It is not always easy to choose the right shirt and tie to go with your business suit. There are so many factors to think about--patterns, colors, and textures--that it can be overwhelming. Break down the process of choosing a shirt and tie into a simple science and you'll look stylish every time you wear a suit.
Instructions
1. When choosing a shirt to go with a suit, determine which colors will go together. The easiest way to accomplish this is to use a color wheel. Color wheels can be picked up for free from the paint section of your local hardware store. You can use the color wheel to determine matching colors in two ways. First, look for analogous colors, which are colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. Second, look for complementary colors, which are opposite each other on the wheel. Locate the color of your suit on the wheel and then look at both the analogous and complementary colors. Which do you prefer?
2. When choosing a tie to go with the shirt, consult your color wheel. If you are using an analogous color scheme, you can probably choose the color on the wheel that is next to the color of the shirt you chose. When using a complementary scheme, you may want to choose a tie in the same color as the suit, or a lighter or darker shade of either the shirt color or the suit color.
3. If your suit has a pattern in the material, like a pinstripe, it is best to choose a shirt and tie that is solid colored. If your suit is solid and has no pattern, you can choose to have a pattern on either your shirt or your tie. The dominant color in the pattern should work with the color wheel scheme you've selected. If you are choosing a patterned shirt, you can play off the less dominant colors in choosing your tie, but make sure the tie still matches the suit.
4. In general, the materials you choose for each piece should be similar. If you have a wool suit, it might not look right with a silk shirt. Cotton shirts, because of their dull finish, go best with wool. Most ties are in silk and since it is such a small part of the wardrobe, this will look good almost all the time.
5. The sleeves of your shirt should be slightly longer than the sleeves of your suit. There should always be about a quarter inch of sleeve showing to add a nice contrast.
6. The tie should be long enough to cover your belt buckle. The bottom of the tie should just hit the bottom of your belt buckle.
Tags: color wheel, your suit, belt buckle, choosing shirt, color suit
