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What color tie will go with this solid purple shirt and navy jacket?

Sam Phinney

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Hey guys! I have a Navy Blue jacket & pants. I used to wear a white solid shirt with it, but it sadly ripped and I don't really have time/money to buy a nice new one. So, I was thinking about wearing this solid purple shirt with it. Only thing is, I don't really know what kind of tie to wear? I've got access to a lot of them, and was just thinking about some ideas for colors. Thanks!
 

Ianiceman

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What event do you have in mind?

I wore my black suit (= Style Forum elite heresy but **** 'em!) to a nightclub party with a shirt that colour and a dark purple tie.

I wouldn't dream of wearing any of those items in a business setting, unless my name was Pretty Tony and my business did not declare taxes to the IRS.
 

12345Michael54321

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I wouldn't dream of wearing any of those items in a business setting, unless my name was Pretty Tony and my business did not declare taxes to the IRS.

Thank you for saying it, laniceman.

I have nothing inherently against pairing a purple shirt with a navy suit, so long as it's a very light purple. This is a specific example of a general rule, that while dress shirts needn't be white, they if they are non-white, they should be... well, I guess "pale" describes it best. That is to say, they should not be dark and the colors should not be intense or saturated. Think pale blue, rather than royal blue. light pink, rather than vibrant, shocking pink. Like yellow, rather than a rich, dark golden yellow. And so forth. (Exceptions presumably exist for gangster meetups, clubbing, costume parties, etc. But in terms of typical conservative attire, it's a pretty reliable general rule.)

The OP's shirt just strikes me as far from ideal for pairing with a navy suit. It's not purple, it's PURPLE. If time and money are truly tight, well, a men's tailored fit pinpoint dress shirt, in white, runs about sixteen bucks and change from Lands End. And a white shirt isn't exactly a frivolous fashion expenditure; owning one makes a lot of sense.

Next, the OP mentions that he'll be wearing "a navy blue jacket & pants." I've taken this to mean a navy blue suit. However, if it's not a suit - if it's simply a navy jacket and navy pants - that's another problem. The "not a suit, but since the pants and jacket are the same color it kinda, sorta looks like a suit from a distance" look is a really bad one. Don't do it. If going to some event where a suit is expected or required, it's almost always a much better move to show up in tan or grey pants (even chinos) and a navy jacket, than to do the navy pants and navy jacket thing.

Finally, with regard to the tie color, my vote's for navy blue. No, this may not be the most imaginative, creative choice. But it's a good, solid, unobjectionable choice. And if someone is sufficiently unsure of what to wear that he needs to ask here for help with picking a tie color (not that there's anything wrong with that), I'm more comfortable steering him toward the safe and perfectly acceptable, than toward the imaginative and creative.
 

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