The Perfect Shirt and Tie Combo - Part I: Colour & Pattern

In the last few years, there seems to have been a shift towards ditching the good old tie. When we first started working in an office, most of the junior guys wouldn't be caught dead without a tie. These days, it's almost like you're the class dork if you go to work everyday wearing a tie. In some hospitals, male doctors have even been advised against wearing ties for fear it may be carrying infectious diseases! In any case, there's no doubt every man needs to wear a tie at some point - it's part of the whole chivalrous charm and women often find the tie thing very sexy (though we've been told, a few glances from a squealing female at the bar isn't worth 8 hours of discomfort).

Having the right pattern, colour, texture and proportion is very important when you're matching ties and shirts - otherwise it's better to just go without one! Today we'll give you the first of many tips to get that combo spot on.

Colour

• Different shirt and tie combinations work for different people depending on their complexion, size and the impression they're trying to give.
• For a conservative, yet sophisticated look, pair blue and green toned semi-solid ties onto solid blue shirts. If you're wearing a suit, navy, black or charcoal solids also look classy on a plain white shirt.
• For a more attention-grabbing look, pair bold colours with a plain shirt, for example a red tie, known as the "power" tie, with a white shirt.
• Men with light hair and fairer skin look better with low contrasting tie and shirt combinations. If you have light complexion and hair, you would look best in pastel and monochromatic colour combinations.

• Men with dark hair and lighter skin look better with high contrasting tie and shirt combinations.

Pattern

• Don't try and match the pattern of the tie to the pattern of the shirt. Never wear a thin-striped tie and a thin-striped shirt together. Instead, try a poka dot, solid or diagonal thick striped tie.

• The easiest way to match a heavily patterend tie is to make sure that you pair it with a plain solid shirt and vice versa.

Stay tuned for Part II - Texture and Proportion