How to Match Your Tie to Your Shirt

It is important to properly match your tie with your shirt to avoid any lapses in taste and to mitigate the risk of being mocked by office colleagues. Here are a few tips for choosing the right outfit in the morning.

Matching your tie to your shirt

First and foremost, one must always follow a very simple fundamental rule: the tie should be chosen to complement the shirt, not the other way around. Therefore, the shirt is always selected first, which simplifies the choice of accessories. In fact, it is important that the tie—whether solid or patterned—is darker than the shirt. Monochromatic pairings should be avoided. If both items feature patterns, the tie’s pattern should be more prominent than that of the shirt, or vice versa: the goal is for each element to remain distinct. One must also consider the shirt collar: a proper proportion between the two must be maintained; for instance, an Italian collar does not pair well with a slim tie. Finally, in terms of length, the tie should reach the waistband or the belt buckle.

Some partnership ideas

With a white shirt, almost any pattern or color is permissible, with the obvious exception of a white tie. When wearing a light blue shirt, complementary colors fall within orange tones, while more contrasting options include red and yellow hues; therefore, you can opt for a yellow-orange or burgundy tie, or simply stick to navy blue. A pale pink shirt pairs perfectly with mauve, violet, or even navy blue ties, but in any case, yellow or orange shades should be avoided. A checkered shirt can potentially be paired with a patterned tie, ideally by matching a small check on the garment with a larger check on the accessory, while ensuring a coordinating color is present. As for striped shirts, they can visually pair with a striped tie, provided there is a clear distinction between the two—such as combining fine stripes with wide stripes, or mixing horizontal stripes with vertical or diagonal ones—while always keeping a coordinating color in mind.

Examples of associations to avoid

While some may permit themselves a few eccentricities, certain combinations should always be avoided: eccentric patterns on a plaid shirt, a checkered tie paired with a polka-dot shirt, a patterned tie and shirt without any coordinating colors, monochromatic looks, or patterns of the same scale.