Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Choosing a shirt
• Part 2 of 3: Combining a tie and shirt
• Part 3 of 3: Combine a suit with a shirt and tie
• Tips
• Necessities

Unfortunately, many of us have no sense of clothing that is appropriate for the season. Choosing what to wear can be tricky even for simple everyday occasions, while matching a winning combination of shirt, suit and tie for special occasions can give you a bad headache.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Choosing a shirt

1. Try to match your shirt and tie before you start worrying about a suit. While ideally all three garments will match, it is usually more important that a shirt matches a tie rather than either pair well with a suit. Why? Because you can easily take off your jacket for a moment, while stuck with whatever you choose to wear as a shirt and tie. So, if you have something to say, try to prioritize inner wear and not your suit.
2. If in doubt, choose a neutral, solid color shirt. If you're ever unsure of which shirt to choose when putting together an outfit, you can't go wrong by choosing a color that goes with everything, such as white. When it comes to shirts, white is the most neutral color of all and the easiest to work with as it goes with almost all ties and suits.
   • Other light, pale shades, especially light blue, are also very versatile, offering a variety of options when it comes to neckties.
3. For a bolder (but more difficult) look, choose a pastel or brightly colored shirt. Next in line after white and light colored shirts, are shirts in pastel colors. These colors are quite light, but not like the neutral colors white and light blue. Pastel gives the wearer a chance to get away with striking - or clashing - combinations. Finally, brightly colored shirts offer unique possibilities. When paired with the right tie, they can give the wearer a more refined look, but can make it appear flashy or ridiculous if an unsuitable tie is worn with it.
   • Black shirts are an exception to this last point - they are a dark, full color, but just as versatile as white shirts, and they go with most types of ties.
4. Choose a striped shirt or with a pattern for complex color interactions. Of course, not all shirts have a single, solid color. Many shirts have a pattern with thin stripes (usually vertical but sometimes horizontal), while others are covered with dots, intricate stitching or other patterns. In general, the larger and more complex the pattern of a shirt, the more attention it will attract, but the more difficult it will be to match the tie and a suit.
   • For most formal or less formal occasions, you will want to choose a shirt with a modest pattern. Thin vertical stripes of neutral colors (such as white and light blue) are a safe choice, but small, repeating patterns, such as dots, are also manageable (especially when at least one of the colors in the pattern is neutral).
   • Shirts with more complex patterns, such as intricate stitching across the chest, are sometimes best worn without ties, as the pattern and tie can compete for attention.

Part 2 of 3: Combining a tie and shirt

1. Choose a tie that is darker than your shirt. Ties are attention grabbers. Paired with a matching shirt and a nice tie, it will notice someone scanning a crowded room and draw their attention to your face. You achieve this effect by choosing a tie that contrasts with your shirt. This usually means choosing a tie with a darker color than that of the shirt. As far as white and other neutrals go, this means almost any tie will work. However, this can be more difficult with darker or brighter colored shirts.
   • Picking a tie that is lighter than your shirt can sometimes be a suitable option as long as it stands out compared to your shirt. For example, if you are wearing a black shirt, all ties (except black) will be lighter than your shirt, so it is best to choose a tie in clearly contrasting colors - for example, white.
2. For solid ties, choose a color that works for your target style. Solid colored ties are quite versatile - almost any color tie looks good on a white shirt, while conservative hues like navy and black look good on brighter colored shirts. In general, you will choose a tie of one color that stands out (or not) in such a way that it suits the occasion. For example, a red tie on a white shirt will create a strong contrast (without clashing) that will certainly attract attention.
   • Don't pair a brightly colored plain tie with an equally brightly colored shirt unless you are sure the combination will work. Avoid extreme contrasts - a cherry red tie with a bright green shirt, for example, will not go well together.
3. For patterned ties, choose a tie that has a color similar to that of your shirt. If you're going for a tie with a pattern, a good way to make sure that you pair with your shirt is that the pattern has a color that is (almost) the same as your shirt. In this case, assuming the colors of your tie don't clash, your tie should match your shirt effortlessly.
   • The exception to this rule is that you should not choose a tie with a fine, repeating pattern, where the background color is the same as the color of your shirt, as it will generate little contrast.
   • For example, if you are wearing a light blue shirt, you could opt for a plaid tie in which you mainly find shades of dark blue along with some light blue.
4. Avoid choosing ties with a pattern that resembles the pattern of your shirt. Rule number 1 when it comes to combining tie and shirt is that something similar does not necessarily combine. Ties with patterns should not be combined with shirts with similar patterns. These combinations can create bizarre and distracting effects that resemble an optical illusion due to the way the patterns interact. In addition, a tie with a pattern similar to that of the shirt is not likely to stand out.
   • For example, do not wear a plaid tie with a plaid shirt, or a thin line tie with a thin line shirt, etc.

Part 3 of 3: Combine a suit with a shirt and tie

1. Go for the more serious, formal colors. When it comes to suits, formal colors are your friends. most people can't really get away with playful, brightly colored suits. This doesn't mean that no one can do this - just that it takes loads of charisma and can make you look like a silly gamemaster when things go wrong. Most people are best served with colors like black, gray, navy, and sometimes brown when it comes to formal pants and jackets.
   • Not only are these colors more sophisticated (and therefore a better choice for classic formal occasions), but also easier to pair with most shirts and ties.
2. If in doubt, choose dark suits in one color. As with shirts, simplicity means versatility. Solid colored suits in black, gray or navy will go with most shirt and tie combinations. In addition, these suits are suitable for various situations - from cheerful occasions such as weddings to gloomy such as funerals. Most men should at least have a suit in these colors.
   • Combine a dark suit with a neutral shirt and a dark tie for a universally distinguished look. Brighter colored ties go well with dark suits, but can appear casual if they are too bright.
   • Note that some sources believe that dark blue does not pair well with black or navy suits.
3. Consider lighter colored suits with pastel and dark ties. Not every occasion requires a dark, formal suit. Brown, pale gray, lighter tweed and sometimes even white are options for happy or festive occasions. Try combining these types of suits with pastel and / or dark ties for contrast.
4. Try to avoid pairing a suit with a particular pattern with a tie or shirt with a similar pattern. As with a shirt and tie, it is wise to combine a suit with a pattern and any clothing with a similar pattern. The most common suit patterns are pinstripes (very thin vertical lines), which usually means avoiding striped shirts or ties, especially if those lines are vertical and thin.
   • In general, try not to wear a combination where all three pieces have patterns. In other words, make sure one of the garments is solid in color. It is very difficult to combine three different patterns within the same outfit - if this goes wrong, you could end up looking like a clown.
5. Choose a suit so that the number of colors in your outfit does not exceed three. In the end, you can say that it is better not to choose a suit that adds even more colors, if your outfit is multicolored anyway. Using a suit to add color to an outfit that already has a lot of color in it is a bad idea - the effect will usually resemble a muddy mess.
   • To be clear, neutral shirt colors such as white and similar shades of the same color in a tie do not count towards this three color rule. For example, if you are wearing a dark blue plaid tie, the different shades of blue in the plaid pattern will not count as separate colors.

Tips

• The classic black suit with a white shirt should be worn with a light tie with a fine pattern.
• If the shirt has a pattern, it is better to opt for a plain tie.
• A shirt in one color goes well with a tie with a pattern. A large pattern makes a tie less formal, and is suitable in the company of a bunch of close friends.

Necessities

• Suit, tie and shirt