MS04 - Matching Ties and Shirts

 “Looking good isn’t self-importance; it’s self-respect.”– Charles Hix

The tricky act of matching ties and suits depends on several factors, the major one being color , pattern and tonal variation.

Rule of thumb that applies to most of these situations, the tie's color(whether plain or patterned should be a contrast to the shirt color); make sure one item pops more than the other.

1. Pattern

You can pair a patterned tie with a patterned shirt as long as the patterns are not the same.  e.g. if the shirt has a small check, let the tie be a large stripe or large check, and vice versa.

A horizontal patterned shirt should be paired with a vertical patterned tie and vice versa.

A solid shirt could go with a patterned tie and vice versa.

2. Colors

Do not combine a solid shirt and a tie of the same color be it  a pattern or solid, unless the tie only has traces of the shirt color on it.

As by the rule of thumb above, it should be a dark tie on a light shirt or a light tie on a dark shirt. 

Pastels make a great combination as long as one pops more than the other. 

solid on solid

Bonus:

The color wheel helps people pick outfits well based on their tones. A lower tonal tie could go well with a high tonal shirt especially for the bold people who like wearing statement pieces. 

A low tone is a kind of a muted tone, seems like one color with a pattern from a far. 

A high tone clearly shows all the colors and a stronger pattern from a far.

Avoid::

1. Pairing a black tie on a solid white shirt is classic but should not be a daily affair. Do NOT pair a black shirt with a white tie. 

2. Combining primary colors. They are loud and compete for attention.Focus on one statement piece.

I hope this will be of help to the gentlemen.

Next time we'll be talking socks. You don't want to miss it.

Have a great weekend.

As always,

MDA