If you’re new to the suit and tie game, or just want to step up your sartorial looks, Artful Tailoring is here to provide you with no-fail suit and tie combinations that you can start putting together today!

Let’s start with the basics: the color chart. Knowing foundational color theory will help you because a tie matching master in no time at all.

Keeping in mind these 6 color schemes will be key in creating the perfect outfit combinations. Typically, most suits and jackets that you’ll own are made up of various neutrals such as black, shades of grey and charcoal, tan, and shades of blue, and even brown. Your suit should be the primary color, and the shirt and tie are considered accents. However, you’ll need to be sure that the tie also goes well with your shirt and pants in case you take off the jacket later.

Colors also convey meaning, so it’s important to know what kind of message you’re trying to send with your outfit. Cooler tones are more visually calming and welcoming, while warm tones pack a bolder punch of energy and excitement to an outfit.

In this post, we’ll be focusing on creating winning looks paired with a classic white or off-white shirts.

The breakdown:

Black Suit– This pairing serves up a stark contrast, so it’s usually reserved for formal events or funerals. We say reserve this suit for those occasions, but add interest with texture and subtle patterns in your tie for a modern take to this classic look. A black suit or tuxedo, white shirt, and an ivory tie is also a great look! Notice the subtle stripe on Daniel Craig’s tie, and the texture on David Beckham’s.

Grey Suit: This is when you can really start to play with textures, patterns, and colors. From light to charcoal, grey is a versatile neutral that goes well with almost anything. It’s welcoming and easy on the eyes, but when paired with a white shirt it can get a little icy. Some of our favorite pairings are deep burgundy or forrest green colored ties with grey suit, but the combinations don’t stop there.

Monochromatic options: This route doesn’t have to be boring. The key to a winning combination is incorporating interest with patterns. If your suit is patterned, keep the shirt and tie simple. Solid suit? Flip it around.

Keeping it cool: This scheme will also work with blue suits (see below). Since grey and blue are both considered “cool”, they pair well with other cool colors like purple, green, and other blues. They all look very different, but in each outfit your eye goes straight to the tie.

Contrasting-Add some warmth by wearing a bolder, contrasting color tie. If your suit has a pattern that has some color to it, choose a tie that matches to bring the whole look together (see far right). Burgundy, orange, and even yellow all pair well with grey. A tip to keep in mind with contrasting (especially yellow and orange) is to find ties that have grey in them.

Navy-You can’t go wrong wearing a navy suit. It’s in our top two of our must-have wardrobe staples for men. Like grey, the pairings are seemingly endless. We break down our favorites down through the same three schemes as we did above.

Monochromatic: Since we’re using a white shirt in our examples, these techincally don’t count as monochromatic, but we’re giving you ideas on how to make a blue suit and a blue tie work. You can achieve everything from bold to corporate office appropriate with this combination, it’s just all depends on your shades and patterns. You’ll notice that the suit and tie pair best when one is lighter and the other darker. This way there is no competition with the viewers eye. Go ahead and mix patterns to make it really interesting (see middle), but just remember to choose one larger print with one smaller.

Keeping it cool: All cool shades, look well, cool. When done right, this can create a fresh, modern, and sophisticated outfit.

Contrasting: Blue and orange are complimentary colors, so warmer shades go well with cool blues. Just like with grey, find ties with blue in them to have a cohesive look, or add a pocket square or lapel pin to pull it all together. Each of these packs energy into a standard blue suit.

Brown/Tan Suit: Brown is a great suit color that you can wear all year long. Darker in the winter, and gradually lightening through spring and finally ending in light tan or cream in the summer, don’t forget too add this color into your wardrobe once you have the basics. You can pair just about any color with this neutral, and soon you’ll want to start changing up the shirt colors to explore more options!

We hope you enjoyed this crash course and that you’ll use some of these tips to start creating your own winning suit and tie outfit combinations! Of course, these are all just starting points for portraying your personal style. Have fun, don’t be afraid to try something new, and remember our staff is always here to provide in-depth style advice at both of our Arizona locations.