# Ties for grey suits?



## zaxer (Dec 2, 2007)

Hello guys, I hope you can help me with this one.

All suits I own are blue, all my suit shirts are blue and (almost) all my ties are (again) blue, therefore combining greatly with my blue shirts and suits.

I have just ordered my first grey suit (a dark grey herringbone) and, although all my blue shirts will go well with It, I do not think my blue ties will. 

So, can you help me expand my tie collection beyond the blues by recommending me geat tie colors for a dark grey suit?


Thanks!


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

I think you've got this all backwards. A navy blue tie is the most reliably elegant, understated accompanyment to a grey suit. (Conversely, grey or dark silver ties work very reliably with navy suits.)

Here's a couple of excellent posts by Will on that very point:
https://asuitablewardrobe.dynend.com/2008/08/any-time-colors.html
https://asuitablewardrobe.dynend.com/2008/06/avoiding-monochrome.html

But, the grey suit works with almost any color of necktie. The constraint becomes the shirt, and the overall effect that you're going for.


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

Blue ties go fine with gray.

Wearing a blue shirt and tie with a blue suit strikes me as too monochromatic.


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## Dingo McPhee (Aug 13, 2009)

Your blues will work, but might be a little dull. How about...
Red/burgundy
Gold
Yellow
Black


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## zaxer (Dec 2, 2007)

CuffDaddy said:


> I think you've got this all backwards. A navy blue tie is the most reliably elegant, understated accompanyment to a grey suit. (Conversely, grey or dark silver ties work very reliably with navy suits.)
> 
> Here's a couple of excellent posts by Will on that very point:
> https://asuitablewardrobe.dynend.com/2008/08/any-time-colors.html
> ...


Thanks for the posts CuffDaddy. I have a similar tie to the one Montezemolo is wearing (blue and white polka dot), I will try It with the grey suit, but the combination stills seems odd to me.



Dingo McPhee said:


> Your blues will work, but might be a little dull. How about...
> Red/burgundy
> Gold
> Yellow
> Black


Red/burgundy was my first option but I don't think I can go through gold, yellow o black...

This is the cloth I chose for the suit.


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## dingbat (Jul 24, 2008)

Navy ties work excellently with grey suits, however, you won't set them to their best advantage by wearing blue shirts all the time. Suggest you acquire a blue/white bengal stripe shirt and one in pale pink, both of which work excellently with a grey suit of any shade and either a navy or burgundy tie.


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## shirtguy (Oct 12, 2006)

red
light blue 
burgundy
pink
puple
lavender
navy
yellow with light blue


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## Pmowen (Oct 3, 2009)

This is one of my all time favorite looks:



The combo I'm talking about is the one Montezemolo is wearing in the middle.

First post! Woo!


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

A dark-blue tie with white dots worn with a gray suit is one of the most classic combinations going.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Get yourself some solid white shirts, stat! Those should be the bedrock of any man's wardrobe. And yes, just about anything will work with grey, especially with the aforementioned.


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## Mike Petrik (Jul 5, 2005)

Jovan said:


> Get yourself some solid white shirts, stat! Those should be the bedrock of any man's wardrobe. And yes, just about anything will work with grey, especially with the aforementioned.


I agree. I think part of the problem is that many men do not regard dark (charcoal) gray and dark (navy) blue as intuitively compatible. And indeed, even many well-dressed men do not prefer to pair charcoal trousers with a navy blazer, even though there is wide concensus that this is a perfectly acceptable classic look. But for some reason few well-dressed men believe that ties present a similar difficulty. A navy tie probably does look better with a medium gray suit than a dark gray suit, but it is a perfectly good look either way. And I would add that a striped or patterned tie with navy as a secondary color almost always pairs acceptably with a gray suit, no matter how dark the gray, though I believe many men avoid this due to the unwarranted fear that the dark blue would contrast poorly with the dark gray.


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

I've always liked maroon, or burgundy, with gray. This is a picture I first posted a few weeks ago. It shows one of my favorite combinations.










Cruiser


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

I've always been of the opinion that burgundy/wine/maroon/deep-reddish ties go quite well with either navy or dark gray. (I consider burgundy sort of the "universal" tie color on account of its great versatility.)

With my navy suits, I tend mostly (but not always) to avoid navy-ground ties, and go instead with something either wine, red, gray, gold, or light blue in its base color. 

There's nothing actually "wrong" with the navy jacket/navy tie look--it hardly appears garishly "off" or anything (how could it?)--I just find it a little dull.

When I do wear a navy-ground tie with a navy suit or blazer, it's usually got bright secondary colors such as pink or lilac in it, just to liven things up a bit.


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## DCLawyer68 (Jun 1, 2009)

*perhaps I just lack imagination*



CuffDaddy said:


> I think you've got this all backwards. A navy blue tie is the most reliably elegant, understated accompanyment to a grey suit. (Conversely, grey or dark silver ties work very reliably with navy suits.)
> 
> Here's a couple of excellent posts by Will on that very point:
> https://asuitablewardrobe.dynend.com/2008/08/any-time-colors.html
> ...


CD,

Totally agree that blue ties go with most grays. I don't like them with charcoal however. (I've got a navy tie with small polka dots with my dark gray stripe today).

Have any pics to change my mind on that? I've been avoiding charcoal so maximize my versatility - perhaps I just lack imagination.


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## Svenn (Sep 10, 2009)

I have a serious problem trying to find good colors for my medium gray suit. Any color I choose for the tie, when combined with the gray, ends up looking like weaker, watered-down versions of color combinations you'd see on a darker suit... it's really hard to get a strong contrast. So far, the best combo I've found is a black or black/white/silver tie... anything lighter just ends up looking too casual. Does anyone else understand where I'm coming from?


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## Acct2000 (Sep 24, 2005)

I would think that a red or burgundy would solve that problem.

Almost any color should work for you.


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## JibranK (May 28, 2007)

zaxer said:


> Hello guys, I hope you can help me with this one.
> 
> All suits I own are blue, all my suit shirts are blue and (almost) all my ties are (again) blue, therefore combining greatly with my blue shirts and suits.
> 
> ...


Black knit tie.


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## zaxer (Dec 2, 2007)

Another grey suit / blue tie combo (plus turnback cuffs).


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

PJC in NoVa said:


> A dark-blue tie with white dots worn with a gray suit is one of the most classic combinations going.


Gadzooks, that's what I wore yesterday!


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

Svenn said:


> I have a serious problem trying to find good colors for my medium gray suit. Any color I choose for the tie, when combined with the gray, ends up looking like weaker, watered-down versions of color combinations you'd see on a darker suit... it's really hard to get a strong contrast.


Light suits are always going to be lower contrast and marginally less formal than an equivalent suit in a dark color. If you're going for a severe, authoratative look, just stick with dark suits.


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## JibranK (May 28, 2007)

zaxer said:


> Another grey suit / blue tie combo (plus turnback cuffs).


That is probably my favourite grey suit outfit ever. "Make sure he doesn't get away"


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## VictorRomeo (Sep 11, 2009)

Good day Gentlemen, my first post to this great forum lands here.

Personally, I'm very fond of a black tie(or black with a little silver) & white shirt and white pocket square combination with grey suit. 

That said, the grey shown in that lovely fabric sample goes with most anything. Very versatile.

Vincent.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

zaxer said:


> Another grey suit / blue tie combo (plus turnback cuffs).


Connery had the best clothes of any Bond, hands down. That grenadine is fantastic.


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## FIHTies (Jun 24, 2004)

https://fromthewaistup.wordpress.com/


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## amplifiedheat (Jun 9, 2008)

Svenn said:


> I have a serious problem trying to find good colors for my medium gray suit. Any color I choose for the tie, when combined with the gray, ends up looking like weaker, watered-down versions of color combinations you'd see on a darker suit... it's really hard to get a strong contrast. So far, the best combo I've found is a black or black/white/silver tie... anything lighter just ends up looking too casual. Does anyone else understand where I'm coming from?


I know what you mean. Try a brighter red knit tie.


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## 127.72 MHz (Feb 16, 2007)

Another example for me. I'm just not a three button kind of a guy. (3/2 sacks don't count!)
Yet even though I could not see myself wearing the suit on the right, just look at the way his lapels drape/ roll. Look at the shoulders and arm holes.

I agree, the gentleman in the center shows very well.

Great post.



Pmowen said:


> This is one of my all time favorite looks:
> 
> The combo I'm talking about is the one Montezemolo is wearing in the middle.
> 
> First post! Woo!


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## zaxer (Dec 2, 2007)

Hi guys, the suit is finished.

I wore It yesterday for the first time and I followed your advice, I chose a blue/white dots Brooks Brothers tie.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Full pictures, please!


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## TBOWES (Nov 29, 2007)

I like navy and burgundy ties with grey suits.


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