# Different Colors With A Charcoal Suit



## welldressedfellow (May 28, 2008)

I must confess,I am awful when it comes to color coordinating,so I'm bringing my predicament to the Forum.

When it comes to charcoal suits,I usually wear only one color shirt,white,but lately I've been wanting to experiment with different colors,what are my options here?I love contrasting collars/cuffs,so would a dark blue w/ white collars/cuffs be acceptable,or should I go with lighter colors?Also,what tie colors are approriate?


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

Charcoal is the universal suit color. It's hard to go really wrong in the shirt 'n' tie-matching area when charcoal is your sartorial backdrop.

I'm personally okay with white-contrast collar shirts, but I think these look best when the shirt body is not too dark. A pale blue is alright, but royal or other deep blues look cheesy with white collars IMO--this could be related to the circumstance that these kinds of "strong" or "jewel tone" colors are a bit on the less dressy side to begin with, which (again, IMO) makes them not the first option for wear with suits, and also makes them not so suitable for a "high business formal" touch like a contrasting collar.

Here is my idea of a really classic contrast-collar shirt. If I had only one such shirt, it would most likely be this one:


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## Dandy (Aug 7, 2008)

pretty much anything goes with a charcoal grey, just make sure you tie it all together with your tie.. if you want to go for something really trendy try a black shirt without a tie.. also, if you have lighter features, try and stick to lighter colored shirts


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## welldressedfellow (May 28, 2008)

PJC in NoVa said:


> Charcoal is the universal suit color. It's hard to go really wrong in the shirt 'n' tie-matching area when charcoal is your sartorial backdrop.
> 
> I'm personally okay with white-contrast collar shirts, but I think these look best when the shirt body is not too dark. A pale blue is alright, but royal or other deep blues look cheesy with white collars IMO--this could be related to the circumstance that these kinds of "strong" or "jewel tone" colors are a bit on the less dressy side to begin with, which (again, IMO) makes them not the first option for wear with suits, and also makes them not so suitable for a "high business formal" touch like a contrasting collar.
> 
> Here is my idea of a really classic contrast-collar shirt. If I had only one such shirt, it would most likely be this one:


What do you think of a pink/white herringbone?


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## welldressedfellow (May 28, 2008)

Dandy said:


> pretty much anything goes with a charcoal grey, just make sure you tie it all together with your tie.. if you want to go for something really trendy try a black shirt without a tie.. also, if you have lighter features, try and stick to lighter colored shirts


I'm not a very "trendy" person.


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## JordanH. (Jul 31, 2008)

pink shirt and maroon tie for a very easy get up. light blue and navy for another easy one. 

i'd wear a white shirt and one of my navy ties for a very conservative look. 
pink shirt with my brown knit tie and my pink with olive paisley pocket square and dark brown shoes for a "Jordan is just a tad bit crazy" look


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

welldressedfellow said:


> What do you think of a pink/white herringbone?


I own a couple of shirts in pink end-on-end with white collars and double cuffs. I usually wear them with a navy pinstriped suit and a navy tie with pink in the pattern. I haven't worn this combo with charcoal but my hunch is it would probably work with that suit shade as well. It's tough to go wrong with charcoal.


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## ilikeyourstyle (Apr 24, 2007)

I actually prefer light blue shirts to white shirts when wearing a charcoal suit...but I agree that charcoal essentially goes with everything. As for contrasting coloured cuffs/collars, I really don't like that look.


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## Falconboy (May 10, 2008)

A lavender shirt with a purple tie wins me many compliments. I'm not sure why other combinations don't seem to garner as many.


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## ChicagoMediaMan-27 (Feb 23, 2008)

Light blue, medium blue, pink, lavender, light gray, just to name a few. I have a white shirt with a dark-reddish/maroon pattern that I love wearing with my charcoal suit. I would just avoid wearing a shirt that is too dark in color.


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