# Do brown shoes go with a grey suit?



## miurasv

Recently I went out with a grey pinstripe suit and brown shoes and a woman came up to me and said that my shoes didn't go with my suit. She said brown doesn't go with grey. It really p....d me off for the night. When younger I would normally have worn black with grey but I'm sure? that clothes salesmen have been telling me to wear brown and not black with grey. Did I get it wrong?


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## Semper Bauhaus

Most people I see wearing grey suits/trousers tend to go with the black shoe as a fairly safe bet. I have, however, seen many gentlemen wearing brown shoes with grey and I think it looks very fetching.

Personally I would definitely wear a brown shoe with grey trousers, though I would lean more towards a darker brown than, say, a lighter tan. In saying that, I would also personaly shy away from too light a grey as I do not feel it suits me, tending to go more for the charcoal end of the trouser spectrum :icon_smile:

I say forget the comment from one person, and wear your brown shoes with pride :icon_smile_big:


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## 127.72 MHz

For me it doesn't but I will be interested to learn what other's opinions are. 

I have several shades of grey suits and many times I'll go with oxblood/#8/burgundy, (take your pick in terms of nomenclature) shoes. 

I own several pairs of black shoes in quite a variety of styles but given a choice I prefer some color verses black.

Only my two centavos,


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## Dr. François

It seems like your detractor was applying a rule/law without considering the specific context. Did it look good to your eye?

I prefer brown shoes with grey until you hit the darkest of charcoals. With anything darker than medium grey, though, I like darker browns.

Brown with grey strikes me as more continental, less Anglo-American. I'm not sure if my perception is correct.

I think you probably looked great! Once your confidence was assassinated, your look probably suffered as a result. 

Any chance you can put the pair of shoes next to the fabric and snap a picture?


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## PatentLawyerNYC

Brown shoes can definitely work with a grey suit. What definitely *doesn't* work is approaching strangers and telling them that their shoes don't match their trousers......:devil:


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## phyrpowr

Czyx, don't you just love 'em?

If a man called one out on her wierdo outfit, she'd still be steamed_, and yakking about it_, this time next month.


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## At Law

I frequently wear brown shoes with my grey suits. It is a very
polished look and a nice change from black.

I typically will wear a darker brown with grey, however, I also
wear my AE chili color as well.

Regarding the woman who told you brown does not go
with gray, you should have thanked her for her opinion
and suggest she go back to her boyfriend with the black
suit, Kenneth Cole square toes, and peach colored shirt.
And as she walked away, compliment her on her very elegant
tiger face tramp stamp on her lower back.


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## AHS

Dr. François said:


> It seems like your detractor was applying a rule/law without considering the specific context. Did it look good to your eye?


+1. Remember that rules are meant to be broken.

If you like the way it looks, what else matters?

AHS


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## Coleman

Yes, brown goes with gray, particularly warm grays. Cooler grays, which most charcoals that are put out there are, are better with black or burgundy.


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## AHS

In honor of the OP -- and to show my solidarity -- I'm going to wear a grey pinstripe suit and brown shoes.

Here's to hoping I don't get accosted!

AHS


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## Nerev

The only brown I'd wear with a grey suit is dark brown. I would probably choose black or burgundy for a grey before I reached a non-dark brown though.


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## Dingo McPhee

There's a lot of variety in the terms "gray" and "brown." I might wear a dark brown shoe with a medium gray suit, following the "shoes should be darker than the pants" theory.

But in practice I'd probably play it safe and stick with black.


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## Mongo

https://askandyaboutclothes.com/Clothes%20Articles/Coordination.htm
[FONT=Arial, Arial, Helvetica]
With Navy, or *gray suits and trousers, black or cordovan shoes work best, but a dark brown shoe can add a sophisticated look*. ... Some circles think that brown shoes are not dressy enough for wearing in the evening.[/FONT]


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## Roikins

They definitely go together, and I wear the combo quite a lot. Where things get iffy, as others have mentioned, is with mixing different shades.


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## Andy

miurasv:

YES!!! 

Sometimes when you understand all things sartorial, one must just ignore the masses! It's part of being a gentleman. :icon_smile_big:

Of course you could help educate that woman. Can you copy this thread for her?


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## upnorth

Depends on the color of the brown shoe. 

Also, you should not stay in the UK. I hear those bastards only wear black. ic12337:


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## PMRuby

I think we can all agree that the lady who said something to you wasn't acting appropriately. Also, I don't think she was correct.

That said, the combo described in the original post struck me as somewhat odd. Brown shoes, provided they're the right shade, can work perfectly well with a plain grey suit. My opinion, however, is that they'd most likely look a bit off with a pinstriped grey suit; not because of a color clash, but because it would just be took much going on. Perhaps I'm not seeing it, but each time I try to visualize this combo, something looks a bit off. Doesn't mean you shouldn't go with that combo if you can make it work for you; just means I can't picture it being the best time to pair brown shoes with a grey suit.


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## dwebber18

I most certainly wear brown shoes with grey. I love my brown PAs with my charcoal suit, it looks fantastic and it makes me feel like I understand what I'm doing. As opposed to the guys in wrinkly shirts and black square shoes.


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## burnedandfrozen

Sure it could work although it may be a bit tricky. You are to be commended for breaking out of the safety zone of black shoes with greay suits. I don't wear suits much, but I often wear odd trousers in light shades of grey along with any one of my reddish brown AE lace ups.


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## Baywulf

Brown shoes with a gray suit will work, but I usually wear black or cordovan. However, I do wear the suit w/ brown. To me it is a good looking combination.


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## WouldaShoulda

PatentLawyerNYC said:


> Brown shoes can definitely work with a grey suit. What definitely *doesn't* work is approaching strangers and telling them that their shoes don't match their trousers......:devil:


That depends on how cute and available they are!!

I am wearing Burgundy Chukkas with light grey trousers today.

At work in the afternoon.

I'd go Black for the evening.

A charcoal grey suit with light brown shoes?? NEVER!!


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## CuffDaddy

Yes. The main issue is making sure the brown isn't too light, nor the grey too dark. 

I'm wearing a mid-grey multi-striped suit with dark brown ("burnt pine" was the name the manuf gave the color) shoes today. My tailor made a positive comment about the combination.


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## Leather man

miurasv said:


> Recently I went out with a grey pinstripe suit and brown shoes and a woman came up to me and said that my shoes didn't go with my suit. She said brown doesn't go with grey. It really p....d me off for the night. When younger I would normally have worn black with grey but I'm sure? that clothes salesmen have been telling me to wear brown and not black with grey. Did I get it wrong?


No she is wrong you are right. Many years ago when I was 18 I bought a pair of grey wool trousers from a quality mens outfitters and wanted a pair of shoes to go with them. The salesman said to me "never wear black with grey trousers sir" - I bought a pair of mid tan shoes ( Italian)

I have been at the receiving end of such strident ignorance myself both with burgundy shoes and a navy suit as well as brown shoes with a grey pin stripe suit. Its astonishing how vehement people can be in their ignorance! ( by the way - yes I was told the same - black and no other colour shall be worn with any suit - must be the 11th commandment or something)


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## JAGMAJ

CuffDaddy said:


> Yes. The main issue is making sure the brown isn't too light, nor the grey too dark.


I think this is the consensus opinion. Brown shoes (but not light brown or tan) can be worn with medium to light grey suits. Wearing a brown shoe with a dark grey suit becomes much riskier. Like others have posted, I usually stick with black or burgundy shoes with my grey suits.


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## Leather man

P.S. - bear in mind you live in Britain - where no one buys any other colour of shoe than black except in jeanswear shoes! ( touch of sarcasm here but near the truth!)


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## The Raven

You should have said, "I like your shoes. They look really comfortable."


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## mjc

So what exactly can you wear with lighter brown shoes? Tweed, and nothing else?


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## Coleman

^I wear tan shoes with gray trousers at least once a week (they are a mid-to-light-gray and are warm in color), and it looks great IMO.


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## CuffDaddy

Tan goes with the lighter olives, greys, and tans very well. And I will wear tan shoes with a shade of grey _odd_ pants that I would not pair with the same shade of grey suit... it's just a sportier look.

Tan also goes well with the traditional summer suits, such as seersucker or linen, almost without regard to the color of those suits.


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## Roikins

A photo from a thread over on SF... this works for me:

You are not allowed to use someone else's photos without their express permission.

-Jovan


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## AHS

Roikins said:


> A photo from a thread over on SF... this works for me:


Love that!

AHS


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## ykurtz

As there are numerous shades of grey and numerous shades of brown, it would be beneficial to actually see a picture of what you were wearing in natural light.

In principle I agree that it really depends on how dark the grey was and brown involved, e.g. charcoal grey and tan brown shoes might not be an ideal combination.


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## hsw

Fashion "rules" tend to be alleged by transgenders in rag trade

I'd rather defer to sartorial culture of one's industry's wealthiest guys and creatively choose own touches/quirks, depending upon one's career stature

Not a fan of brown...always have worn blk loafers and opted for blk leather interiors on cars (usu silver exterior)....but note many silver/grey cars are spec'd with brown/tan leather interiors....even presumably "traditional"-wannabe cars like VW Bentleys and Fiat Ferrari 612/599s:icon_smile:


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## Scotch&Cigars

127.72 MHz said:


> I have several shades of grey suits and many times I'll go with oxblood/#8/burgundy, (take your pick in terms of nomenclature) shoes.


+1. I think this looks best. However I don't think that grey is uniformly incompatible with brown shoes. Use your best judgment. The fact that you're on this forum (likely) means that you have better sense than most...


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## At Law

Roikins said:


> A photo from a thread over on SF... this works for me:


Great looking shoes. What kind are they?


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## Jovan

You don't just come up to someone and tell them what's wrong with their outfit unless you're a friend and have been asked. That's rude.

Your brown shoes are fine. You shouldn't have even reacted to her, just turned around and continued what you were doing.

Black is equally okay with grey suits. I've never heard such a preposterous rule against black shoes.


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## Cruiser

I'm one of those who thinks that brown shoes don't look good with grey. I really believe that once you get beyond clothing enthusiasts you will find that this is not an uncommon viewpoint. Of course it really shouldn't matter because whether or not you like it should be the deciding factor.

Cruiser


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## WouldaShoulda

Jovan said:


> You don't just come up to someone and tell them what's wrong with their outfit unless you're a friend and have been asked. That's rude.
> 
> Your brown shoes are fine. You shouldn't have even reacted to her, just turned around and continued what you were doing.


You STILL don't know when someone is flirting with you??


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## riyadh552

Roikins said:


> A photo from a thread over on SF... this works for me:


I am very interested in knowing the brand and model of these shoes. I have been looking for a very dark brown pair of oxfords for a while, preferable in espresso.


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## justonemore

As I usually don't wear suits, I go between dark brown and black for my grey and charcoal pants with the deciding factor being my shirt and tie or the jacket (should the season call for one). My problem is matching the tan shoes wasting away in my closet.


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## Roikins

riyadh552 said:


> I am very interested in knowing the brand and model of these shoes. I have been looking for a very dark brown pair of oxfords for a while, preferable in espresso.


I suck at shoe IDing, but this is .


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## David Reeves

Of course it goes! 

Next time this happens say: shut up! I do what I want! You make me sick!


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## kev777

At Law said:


> Great looking shoes. What kind are they?





riyadh552 said:


> I am very interested in knowing the brand and model of these shoes. I have been looking for a very dark brown pair of oxfords for a while, preferable in espresso.


Try VASS Budapest.


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## 46L

miurasv said:


> Recently I went out with a grey pinstripe suit and brown shoes and a woman came up to me and said that my shoes didn't go with my suit. She said brown doesn't go with grey. It really p....d me off for the night. When younger I would normally have worn black with grey but I'm sure? that clothes salesmen have been telling me to wear brown and not black with grey. Did I get it wrong?


If she was attractive, she was flirting. If she looked like a wildebeest, who cares what she says?


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## Sir Walter

Brown shoes is absolutely the correct color of shoe to be wearing with a grey suit. The more formal the occasion, the darker the shoe should be.


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## Strategery

I wear tan, whiskey, or cognac colored shoes with lighter grays. And I wear black shoes with the dark grays. It works pretty well for me.


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## PJC in NoVa

miurasv said:


> Recently I went out with a grey pinstripe suit and brown shoes and a woman came up to me and said that my shoes didn't go with my suit. She said brown doesn't go with grey. It really p....d me off for the night. When younger I would normally have worn black with grey but I'm sure? that clothes salesmen have been telling me to wear brown and not black with grey. Did I get it wrong?


If said to "wind you up" playfully, this could be flirting behavior, specifically the kind of mildly and amusingly (if done right) provocative comment known as a "neg."

Everything depends on tone, precise context, etc., as well as the usual factors that belong to the realm of _physis_ rather than _nomos_ (i.e., do you find her physically attractive). If this kind of approach bombs, it almost always means the person using it is taken for a pain in the neck.

Nothing wrong w/ brown and gray, btw.


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## robdpittman

A light brown shoe would look a little odd with a very dark grey suit, but a mid-dark brown can go with any shade of grey, and a lighter grey can take any shoe. 

I personally find black a little on the boring side with a grey suit. Looks nice and polished, but a little too understated. 

Since we're on the topic, I also feel that any brown shoes, light or dark (as long as it's a nice shoe) go beautifully with blues of any hue. I have a pair of AE Melrose in Walnut with a matching AE belt, that I love to wear with a navy suit.


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## At Law

riyadh552 said:


> I am very interested in knowing the brand and model of these shoes. I have been looking for a very dark brown pair of oxfords for a while, preferable in espresso.


I am trying to determine what the brand is of these shoes as well.

They look a bit like a Peal, however, I don't believe BB is offering
any Peal bals without a cap toe, broguing, or wingtip.


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## Roikins

At Law said:


> I am trying to determine what the brand is of these shoes as well.
> 
> They look a bit like a Peal, however, I don't believe BB is offering
> any Peal bals without a cap toe, broguing, or wingtip.


Someone previously mentioned Vass, which they may be looking at various Vass shoes .


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## johnpark11

I wear brown with grey more then black. Maybe she was throwing you a "neg"?


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## d95035

Personally, I don't like brown shoes with gray pinstripes, regardless of the brown/gray shades. But then, I don't really care for pinstripes, so my opinion counts even less than usual.

I think brown shoes (any shade) are THE shoes to wear with (non-pinstriped) light gray suits.

With darker gray suits, I might wear a dark brown, but probably not; I'd stick to black or maybe cordovan.

d


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## mbebeau

Brown works rather well with grey! I wouldn't say that it is AS formal as black, but it still looks fantastic.


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## Franko

Yes.

Brown shoes do work very well with grey trousers/suits.
But it desn't work the other way round.

I also wore a blue shirt with that combination in 1961.
I am still breathing and buying.

F.


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## LilacCords

Plain grey suit and brown shoes is fine - the stripe suggests business and formal attire to me so I think that without seeing the two things together that black would work better.


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## CuffDaddy

Let's settle these silly claims that stripes suddenly make brown not go with grey: The Duke of Windsor was well known for wearing brown suede brogues with his grey chalkstripe suits (usually DB'ed at that).


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## Cruiser

Brown shoes go with a gray suit.

Brown shoes do not go with a gray suit.

Both statements are correct, but since they are mutually exclusive each person must choose one or the other. It depends on whether you like the way brown shoes look with a gray suit. There is no right or wrong here.

I suspect that more people tend to think that they do not match well just going by the number of folks I see on the street wearing black shoes with gray suits; however, those who think the other way do tend to be more fashion conscious and devote more time, energy, and money to their clothing. 

It's this way with any group who's members share an interest in a particular pursuit. They like to separate themselves from the mainstrain in little ways, especially in ways that allow them to readily identify others who share their interest. It's been this way in every hobby or interest that I've ever pursued whether it is amateur astronomy, Harley-Davidsons, drag racing (many years ago), or whatever. 

I have little doubt that if Joe Sixpacks everywhere suddenly started wearing brown shoes with gray suits instead of the much more common black shoes, clothing enthusiasts would gradually evolve to another color to create this separation. There's nothing wrong with this, it's human nature.

Cruiser


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## Corcovado

If anyone ever says anything like that to you again, I recommend modeling your response on Winston Churchill's famous retort:

Bessie Braddock: “Sir, you are drunk.” 
Churchill: “Madam, you are ugly. In the morning, I shall be sober.”


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## CuffDaddy

Cruiser said:


> I suspect that more people tend to think that they do not match well just going by the number of folks I see on the street wearing black shoes with gray suits; however, those who think the other way do tend to be more fashion conscious and devote more time, energy, and money to their clothing.


I don't think the number of people wearing black shoes with grey suits means that those people don't think that brown and grey go together. It just means they feel very safe with black shoes under their grey suits, and that their black shoes go with "everything." It's an easy choice. (And one that I made today, FWIW.)

As for using the taste of the majority as an arbiter of matters of aesthetics: Thomas Kincaid is a very popular painter.


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## eagle2250

^^

Aah, may we assume, you are not a fan of the "painter of light"?


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## CuffDaddy

He's like Bob Ross, without the charm or afro. Actually, that's unfair. 

Sorry, that was a cheap shot, Bob. We miss you.


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## Cruiser

CuffDaddy said:


> As for using the taste of the majority as an arbiter of matters of aesthetics: Thomas Kincaid is a very popular painter.


I don't think that's what I did. What I said was that each person must decide for himself or herself whether or not it looks good.

For example, if someone asks you if sushi tastes good whether you answer yes or no is meaningless to someone else who might be contemplating ordering sushi. I love liver, any kind of liver. Fried chicken liver. Broiled calf liver. From my perspective it's hard to mess up liver.

Now that we know how much I love liver, does that mean that the next guy is going to love it? Of course not. I suppose that I could go on all day about the health benefits that can be derived from liver. It is a great source of vitamin B12, vitamin A, copper, folate, riboflavin, selenium, zinc, vitamin C, niacin, phosphorus, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, and iron. It is also a terrific source of protein.

Of course you can also get most of this from a sirloin steak and because I observe most of the people around me ordering steak instead of liver I think it's a safe assumption on my part that most of them prefer the taste of steak over liver. That's why when I see a majority of men wearing black shoes with gray suits I think it's safe to say that most think black looks better than brown with a gray suit.

The majority is not the arbiter of aesthetics, it's just the majority. The minority isn't the arbiter of aesthetics either because at the end of the day it's up to the individual. So do you go with the majority and order steak, or do you like a big plate of liver and onions? :icon_smile_big:

Cruiser


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## hellomarty

I hate liver. All kinds.


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## vasuvius

with light grey, I would typically choose Black, #8, Burgundy or on occassion even Walnut
with dark grey / charcoal -- pretty much any colour goes 

then again, matching colours is all about personal taste and preference - i don't really care about other people's opinions or comments


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## Jovan

WouldaShoulda said:


> You STILL don't know when someone is flirting with you??


I'm not sure why you are addressing this to me, as I'm not the original poster!


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## KenR

AHS said:


> In honor of the OP -- and to show my solidarity -- I'm going to wear a grey pinstripe suit and brown shoes.
> 
> Here's to hoping I don't get accosted!
> 
> AHS


Exactly what I am doing today. I'm wearing a pair of brown AE Hancock shoes with a Brooks mid-grey pinstripe DB suit. Not only do I feel great but I look great!


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## oroy38

In the UK I've seen that the black cap toe reigns supreme. I think it depends on what look you're going for and the context in which you are wearing them. Just as we think darker colored suits become more and more formal, we can think the same of shoes.

Match the hue of brown to the level of formality you're going for, as well as how it relates to the suit. A light grey suit will call for a lighter brown shoe. A medium grey, a medium brown. Charcoal, very dark brown or even a cordovan shoe. You don't want the contrast between shoes and suits to be too dramatic unless you're trying to make a statement.


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## Scoundrel

This shouldn't be a problem, unless you decide to use a black tie. Brown shoes and a black tie just don't look right together, according to my aesthetic. Black or cordovan in the case of a black tie. Brown shoes with no tie and an open collar looks best, IMO.


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## Scoundrel

"Nice shoes, let's..."

Good night everybody!


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## Pink and Green

Two notes:

If you're going to wear a grey suit with brown shoes, both should be distinctive. It won't do to have a detail-less boring grey suit with dressed up detailed shoes. Try a pinstripe or something with detail and some brogues, something textured.

Plain grey, pair with black cap-toes. Slightly boring, but deadly serious. Add a pocket square for the lady-killer Don Draper look. There is comfort in anonymity and looking like everyone else.


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## Richard Baker

*The Development of the Rules*

Historically and aesthetically - since Brummell - gentlemens' clothes strive to be in harmony with their surroundings, and brown is the colour of the country side, grey the colour of an urban environment. In the evening black is the colour of choice, and brown shoes with Black Tie or White Tie are ALWAYS undisputedly wrong; instinctively it is clear that black shoes are the most elegant. When living in Anglo - based countries outside North America, where wearing grey suits grey and black in the City are the rule; it looks more elegant and professional than shoes in the country colour brown. Now the suburbs are different, and here dark brown shoes, like in the picture, can look all right unless worn in certain more serious situations, e.g. law courts. In the UK grey suits and brown shoes are often regarded as incorrect, and I agree, but outside the city in less professional or official settings, it is acceptable, although never as elegant as black shoes. Flusser loved the grey + brown combination, which is derived from the sunnier climes of Italy, especially outside the Milanese professional circles, and most of the European Continent and North America's Midwest have become very Italianised. Shoe merchants love the brown shoes, for they can sell more shoes when you wear more colours. Oxblood, a typical American cordovan-derived idea, e.g. Alden's #8, fall in between brown and black as a shoe colour, and I find the combination grey - all shades - and oxblood hard to fault. Of course, we all can break the rules, out of ignorance (not forumites, of course), to make a point, or for our environment's sake.


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## Gilgamesh2003

Richard Baker said:


> ... most of the European Continent and North America's Midwest have become very Italianised...


I live in Iowa, and I must confess that I don't find the local attire particularly Italianate, unless the Italians are wearing a lot of white sneakers and faded jeans.


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## GrumF14

A Suitable Wardrobe Picture
From A Suitable Wardrobe today... you all are better at dating these drawings than I am, but it's a chalk grey flannel suit with brown Oxfords. Circa 1930s? I'd say she's been wrong for at least three quarters of a century. As for the OP, carry on with your high quality fashion, good sir. Don't let the uninformed hold you down.


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## Richard Baker

Gilgamesh2003, in most areas in the world the various social groups are influenced by various streams of traditions and developments in men's style, which co-exist in today's Industrialised societies. The American Wild-West-derived jeans look being one of the most pervasive clothing influences in the world. They co-exist with the classic style that is the basis of these forums. The arrival of brown in urban settings is understandable in areas where the cities developed out of frontier land and only comparatively recently became urbanised, so that classic urban style and frontier style co-existed, even before the post Jimmy-Dean student revolt in the 1960s glorified Jeans as a core sartorial element of the cultural rebellion, making them clothing mainstream. Two Italian influences in classic style since the larger numbers of Italians started to migrate to the USA in the beginning of the 20th century are brown shoes in urban settings and favouring odd jackets over leisure suits in one' spare time. 

As far as the dark brown shoe with a grey suit is concerned, it will always be less elegant than with black shoes, but it can serve, in the appropriate setting, as a transitional level to the odd-jacket-and-trouser combination. A lot depends on how it is done: Simply adding brown shoes to a grey suit with blue shirt and a blue and red pocket square, for instance, makes the brown shoes stick out like a sore thumb. Where, however, the shoe colour is reflected in other parts of the outfit, e.g. the shirt, pocket square, tie or hat, brown shoes appear less "stuck on" and the grey suit and the brown shoes can be tasteful, giving the suit a less elegant or casual edge, an effect that might be desired in certain suburban settings or in young cities. The photo on Will's blogsite that GrumF14 mentioned demonstrates that point by the gentleman wearing a brown fedora, although I would have preferred that another part of his outfit had taken up the brown theme too, even only very subtly. I agree that it is most likely around 1930s. So whilst the brown shoe with a grey suit is a combination that I personally will continue to eschew, in certain settings of a more suburban and rural nature it might well have a place in the wardrobe of some stylish men.


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## JerseyJohn

If it's good enough for Gene, it's good enough for me ...


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## LaoHu

JerseyJohn said:


> If it's good enough for Gene, it's good enough for me ...


^^ The people who put this together may very well have wanted to draw attention to his feet.


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## CuffDaddy

Richard Baker said:


> The arrival of brown in urban settings is understandable in areas where the cities developed out of frontier land and only comparatively recently became urbanised... As far as the dark brown shoe with a grey suit is concerned, it will always be less elegant than with black shoes


Again: Prince of Wales.


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## cmacey

Dr. François said:


> It seems like your detractor was applying a rule/law without considering the specific context. Did it look good to your eye?
> 
> I prefer brown shoes with grey until you hit the darkest of charcoals. With anything darker than medium grey, though, I like darker browns.
> 
> Brown with grey strikes me as more continental, less Anglo-American. I'm not sure if my perception is correct.
> 
> I think you probably looked great! Once your confidence was assassinated, your look probably suffered as a result.
> 
> Any chance you can put the pair of shoes next to the fabric and snap a picture?


I agree, but then again, I have always thought the brown shoe grey suit combination a very nice one. It is the brown shoe blue suit combination that always strikes me as the continental look. I am reluctant to give in and try it...


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## CuffDaddy

Richard Baker said:


> The American Wild-West-derived jeans look being one of the most pervasive clothing influences in the world. They co-exist with the classic style that is the basis of these forums. The arrival of brown in urban settings is understandable in areas where the cities developed out of frontier land and only comparatively recently became urbanised, so that classic urban style and frontier style co-existed, even before the post Jimmy-Dean student revolt in the 1960s glorified Jeans as a core sartorial element of the cultural rebellion, making them clothing mainstream. Two Italian influences in classic style since the larger numbers of Italians started to migrate to the USA in the beginning of the 20th century are brown shoes in urban settings and favouring odd jackets over leisure suits in one' spare time.


Richard, are you suggesting some correlation/connection between the prevalence of jeans and the wearing of brown shoes with grey suits? If so, that's patently ridiculous.

In fact, in America there is a strong _negative_/_inverse_ correlation between 1) those who frequently wear jeans and inject them into situations beyond the most casual and 2) those who pair brown shoes with grey suits. Wearing brown shoes with grey suits is nearly always a sign of someone who is interested in clothing. Indeed, the mere fact that they own brown, leather-soled lace-up shoes is a sign that they spend considerably more on their shoe wardrobe than the average American male. Not only are the cheapest leather-soled shoes usually available only in black and some ghastly rendition of oxblood/cordovan, virtually every brown-shoe-er also has at least one pair of black shoes. That means that, in order to even _have_ the brown dress shoes, they've had to shell out a decent amount on what amounts to an "extra" pair of shoes.

Men who wear jeans all the time, OTOH, usually have either no dress shoes, or one or a small number of black shoes. The places in America where you are most likely to see brown shoes with grey suits are the _most_ urban, sophisticated areas.


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## njkyle

upnorth said:


> Depends on the color of the brown shoe.
> 
> Also, you should not stay in the UK. I hear those bastards only wear black. ic12337:


When I lived in the UK, I occasionally wore brown shoes, but women would approach me and say...:icon_smile_wink:

Actually, brown was not common over there; and frowned upon at funerals.


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## brettski

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"I also wear my AE chili color as well."

+1 on AE's Chili color I really like it with several shades of grey.


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## Richard Baker

*Clarification*

Cuffdaddy, yes that would be wrong; I was merely pointing out two partially temporally overlapping developments in different settings and groups of society; no causal connection was intended. I agree with your statements.


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## windsor

When eating liver one should wear burgundy, merlot or cordovan colored shoes. Somehow relates better to the original color of the meat. Brown can go well with steak however.


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## beherethen

*from "A Gentleman's Wardrobe"*

Never thought this would come up in conversation

"The Duke of Windsor once caused a sensation by wearing brown suede shoes with a dark blue suit. But when a bystander expressed surprise at this sartorial _faux pas_, one of the Duke's friends justified it thus: "It would be wrong if it were a mistake. But the Duke _knows better_-so it's alright"

God bless George Washington:icon_smile:


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## Cruiser

beherethen said:


> "It would be wrong if it were a mistake. But the Duke _knows better_-so it's alright"


So I suppose if the Duke jumped off a cliff----- :icon_smile_big:

Cruiser


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## Roguls

miurasv said:


> Recently I went out with a grey pinstripe suit and brown shoes and a woman came up to me and said that my shoes didn't go with my suit. She said brown doesn't go with grey. It really p....d me off for the night. When younger I would normally have worn black with grey but I'm sure? that clothes salesmen have been telling me to wear brown and not black with grey. Did I get it wrong?


Funny, my wife and two female students mentioned this to me as well. I thought they looked good, so I ignored. I just really don't like black shoes all that much. I may try burgundy next time.


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## YoungClayB

I am considering pairing my new grey suit up with my Chili Hastings...thoughts?


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## beherethen

Cruiser said:


> So I suppose if the Duke jumped off a cliff----- :icon_smile_big:
> 
> Cruiser


If the Duke, Earl, Baron, Prince, Czar or any of them jump off a cliff, I should not try to dissuade them regardless of their shoes.:icon_smile_big:


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## dawgvet

Clay, to my taste you are on target. Good look!
Jedidiah


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## PJC in NoVa

YoungClayB said:


> I am considering pairing my new grey suit up with my Chili Hastings...thoughts?


Looks fine to me. I'd want my shirt to be eggshell/ivory, and my tie to be madder or at least madderish. As for pattern, I sense a good paisley-tie opp here.


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## ChivalryAintDead

upnorth said:


> Depends on the color of the brown shoe.
> 
> Also, you should not stay in the UK. I hear those bastards only wear black. ic12337:


I still have recurring nightmares of being sent home from school in my rather fetching dark brown brogues.


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## ChivalryAintDead

YoungClayB said:


> I am considering pairing my new grey suit up with my Chili Hastings...thoughts?


This is exactly how one of my colleagues in Napoli dresses so you have a nod from me.


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## Kingstonian

'Brown Shoes Don't Make It.'

(Mr. Frank Zappa -leading American menswear guru)


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## CuffDaddy

YoungClayB said:


> I am considering pairing my new grey suit up with my Chili Hastings...thoughts?


I like it! No wild ties with it, though. Either a muted/subdued madder, as per PJC's suggestion (if you want to drag it into a country look), or an understated navy or slate blue (for something that evokes southern Europe), or maybe a warm solid or striped red (not the cool, children's Tylenol artificial red that many ties offer).


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## beherethen

*Bauhaus Color view*

The Bauhaus people had a notion that there were various tones of colors that could be combined and that the tone or shade was more important than the color itself. So you could mix purple-green and orange, providing they had the same sort of depth. I'm not explaining this very well.
https://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-theory-basics.html
Anyway the suit and shoes shown have sort of the same depth and can be combined. 
Just throwing this out there as another way of viewing this and am not professing to be an expert on color or the Bauhaus movement for that matter.


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## YoungClayB

Thanks for the replies and advice guys. I think I'll wear this next Tuesday for a day long meeting that is planned. I have a rather subdued navy tie that should do the trick. Will post pics.


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## 46L

YoungClayB said:


> I am considering pairing my new grey suit up with my Chili Hastings...thoughts?


I think it will look great especially with the navy tie you are planning. Wear it well.


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## mysharona

miurasv said:


> Recently I went out with a grey pinstripe suit and brown shoes and* a woman* came up to me and said that my shoes didn't go with my suit. *She* said brown doesn't go with grey. It really p....d me off for the night. When younger I would normally have worn black with grey but I'm sure? that clothes salesmen have been telling me to wear brown and not black with grey. Did I get it wrong?


Note the bold print: there's your answer.


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## Cruiser

mysharona said:


> Note the bold print: there's your answer.


To each his own but I would much rather that women found my attire pleasing than other men. In fact I will go so far as to say that if women like what I'm wearing I don't care at all what the men think. And if the women don't like what I'm wearing it won't really make me feel any better if the men do.

Sometimes I'm puzzled by the seeming disregard many here seem to have for the opinions of women. When it comes to my appearance, I value the female opinion more than I do that of men. But maybe that's just me. :icon_smile:

Cruiser


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## CuffDaddy

Women's opinions as to overall appearance are valuable. Their opinions as to _why_ something looks good or does not, or whether this or that particular item "matches," are often worse than useless. Men dressed by women usually don't look good to women, including the women who dressed them - and the women don't know why. They simply _love_ that sweater... Bill just looks fatter and balder today for some mystery reason.

That's all because most women aren't fluent in men's clothes. They know a lousy outfit and a good one, just like many non-musicians know when a musician is playing out of tune. And just like the audience, few of them can articulate _why_ it sounds bad, and many fewer could teach the musician how to do it better.

Interestingly, I have *never* had a woman tell me that my brown shoes didn't "go with" my grey suits, even though I wear that combination an average of once a week, and am generally surrounded by women who are not slow to critique! If I did hear that, I would take note, and wonder what was _really_ wrong with the outfit.


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## Alfred IV

YoungClayB said:


> I am considering pairing my new grey suit up with my Chili Hastings...thoughts?


Clay - those shoes are perfect with that suit. Much better choice than black. I like the choice of a navy tie, but pink would also work.

FWIW - I rarely wear black shoes with my suits, grey, blue, charcoal. Brown shoes make a statement, where black is just boring and status quo.


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## mysharona

Cruiser said:


> Sometimes I'm puzzled by the seeming disregard many here seem to have for the opinions of women. When it comes to my appearance, I value the female opinion more than I do that of men. But maybe that's just me. :icon_smile:
> 
> Cruiser


A man should never ask a woman if something he's wearing goes with something else. If she's not a professional stylist, her advice is usually regrettable. I like it if a woman likes how I look. I won't let one dress me.


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## Cruiser

mysharona said:


> A man should never ask a woman if something he's wearing goes with something else. If she's not a professional stylist, her advice is usually regrettable. I like it if a woman likes how I look. I won't let one dress me.


If in her opinion you are wearing mismatched clothing (whether you or I consider it mismatched or not), she isn't going to like how you look. I don't let women dress me either; however, I do try to wear items of clothing and combinations of clothing that the women around me like and I avoid things that they don't like. I'm not really talking about brown shoes and gray suits or the opinion of one random woman, but women in general. And I pay particular attention to the likes and dislikes of the specific woman in my life.

Cruiser


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## mysharona

Cruiser said:


> If in her opinion you are wearing mismatched clothing (whether you or I consider it mismatched or not), she isn't going to like how you look. I don't let women dress me either; however, I do try to wear items of clothing and combinations of clothing that the women around me like and I avoid things that they don't like. I'm not really talking about brown shoes and gray suits or the opinion of one random woman, but women in general. And I pay particular attention to the likes and dislikes of the specific woman in my life.
> 
> Cruiser


A perfect example is what I wore today (see what are you wearing today thread). The pants, my wife bought for me as a birthday gift, and although I feel that they don't go with much of anything, I wear them periodically. I should have worn tan wool trousers, but I wore these as they made her smile. I paid attention to my special woman, but feel like I should have said "forget about what she thinks" and worn the tan trousers instead.


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## Sonny58

Being a woman doesn't mean you have good taste.


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## Scoundrel

Might as well beat this horse a little more: I like the suggestion of a solid navy tie with brown shoes. I like the thought of the darkest navy tie being paired with a medium-dark/dark brown pair of shoes.


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## Cruiser

mysharona said:


> A perfect example is what I wore today (see what are you wearing today thread). The pants, my wife bought for me as a birthday gift, and although I feel that they don't go with much of anything, I wear them periodically. I should have worn tan wool trousers, but I wore these as they made her smile. I paid attention to my special woman, but feel like I should have said "forget about what she thinks" and worn the tan trousers instead.


You can do both. I agree with you, I would have worn the tan pants today and found something else to wear with the pants she gave you tomorrow. If necessary I would go buy something. You would then have a happy wife (the importance of which cannot be overstated) AND you would have had nicely matching clothes on today. :icon_smile_big:

Cruiser


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## 46L

mysharona said:


> A perfect example is what I wore today (see what are you wearing today thread). The pants, my wife bought for me as a birthday gift, and although I feel that they don't go with much of anything, I wear them periodically. I should have worn tan wool trousers, but I wore these as they made her smile. I paid attention to my special woman, but feel like I should have said "forget about what she thinks" and worn the tan trousers instead.


You did the right thing. Your wife's smile trumps the tan pants. I have a few items that need to be worn occasionally for my wife to see her gifts in action.


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## NYtoNOLA

The rudeness of approaching a stranger to correct their choices in clothes, vastly outweighs all else.

Especially considering that she was just assuming that the safe bet is the only correct bet.


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## stevelovescufflinks

*Brown can go with gray*

Brown can go with gray, but the lighter brown may look a little odd.
Stick with the darker brown

Steve
Cufflinks Depot King


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## mysharona

46L said:


> You did the right thing. Your wife's smile trumps the tan pants. I have a few items that need to be worn occasionally for my wife to see her gifts in action.


LOL. I think we're on the same page here.


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## FashionPhilistine

*Light Grey Suit Colour Combinations*

I have a light grey suit question and I thought this would be the best place to ask it. I was wondering what colour shirts people think go with light grey suits? I have a date tomorrow and I'm torn between a lilac and a navy dress shirt, but I think the navy might be too much of a contrast with the suit.


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## mysharona

FashionPhilistine said:


> I have a light grey suit question and I thought this would be the best place to ask it. I was wondering what colour shirts people think go with light grey suits? I have a date tomorrow and I'm torn between a lilac and a navy dress shirt, but I think the navy might be too much of a contrast with the suit.


out of the two options, lilac. Better would be light blue if you're not wearing white. Navy, IMO, works better for khaki or cream colored suits or lighter colors than grey, but never with a tie. I can see navy working with a very light dove grey, but again, sans tie. And preferrably with a poket square that compliments the shirt.


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## FashionPhilistine

I was planning on wearing it without a tie to go for a more casual look. There's a picture of the suit except mine's a one-button version. I do have a light blue shirt but it's not as good quality as the lilac (and the lilac has French cuffs, which I'm a big fan of). Other options are teal, burgundy, white and pale yellow if you think any of them would look better?


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## Cruiser

FashionPhilistine said:


> I was planning on wearing it without a tie to go for a more casual look.


In that case the navy blue shirt would be a good choice for a date. After all you don't want to give the impression that you are on your way to work. :icon_smile_big:

Cruiser


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## FashionPhilistine

Cruiser said:


> In that case the navy blue shirt would be a good choice for a date. After all you don't want to give the impression that you are on your way to work. :icon_smile_big:


Haha I know, I was worried that wearing a suit at all would be too formal, but it is a very casual suit and I like the way it looks. So you don't think the contrast between navy and light grey would be too stark?


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## Cruiser

FashionPhilistine said:


> So you don't think the contrast between navy and light grey would be too stark?


For a date? No. Apparently guys like Dick Cavett and Charlie Watts weren't concerned about this either.



















Cruiser


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## FashionPhilistine

Wow. That blue suit is especially lurid. Hopefully I'll look a little less like a bad guy from Starsky and Hutch than those two do.


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## Jovan

Cruiser: Respectfully, he's an adult. He can wear a light shirt and tie on a date and not look like he's going to work.


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## miurasv

Charlie Watts can wear whatever he likes and it's cool as the drummer from the greatest band on the planet, ever. Well, him or Ringo anyway. Fact!


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## Cruiser

Jovan said:


> Cruiser: Respectfully, he's an adult. He can wear a light shirt and tie on a date and not look like he's going to work.


Actually I was just making a joke. I often wear a light gray shirt with a charcoal suit for social occasions. My only point was that the navy shirt will be fine for what he described, where it might be less appropriate for many business settings. In fact, when I'm not wearing a tie I wear a white shirt with my navy suit more often than not.

Cruiser


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