# Matching Allen Edmonds Chili with Suit



## stixm (Jul 27, 2017)

Hi,

So do you guys think the Allen Edmonds chili would go well with a charcoal suit? I see a lot of threads where people say it goes well with navy, light grey, and tan, but would charcoal work too?


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## Kyle76 (May 5, 2017)

I wouldn't. Navy and tan or darker brown.


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## stixm (Jul 27, 2017)

Kyle76 said:


> I wouldn't. Navy and tan or darker brown.


Any particular reason? I guess the shoes would stand out more than the suit?


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## TheoProf (Dec 17, 2012)

I think it would be fine. Allen Edmonds has different shades for their chili. The "burnished chili" looks fantastic with charcoal. The standard chili is fine to wear with a charcoal suit.


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## Matt S (Jun 15, 2006)

I'd give chili with charcoal a firm no, and the same for darker navy. That's what burgundy is for. Chili can work well with mid grey, light grey, tan and lighter forms of navy and lighter blues. They'd work well with the air force blue trousers I'm wearing today.

Shoes should not be lighter than a suit, no matter what current fashion trends say. When the shoes are lighter than the suit, attention is drawn to your feet rather than your face. The outfit looks unbalanced and is not grounded. When shoes are the same value as your suit/trousers or darker, the shoes anchor your outfit and provide a stable and balanced base.


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## At Law (Apr 15, 2008)

Today, I am coincidentally wearing a solid charcoal Brooks Brothers suit with my Chili 5th Avenues.

Frankly I have worn this combination in the past and I really don't know if I like it or not. Some days it looks sharp to me. Other days, it appears to be too much of a contrast. 

In the future with Charcoal, I will likely stick with black, dark brown, or burgundy.


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## Kyle76 (May 5, 2017)

stixm said:


> Any particular reason? I guess the shoes would stand out more than the suit?


My chilis are mostly brown-looking. I just don't think brown goes with charcoal. I wear chili with tan, brown or navy.


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

Chili would be better with light gray. At least with a suit. 

With a more casual outfit, there’s greater latitude.


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## JLibourel (Jun 13, 2004)

FWIW, I have nine pairs of chili A-Es. This is just visceral--I'm not claiming to be proclaiming any eternal laws of Timeless Style--but I would not wear chili A-Es with a charcoal suit. As others have said, black, burgundy and dark brown are much better choices. I wouldn't wear chili with midnight blue or midnight navy (if there's a difference). I would with lighter shades of navy and blue, being aware that it would ratchet down the formality of the ensemble, which may or may not be desirable. I wouldn't wear chili with medium gray, either. Light gray might be passable, but I would probably choose something else.

As others have pointed out, A-E "chili" can cover quite a spectrum of colors. This makes it harder to generalize


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## Hebrew Barrister (Oct 1, 2017)

I wear dark chili AE Carlyles with my navy suit. Yeah, there's a contrast there, but it's orders of magnitude less than doing something like wearing walnut with navy, which seems common these days. Not a day goes by I don't see a few dudes walking around the office in a navy suit and walnut strands.


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## JLibourel (Jun 13, 2004)

^Between some shades of A-E's "chili" and their "walnut," I can't see a nickel's worth of difference.


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## Hebrew Barrister (Oct 1, 2017)

JLibourel said:


> ^Between some shades of A-E's "chili" and their "walnut," I can't see a nickel's worth of difference.


They have so many variants of chili. My dark chili strands are pretty dark. Easily darker than a medium brown.


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## JLibourel (Jun 13, 2004)

The darkest chili shoe I have is the Dellwood. I just compared it to the Harrison (the plain-toe Blucher, I think A-E may have recycled the name). I believe the (old) Harrison is a medium brown. The latter was somewhat darker than the Dellwood, I found. However, my A-E lore may be somewhat dated. I have only purchased one pair of dress or dress casual A-Es since 2007, and even they (the Strand in dark brown) were bought early in 2009.


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## Orsini (Apr 24, 2007)

I have a couple pairs in chili. I can't match them with anything but chinos.


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

The chili color is certainly visually appealing but in my opinion, inherently casual, regardless of the style of shoe/boot.


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## At Law (Apr 15, 2008)

SG_67 said:


> The chili color is certainly visually appealing but in my opinion, inherently casual, regardless of the style of shoe/boot.


Agreed. Very good color to pair with jeans.


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## Green3 (Apr 8, 2008)

I like Chili best with blazer/sports coat and trousers. They are perfect for that slightly less formal look. 

I would also say good with a light or medium grey suit more than a dark charcoal.


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## RogerP (Oct 31, 2012)

Anybody got a pic for those of us who don't hold an imagenif each AE shade in their mind's eye?


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## JBierly (Jul 4, 2012)

Matt S said:


> I'd give chili with charcoal a firm no, and the same for darker navy. That's what burgundy is for. Chili can work well with mid grey, light grey, tan and lighter forms of navy and lighter blues. They'd work well with the air force blue trousers I'm wearing today.
> 
> Shoes should not be lighter than a suit, no matter what current fashion trends say. When the shoes are lighter than the suit, attention is drawn to your feet rather than your face. The outfit looks unbalanced and is not grounded. When shoes are the same value as your suit/trousers or darker, the shoes anchor your outfit and provide a stable and balanced base.


As usual - a voice of reason.


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## momsdoc (Sep 19, 2013)

RogerP said:


> Anybody got a pic for those of us who don't hold an imagenif each AE shade in their mind's eye?


Chili with charcoal










Chili with navy










Chili with tan










Chili with grey










Chili with lighter navy


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## TheBarbaron (Oct 8, 2010)

I'd do the Chili with lighter navy (I don't mind a high-contrast look); I think charcoal is a bridge too far. Outside of black or burgundy, I reach for my very dark brown Weybridges if I'm looking to pair brown with charcoal.


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## RogerP (Oct 31, 2012)

momsdoc said:


> Chili with charcoal
> 
> View attachment 19125


That's a very bright orange / red - I'd probably stick to sport coats / odd trousers rather than suits. I have maybe only one pair of boots that bold / bright that I pair with a suit.


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## MTJim (Dec 20, 2012)

My dark chili McAllisters are as dark as my merlot Park Avenues but have a bit more brown to them. I wear them both with navy and mid/dark gray as well as brown suits. Not much difference in shade (yes they are lighter) than against my brown Strands. I think they all look great. However, I'm in education, 
not banking or law.


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## mreams99 (Jan 7, 2015)

momsdoc said:


> Chili with charcoal
> 
> View attachment 19125
> 
> ...


This is the "old" chili color.
The newer chili color is considerably darker and more brown.


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## Kyle76 (May 5, 2017)

My AE chili boots are something called “Bob’s Chili” that are medium brown with a slight reddish tint. I think it was a small batch offering.


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## Hebrew Barrister (Oct 1, 2017)

Dark chili Carlyles worn with a navy suit.


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## 215339 (Nov 20, 2012)

Odd, but not surprising that AE has not kept colours consistent.

This is supposedly the dark chili colour as well


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## MTJim (Dec 20, 2012)

delicious_scent said:


> Odd, but not surprising that AE has not kept colours consistent.
> 
> This is supposedly the dark chili colour as well


My Dark Chilli shoes look like yours.


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## Matt S (Jun 15, 2006)

delicious_scent said:


> Odd, but not surprising that AE has not kept colours consistent.
> 
> This is supposedly the dark chili colour as well


I have Dark Chili Carlyles in this colour. These can work with a lighter navy, unlike the dark chilli shoes that Hebrew Barrister has proven not to work with navy.


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## Hebrew Barrister (Oct 1, 2017)

Matt S said:


> unlike the dark chilli shoes that Hebrew Barrister has proven not to work with navy.


Dammit.


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## THMN62 (Dec 23, 2016)

delicious_scent said:


> Odd, but not surprising that AE has not kept colours consistent.
> 
> This is supposedly the dark chili colour as well


That's the color of my dark chili McAllisters.


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## barca10 (Apr 21, 2012)

delicious_scent said:


> Odd, but not surprising that AE has not kept colours consistent.
> 
> This is supposedly the dark chili colour as well


That's the color of my dark chili McGregors.


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## harmelba (Jun 6, 2015)

delicious_scent said:


> Odd, but not surprising that AE has not kept colours consistent.
> 
> This is supposedly the dark chili colour as well


That's the color of my dark chili MacNeils.

Considerably darker than my chili Lasalles from like 7 years ago.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


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