OVERDRESSING – Arthur’s Guide to Suit Colors
Some of you may not even own a single suit, but would like to. Others might be wanting to expand your selection of suits, but are afraid of buying something ridiculous and regretting it. Many internet guides I’ve come across don’t take into account that most of us are pretty much poor, some even unemployed, and many don’t care about suits whatsoever. We can’t all be Barney Stinson, so I’ve decided to gear my series towards those who don’t have a ton of money to spend and don’t want a closet full of suits.
Suit Colors
The first thing you need to decide is what you want your suit to do for you. Will you be wearing this out on the town? To church? To funerals or business meetings?
1. Darker, more solid-colored suits are considered more formal than lighter suits or suits with visible pinstripes or patterns. You can wear a more formal suit to a lighter occasion, but you shouldn’t wear a less formal suit to an important formal occasion.
2. You might be a bit overwhelmed with all the colors of ties, shirts, pocket squares, shoes, and shirts available to you. But no need to be overwhelmed. Your suit is your base that you build everything else from, so start with that. Your ties, shirts, shoes, and pocket squares will all depend on what color suit you get.
3. If you only want one suit, I suggest a charcoal gray or black suit, without heavy patterns or pinstripes. These colors give you the most options with shirt and ties. You can consider this suit your “workhorse” suit that you can take to many occasions, formal and less formal. Once you have this suit, you can try branching out to other colors.
4. If you have your “workhorse” suit and want more, I suggest looking at navy blue, lighter gray, olive, and dark brown suits. If you’re in the Deep South like me and dark suits mean you’re baking in 100-degree weather, try a lighter tan or brown suit – they’re in fashion down here for a reason. Pinstripes and patterns are okay, but will require a little more coordination with shirts and tie selections (more on that later).
5. Some say that you can match a suit with your complexion. Darker men should check out dark brown and olive suits. Men with fairer skin but dark hair should wear contrasting colors (black suits with white shirts). Men with fair skin and hair can try lighter colored suits (light brown, tan, blue). However, everyone looks good in a black or charcoal gray suit, so if in doubt go with that.
6. Blue suits are said to give off a more youthful appearance, while black and gray accentuate maturity and experience.
