WHAT SHIRT FOR WHICH TIE?

Few men open their dressing-room knowing what tie to match to their shirt. Indeed, for many, every morning it's a real headache trying to avoid bad taste. To remedy this problem, you just have to know and respect some rules.

Match your tie to your shirt

How to match your tie to your shirt is a common question. The wide range of patterns and colours that exist, both for neckties and for shirts, means that bad taste can quickly happen. To avoid spending hours in front of your dressing-room, there are a few rules to follow. First, be aware that the tie must be in a darker colour than the shirt. This is the basic rule. Some will tell you to avoid putting one shade on to another. However, you can play with the brightness of the tie. For example, a blue tie with a blue shirt, yes, but there should however be a difference in tone. Rather than tone on tone, prefer sharply contrasting colours. Thus, a blue shirt can agree with a green tie. To help you, use the colour wheel. You will see that the colour of the tie can be very different from the shirt, but also very close to it on the colour wheel.

If your shirt is single-coloured, the rule is simple. With a light coloured shirt, you will wear a dark tie and vice versa, with a dark shirt, you will opt for a light coloured tie.

The patterns match

If you have men shirts and ties that are patterned or checked, it can seem very complicated to match them. Again, we must be aware of some rules because some associations are to be avoided. Stripes on stripes, checks on checks, and stripes on checks should be avoided. We must therefore avoid wearing a club tie with a striped shirt. To give you a better idea and let you choose easily, if you want to wear a striped tie go for a single-coloured shirt. It is the same if you want to wear a striped or plaid shirt, go for a plain tie. In this way, you are sure not to make a bad pairing.

Photo : ©Guillermo ANIEL-QUIROGA

Dare slim ties !

For a more "trendy" and "elegant" look in the style of Yann Barthes and on all occasions (work, parties, weddings), go for a plain slim tie or patterned narrow ties. You will cause a sensation!

Joker : the black tie

In any case, when in doubt, your joker is the black tie. This is the only model that is compatible with all colours and all patterns.

Matching your tie and your shirt is not an easy task when you have an array of different colours and patterns. With practice, some tips and by sticking to the rules, you will manage it it without problems. You will then spend less time before going to work, hesitating at the door of your dressing room to ask that eternal question: how to match my shirt and tie? In any case, when in doubt, consult the colour wheel to help you in your choices.

PS: A small detail not to be missed, the bottom of the tie should reach just above the belt!