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Choosing the right dress shirt and tie combination is important when wearing a suit. Regardless of the material or style, all suits require these two components. You'll need to wear a dress shirt under your suit jacket, and you'll need to accessorize your suit with a tie. Some dress shirts and ties, however, offer a higher level of aesthetics when worn together than others.
Even if you wear a high-quality, custom-sized suit, you may struggle to create an attractive and cohesive outfit without the right dress shirt and tie combination. Your dress shirt may clash with your tie, resulting in an unflattering appearance. To avoid fashion faux pas such as this, you'll need to choose the right dress shirt and tie combination.
Consider Contrasting Colors
You may want to choose contrasting colors for your dress shirt and tie. Contrasting colors are those on opposite ends of the color wheel. The color wheel, of course, is a wheel-shaped diagram of colors of the visual spectrum. When in doubt, you can choose a dress shirt and tie combination on opposite ends of the color wheel.
A blue shirt and red tie is an excellent combination. Blue and red are on opposite ends of the color wheel, so they are classified as contrasting colors. When worn together, a blue shirt and red tie will offer an attractive, attention-grabbing combination that will enhance your suit outfit.
Examples of contrasting color combinations for dress shirts and ties include the following:
- Blue shirt and red tie
- Blue shirt and pink tie
- Red shirt and green tie
- Orange shirt and blue tie
- Yellow shirt and purple tie
Explore Similar Colors
Another option is to choose a dress shirt and tie combination in similar colors. They don't have to be the exact same color. On the contrary, your dress shirt and tie should feature different colors. Otherwise, they'll blend together while offering a monotonous appearance. You can achieve an attractive suit outfit, though, by choosing a dress shirt and tie in similar, albeit still different, colors.
Assuming they are different shades, you can wear a blue shirt with a blue tie. Most fashion experts agree that ties should typically be darker than the dress shirts with which they are worn. If you're wearing a light blue dress shirt, for instance, you may want to accessorize your suit outfit with a dark blue tie.
Light blue and dark blue are similar colors. Therefore, you can rest assured knowing that they'll match. You can wear a light blue dress shirt with a dark blue tie to achieve an attractive, cohesive suit outfit that lifts your appearance.
What color tie should you wear with a pink dress shirt exactly? Pink is essentially a light, pale shade of red. As a result, you may want to wear a dress shirt in burgundy or dark red color with a pink tie.
Many men prefer similar colors when putting together their suit outfits. It's arguably the easiest way to ensure a cohesive suit outfit. As long as your dress shirt and tie feature a similar color, they will match. You can choose a tie in a color that's just one or two shades lighter than that of your dress shirt. With similar colors such as this, your dress shirt and tie will look amazing when worn together as part of your suit outfit.
Go With ComplementaryColors
Rather than contrasting colors, you can always choose a dress shirt and tie in complementary colors. Complementary colors are those that, when combined, make either white or black.
Red and green are complementary colors. Orange and blue are also complementary colors. Regardless, complementary colors typically have strong contrast -- but they aren't necessarily on direct opposite ends of the color wheel. If you're struggling to choose the right color combination for a dress shirt and tie, you may want to opt for complementary colors such as these.
What About Patterns?
Some dress shirts and ties feature a pattern. Patterns may include polka dot, vertical stripes, horizontal stripes, plaid and checkered.
Each pattern has its own visual design. Nonetheless, all patterns consist of multiple colors. They feature a primary color and at least one secondary color.
You can choose a patterned dress shirt and tie, but you'll need to ensure the colors flow cohesively together. Avoid dress shirts and ties with the exact same pattern. Instead, choose a dress shirt and tie in different patterns.
You can still use one of the methods listed here when choosing a patterned dress shirt and tie. Maybe you want to choose contrasting colors, or perhaps you want to choose similar or complementary colors. With patterns, you just need to focus on the "primary" color. The primary color of a patterned shirt, for example, should contrast with the primary color of a tie -- assuming you want to choose contrasting colors for your suit outfit.
Don't Forget the Material
In addition to choosing a dress shirt and tie in the right color combination, you should consider the material from which they are made. Not all dress shirts and ties are made of the same material. Like the suits with which they are worn, they are available in different materials.
Cotton and linen are popular materials in which dress shirts are made. They are both soft, lightweight and low maintenance materials. Cotton is a fluffy textile that's sourced from the cotton plant, whereas linen is a thinner and more lightweight textile that's sourced from the flax plant. You can't go wrong when choosing a dress shirt made of either cotton or linen.
You can find ties available in cotton and linen as well. With that said, ties are available in many alternative materials. Satin is a popular material in which ties are made. Satin features a smooth and lustrous appearance that distinguishes it from traditional materials. It essentially looks like silk, and it even features a similar texture as silk.
In Conclusion
All suit outfits require a dress shirt and tie. Whether you're wearing a two-piece suit or a three-piece suit, you'll need to complete your outfit with a button-up dress shirt and an appropriate tie.
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