Choosing the Right Color Tie

There is not a perfect answer to which color goes best with any given outfit. Two factors that determine the right color include the message you is trying to signal and the color combination that works best with the natural colors of your complexion.

For a muted but sophisticated look, consider pairing semi-solid and lightly patterned blue and green ties with cool blue colored clothing. If you’re looking to draw attention to yourself, opt for the stark contrast of a bold red colored tie on a light colored shirt. The red tie is called the “power tie” for a reason; this combination works well for presenters as it captures wandering eyes and points them right to the speaker’s face.

As far as what colors work well with a person’s particular features, you’ll want to mimic your natural contrast levels. People with light-colored hair and fair skin have low contrast and should stick with pastel and monochromatic color combinations. People with dark hair and light skin are high contrast and will look best selecting color combinations which have clearly defined lines between them. If you have dark hair and medium to dark-colored skin, you can pull off both low and high-contrast tie and shirt/suit combinations. Your difficulty in this case will be separating acceptable suit/shirt/tie combinations from great looking suit/shirt/tie combinations. It’s a small distinction, and one best made by taking the clothing in your wardrobe and experimenting with various shades.