# lavender shirt woes



## gaseousclay (Nov 8, 2009)

so I still stink at color coordination. I mean, I'm getting better at it but there are just some colors that leave me stumped. I recently purchased a spread collar, slim fit, lavender dress shirt. I'd wear it with a charcoal suit because I don't own a navy suit, but what color tie would look appropriate? I want to avoid the dark purple tie/lavender shirt look, as that seems to be the most common combination. Would a silver tie work?


----------



## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

Navy or blue tie. Silver will work as well.


----------



## Mox (May 30, 2012)

I'd try this:


----------



## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Green and lavender is a tough mix. Possible, but challenging. Blue, silver or maroon are simpler. Yellow with a small stripe in any of the foregoing or purple is easiest.


----------



## Mox (May 30, 2012)

Thanks, Sarge.


----------



## PMRuby (Jan 13, 2010)

Almost anything with some complimentary subtle lavender or other shades of purple. Also, navy. Green is a decidedly poor choice.


----------



## Kelorth (Apr 29, 2009)

A darker solid purple tie can also work if you are bold.


----------



## Flanderian (Apr 30, 2008)

gaseousclay said:


> so I still stink at color coordination. I mean, I'm getting better at it but there are just some colors that leave me stumped. I recently purchased a spread collar, slim fit, lavender dress shirt. I'd wear it with a charcoal suit because I don't own a navy suit, but what color tie would look appropriate? I want to avoid the dark purple tie/lavender shirt look, as that seems to be the most common combination. Would a silver tie work?


Greens are a natural, and so are yellows, but greens need to be muted and yellows need to be pale to avoid the Easter egg look. Pale yellow is exceptionally versatile.


----------



## Youthful Repp-robate (Sep 26, 2011)

Flanderian said:


> Greens are a natural, and so are yellows, but greens need to be muted and yellows need to be pale to avoid the Easter egg look. Pale yellow is exceptionally versatile.


I agree with this, but my opinion on yellow ties is this: think of a nice shade of pale yellow. Visualize it in your mind. Then think of a yellow exactly half as vibrant as that (or twice as pale). Buy a tie in the second color. You want a tie that's as yellow as a blue oxford shirt is blue, i.e. not very.


----------



## benjclark (Mar 14, 2012)

With a grey suit, I can't help but think that a black grenadine would nail it. The lavender shirt is a bit of fun, but a black grenadine says no one is allowed to make fun. But I'm new too!

Edit: *charcoal* suit. I was imagining a suit more medium grey. Was going to change my opinion but on second or third thought I think it still stands. Black grenadine.


----------



## imabsolutelyunique (Jul 17, 2012)

I like the simple style, and i agreed with the silver tie very much. What's more, if you're deciding to buy a suit, maybe [thread]https://www.upunique.com[/thread] is a smart choice.


----------



## DocD (Jun 2, 2007)

I am personally not a fan of any green ties, and don't see the lavender/maroon combo as something I would wear. But that's why they make chocolate and vanilla. 

It also depends on the actual shade of lavender. Some are pale and some a little deeper in color. I would recommend you visit thetiebar.com. They have a feature where you can pick a tie, then when you click on the picture it allows you to view how it loos with various color suits/shirts. This may be a helpful tool. 

You don't have to purchase any ties on that site, though I have been happy with my purchases, but just using that feature may provide yiu with some insight.


----------



## StephenRG (Apr 7, 2005)

General warning: many years ago I had a Belgian client who invariably wore grey suits, lavender shirts, and lavender/pink/purple/grey paisley ties - to go with his grey complexion and grey hair. From any distance, the entire ensemble looked like a single amorphous mess and made him look washed out. IMO lavender needs strong contrasts.


----------



## arkirshner (May 10, 2005)

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but he difficulty in finding ties to go with a lavender shirt stems from the fact that lavender (unless it is a faint tint of icy lavender), is not a classic shirt color. Accordingly, we do not have any standard images of lavender shirt/ tie combinations in our memory the way we have white, blue or pink shirt/ tie combinations. BB shows two lavender shirts, one that tends toward blue and one that tends toward red/pink. BB shows them with silver ties, but to my mind, this combination was dreamed up by the same "designers" who are taking the company down the road to Banana Republic land. If one must wear a lavender shirt, with those of a blue tint I would try ties as if it were a blue shirt, and with those of a red/pink tint, I would try ties as if it were a pink shirt.


----------



## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

arkirshner said:


> Not to rain on anyone's parade, but he difficulty in finding ties to go with a lavender shirt stems from the fact that lavender (unless it is a faint tint of icy lavender), is not a classic shirt color. Accordingly, we do not have any standard images of lavender shirt/ tie combinations in our memory the way we have white, blue or pink shirt/ tie combinations. BB shows two lavender shirts, one that tends toward blue and one that tends toward red/pink. BB shows them with silver ties, but to my mind, this combination was dreamed up by the same "designers" who are taking the company down the road to Banana Republic land. If one must wear a lavender shirt, with those of a blue tint I would try ties as if it were a blue shirt, and with those of a red/pink tint, I would try ties as if it were a pink shirt.


+1.

Lavender is far too fashion-forward a colour shirt for classical business attire. To my mind the only colours of tie which could truly chromatically complement a lavender shirt will only serve to enhance the unfortunate 'trendiness' of the ensemble.


----------



## gaseousclay (Nov 8, 2009)

Shaver said:


> Lavender is far too fashion-forward a colour shirt for classical business attire. To my mind the only colours of tie which could truly chromatically complement a lavender shirt will only serve to enhance the unfortunate 'trendiness' of the ensemble.


this is why I wanted to avoid the dark purple on lavender look as this seems to be one of the few acceptable combos. I do have a charcoal gray tie with dark purple diagonal stripes, but the charcoal almost matches my suit which would look odd to my eyes


----------



## culverwood (Feb 13, 2006)

gaseousclay said:


> so I still stink at color coordination. I mean, I'm getting better at it but there are just some colors that leave me stumped. I recently purchased a spread collar, slim fit, lavender dress shirt. I'd wear it with a charcoal suit because I don't own a navy suit, but what color tie would look appropriate? I want to avoid the dark purple tie/lavender shirt look, as that seems to be the most common combination. Would a silver tie work?


Your link takes me to a black satin shirt. Something for the night club but not to wear with a suit in my opinion. Perhaps it is a trans-Atlantic link problem. I have a couple of lavender shirts by which I mean almost blue and they are easy to coordinate but lavender comes in a wide variety of shades and the deeper shades may not suit a charcoal suit.


----------



## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

culverwood said:


> Your link takes me to a black satin shirt. Something for the night club but not to wear with a suit in my opinion. Perhaps it is a trans-Atlantic link problem. I have a couple of lavender shirts by which I mean almost blue and they are easy to coordinate but lavender comes in a wide variety of shades and the deeper shades may not suit a charcoal suit.


Hello culverwood, there is an automatic programme that sifts our words here on the fora and then sometimes attaches links to them. I rather suspect that it is this code which has sprinkled it's 'magic' on gaseousclay's post.


----------



## culverwood (Feb 13, 2006)

Thanks, Shaver. I knew such programmes existed but did not realise that AAAC used them. That explains much.


----------



## Towers (May 21, 2010)

Flanderian said:


> Greens are a natural, and so are yellows, but greens need to be muted and yellows need to be pale to avoid the Easter egg look. Pale yellow is exceptionally versatile.


Do you mean Buff coloured instead of yellow? When I think of pale yellow and lavender I immediately think of Easter.


----------

