar.
However, if this is for casual purposes, go for an unconventional shirt colour like green or
camel.
Teo
The colour wheel is only for the tie and shirt or works also in general clothes combinations?
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Pope John
I like the section Checked Shirts: Tie Combinations Lookbook. I just feel like checked shirts
are the ones that stand out the most. They could go with any suit and always look great.
Dont you agree?
Adam
Call me old fashioned but a cant stand a spotted tie over a striped shirt. It just looks awful to
me.
Also, there are some exceptions to the tie being darker than the shirt rule. For example, a
royal blue shirt can look good with a yellow tie.
I think I do need to add some knitted ties to my collection, although Im not sure theyre
formal enough for my job.
Liam
Any ideas for shirt and tie combinations for a striped charcoal suit?
Tim
Posted On 19th November 2014:
Liam I had the same issue a few months back. Striped suits are much harder to work
with and I hadnt realised that before purchase. Thankfully, the lovely folk here can
help: http://www.fashionbeans.com/2012/mens-pinstripe-suits/ For what its worth,
Ive found that the following work for me: a light grey tie / white shirt, floral grey tie /
white shirt, floral light blue tie / white shirt, burgundy tie / blue (or white shirt). Good
luck!
Landon
Posted On 4th May 2014:
Great article, I began a new job at a bank and Im still not familiar with the mens suit & tie
combo options. I was wondering if you knew where I could find a good article or website
where there are lots of awesome examples. Thanks again,
Landon
Peter Joseph
Posted On 2nd June 2014:
Nice article !
I love looking smart always,therefore Will article made me more smarter and brilliant!!!!
Sameer Bhingarkar
Posted On 4th July 2014:
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Nice article!! always to refer before buying tie!!!
Cat
Posted On 17th July 2014:
What a wonderful article!

Recently started working in a mens business attire retail store so this has been an absolute
pleasure to read. I have many customers coming in, hoping to jazz up their office look, so Ill
definitely pass on some of these insightful tips!
Hamdi
Posted On 1st August 2014:
Excellent tips and expert opinion.

Thanks
Clueless About Mens Fashion
Posted On 28th August 2014:
Please help. I Have to put my husband in a tie for our daughters wedding. The last time he
wore a tie was our wedding :0. She picked out a black and purple striped tie and now I have to
find him a shirt. He already has a nice pair of black trousers. not sure if that is a good pairing
though the it does go with the black in the tie. Any recommendations for a shirt that wont
look like he is at a funeral? BTWpink might be a difficult sale for my camo wearing, auburn
haired man. ;)
Rowan Brantford
Posted On 1st October 2014:
I recently bought a white tie that caught my eye as I was looking for a suit for grad. It has a
faint paisley pattern on it, also in white, that is visible from no farther than a few feet away. I
was just wondering, what exactly could I wear it with? in terms of formal, informal, types of
shirts, and of course, most importantly, colour.
Waheed Adnani
Very useful
Wedding Crasher
I have a wedding today and dont know what tie colour / pattern non pattern to wear with my
light blue suit and crisp white shirt, suggestions would be much appreciated.
Richard
Love the sky blue/forest green combo. Would this look best with a navy or grey suit?
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Redsockgipsy
Posted On 21st October 2014:
Extremely useful even for the on top of it sartorial gentleman.
Shiyam Chrix
Posted On 21st December 2014:
Awesome tips
Strap
Posted On 7th January 2015:
This article is the most sensible advice Ive ever read about properly matching shirts and ties.
Ive never been sure what to pair with my pale pink shirt. The colour wheel is invaluable.
Excellent work, fella(s)!
Andrei
Hi!
Firstly I would like to say that this article has inspired me to become a sharper dresser and I
want to thank you for that!
Secondly I have a question. I have a light gray suit , a plain black shirt, a plain purple shirt
and a white shirt. I was wondering what ties should I get in order to look great. I know that I
shouldnt wear a tie with the black shirt I am only asking if I can wear it with the suit. Next I
was wondering if a plain purple or red or blue or black or violet tie would work with the white
shirt. As for the purple shirt I dont have any ideas what tie to get and I was hoping you could
help me in that matter.
Another thing how can I combine , if I can, bow ties with the suit and the shirts above?
Thanks again for your help!
Kevin Cedillos
Can you believe Im using this for a college paper?
Geoff Jano
Posted On 3rd February 2015:
Hey! I need help with matching a shirt with a dark charcoal grey solid suit.Its for a special
evening and I want to look my best,nothing too formal.Options for the tie will also be
appreciated
NEWER COMMENTS
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As this article is over a year old, the comments are now closed.
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20/12/2015

A Guide To Mens Shirt & Tie Combinations

Article By Will Colman on 4th April 2014

IMAGE: HOUSE OF FRASER CORSIVO SS14

SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

Shirt, Meet Tie

Get all the latest must-read FashionBeans

TRENDING: MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

How To Dress For Your

Colour Wheel Basics

with it once and for all.

The Worst Ever Mens

Key Mens Hat Styles

For Winter 2015

From Day To Night

11 Tips For Treating

Mens Dry Skin

Mens Style Mistakes

FASHION & STYLE ROUND-UPS

6 Things That Will Kill Your Look Instantly

Choosing Your Ties

How To Buy A Bag That Works Everywhere

The 10 Best Mens Pea Coats 2015

THE LATEST DISCOUNT CODES

See all the latest vouchers, discount codes and

whether that is provided by pattern, colour or an interesting texture.

White Shirt Lookbook

MARKS AND SPENCER

Blue/Pink Shirt Guidelines

Sky Blue Shirts:

Blue/Pink Shirt Lookbook

Striped Shirts: Tie Combinations Lookbook

Checked Shirts: Tie Combinations Lookbook

SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

THERE ARE 42 COMMENTS

Posted On 4th April 2014:

Posted On 4th April 2014:

Posted On 7th October 2014:

Posted On 4th April 2014:

Posted On 4th April 2014:

Posted On 4th April 2014:

Ben Herbert - FashionBeans Editor-In-Chief

Posted On 4th April 2014:

Due to popular demand, we found another (better) close-up.

Posted On 5th April 2014:

Will Colman - Resident Writer

Posted On 6th April 2014:

Posted On 6th April 2014:

Posted On 6th April 2014:

Posted On 6th April 2014:

Posted On 6th April 2014:

Posted On 15th April 2014:

Posted On 6th April 2014:

Posted On 8th April 2014:

Posted On 9th April 2014:

Posted On 15th April 2014:

Posted On 28th April 2014:

Posted On 19th November 2014:

Posted On 4th May 2014:

Posted On 2nd June 2014:

Posted On 4th July 2014:

Nice article!! always to refer before buying tie!!!