How to Match a Tie With a Suit, Shirt, and More

Experts believe that the first introduction of the necktie was back in the 17th century. During the 30-year war in France, King Louis the XIII hired Croatian mercenaries. These mercenaries wore a piece of cloth around their neck as a uniform and to tie their jackets up.

King Louis grew fond of this accessory and made it a mandatory accessory.

Ties have since made their way into men's modern fashion. However, knowing how to match a tie to your outfit isn’t as simple as picking whatever you find in your drawers.

Don’t worry, we’ve got several tips for you to follow. From formal gathering to casual styling, follow our guide below.

Color is the first component of mixing and matching clothes for fashion. The easiest way to understand color theory is with the color wheel. The color wheel can help you understand color components and how to color coordinate your clothes.

The color wheel has two divisions: warm colors and cool colors. Warm colors are vibrant such as red, orange, and yellow. Colors like blue and purple associate with cool tones. Color coordination is important in fashion because it helps you create a balanced and harmonious look.

Here's how to match a tie to a suit using color theory.

Using a monochromatic color scheme is the easiest and most conservative way to match a tie. A monochromatic color scheme entails using varying tones of a single color. Using monochromatic colors makes you look more elegant and sophisticated.

It's safe to use a monochromatic scheme in almost any setting. You can use this at work, during presentations, meetings, and also weddings.

Complementary colors are those that strikingly contrast each other. These colors are often opposite to each other on the color wheel. Complementary colors can form the strongest contrast.

Try pairing warm colors with cool colors. This will create the strongest visual contrast, but also make your outfit more interesting.

Using a complementary color scheme is most ideal in social settings. Because it's a bold fashion statement, it may be inappropriate for work or professional settings.

A triadic color scheme consists of colors that form a triangle on the color wheel. This color scheme is best at creating harmony between both warm and cool colors. An example of a triadic color scheme would be purple, orange, and green or pink, blue, and orange.

The contrast with triadic color schemes is not as strong as a complementary color scheme. While muted, triadic colors are an attractive addition to your fashion wardrobe. A triadic color scheme is the most versatile color scheme.

You can use triadic colors at work or in a professional environment. You can also use them in social events like weddings.

Your tie's pattern can create an interesting contrast depending on your suit or shirt. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need different patterns to make them pop. You can use different patterns, but you can also use different proportions of the same pattern.

If you're looking at how to match a tie to a suit, take a look at your suit and tie's patterns. Mix small scale patterns with larger-scale patterns. For example, if you're wearing a pin dotted shirt, wear a tie with big polka dots.

When styling your suits, you can also choose a tie with a completely different pattern. Remember that scale is still important. For example, if you wear a striped shirt with narrow spaces, wear a floral tie with relative spacing.

The easiest way to match a patterned shirt is with a solid color tie. You can also do this vice verse. Pairing a patterned shirt with a plain tie can help the tie stand out.

Texture and fabric are slowly becoming a crucial detail in the fashion industry. If you tend to pay more attention to stylistic details, here's how to match a tie to a suit using textures. Woven silk is the most common and versatile tie but check out some of these ties.

Printed silk ties are an interesting addition to your wardrobe, especially during the spring or summer. Most printed silk ties contain an animal motif pattern with very narrow spacing. You can pair printed silk ties with a solid color suit.

Linen and cotton fabrics are more ideal for warmer months. Linen and cotton ties are lightweight and usually come in a variety of pastel colors. However, this also means that linen and cotton ties tend to wrinkle easily and lose their shape.

Woolen ties are better suited for the cold months. These ties are generally heavier and come in earthy colors. Common colors of woolen ties include olive green, grey, brown, and mustard yellow.

Because woolen ties are heavier, they can add textural variation to your outfit.

You can use knitted ties to dress down formal suits. You can also use them to dress up an informal outfit. The knitted texture provides its wearer with some textural variation and shows more depth than other textures.

Ties are an essential accessory that can help bring an outfit together. But how do you know which one is more appropriate?

Consider the formality of your setting. Bowties provide a higher level of formality. Bowties are great for black-tie events.

If you're wearing a tuxedo, the general rule is that you can only wear tuxedos with bowties. Using a necktie will make your tuxedo look like a regular suit.

When choosing a tie, remember to choose one relative to your body size. Whichever you choose, remember to follow the tips above to achieve the best match.

Now you know some great tips on how to match a tie with a suit! Looking for some great neckties?

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