Ask dapperQ: Dark Shirt and Tie Combo?

*Featured image via Exquisite Weddings

A reader writes:

Dear dapperQ friends,

I am going to an event wearing dark pants and a royal blue dress shirt. Black vest. What color tie do I pair with that? Everything I read says your tie must be darker than your shirt, but I’m not wild about wearing a boring old black tie. How in the world can I dapper this up? Thoughts about ties with darker shirts in general?

Excellent question. Without knowing more about your outfit (dark pants + royal blue shirt + black vest, but what color pants/shoes/belt, etc?), I cannot recommend an exact color tie. But, you absolutely can wear dark ties with dark shirts and still look fashion-forward. You can dapper it up a notch by adding a tie with patterns and texture. For example, when it comes to pairing ties with black shirts, GQ states, “Reach for a graphic, colorful tie. It pops against the black. Here are some examples:

Dark_Tie_Dark_Shirtvia The Rake

dark tievia Stay Classic

Dark_Shirt_Dark_Tie2via Style.com

Dark_Shirt_Dark_Tie_2 via GQ

Dark_Shirt_Dark_Tie_4via What My Boyfriend Wore

big-sean-falls-freshest-style-moves-gq-magazine-october-2013-style-14via GQ

dark-dapper-suitvia Exquisite Weddings

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1 Comment

  • I'd say a different fabric/texture in the same shade of blue or darker. Or GQ's advise of graphic and colorful, but I'd stray away from greens, but that's a personal choice.
    I think black is a great choice but other textures keep it interesting. But please, no feathers, ack! 😀

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