It’s all too important to get your suit looking sharp – finding the correct combination of shoes, shirt and tie are essential for any man looking to style the right way. That one area that so many men find a task to get right is the accessories – especially the tie. The tie can make or break a suit and it does need some level of consideration.
Despite the sheer number of suits, shirts and tie combinations, there are several guidelines you should be following if you want to ensure that you get your tie right.
Get The Colour Right
There is a general rule when pairing your tie with your shirt – the tie should be somewhat darker than your shirt. The tie should stand out against your chest so that you can see the fact that you are actually wearing a tie.
When trying to match your tie and suit this can get a little trickier. The rule here is that your tie should be about the same tone as your jacket and trousers. This doesn’t work with lighter suits, however. In this case with the lighter suit, it’s often better to opt for the dark shade of tie.
Matching The Materials
The type of suit should determine the material of the tie that you wear. If you have a business meeting then for all purposes you should be reaching for a silk tie. For your summer linen suit go for a cotton or knitted tie.
The more casual the outfit, the more casual the tie. Silk and anything that is shiny is considered higher up on the formality scale, while dull wool and linen sit at the opposite end.
Get The Width Right
We have seen many get this wrong but thankfully this is the most straight-forward of all to get right. It doesn’t take much thought process, you just need to know one little rule.
If you have a slim-fit suit go for a skinnier tie. If your suit is a wide-lapelled such as an American style suit or a double-breasted then go for something wider. The ‘slimmer’ the suit the ‘slimmer’ the tie the ‘bigger’ the suit the ‘bigger’ the tie.
Don’t Go For Too Many Patterns
Colours can be difficult but patterns are on a whole other level. Introducing colours in the form of stripes, checks, spots or prints make matching your suit with your tie even more of a challenge. But, get this right and it can be worth it.
A patterned tie can work really well, just know when to stop. Use the rule of two to get this one right. A suit and shirt could be patterned as could a suit and tie but never all three – suit, shirt and tie – it makes for a too busy look. Choose a subtle pattern to play it safe and whatever pattern you do choose make sure that it doesn’t clash with your shirt or suit.
