Putting Together Shirt and Tie Combo

[KentDog]

I wear a tie once or twice a week for work, but find it hard to pick out combinations that look good. Of course, most ties go well over the traditional white or light blue shirt, but what else looks good? I don't need to look spectacular at work or anything, but occassionally, I will have business meetings involving people from outside the company where I will enter business negotiations (vendors, logisitics companies, etc.) and I want to make a good impression during these meetings. I am 23 and not looking for a boring look.

 

[I Are Baboon]

I wear a tie to work every day. I probably own 50 ties. I'm really not that good at picking out shirt and tie combos either, so I stick to mostly solid colors shirts, although I do have a few stripes ones. If a shirt has a pattern, I have a real hard time matching the tie. Most solid colored dress shirts look perfectly professional. Get the actual sized shirts, not small, medium, large ones. (I'm a 16 34/35.) It's real easy to match a tie to a solid color shirt. As long as it doesn't look awful, you're good to go. Of course, with colored shirts you also have to be concerned about matching the shirt with your pants.

I rarely wear a solid white dress shirt. They are boring as hell.

I real don't feel like I've been all that helpful here.

 

[MCx2]

^^ lol

 

[KentDog]

I know what you mean about the solid colored shirts. I used to think these were too plain, so right when I graduated, the bulk of shirts that I had bought had some kind of stripe design. After I started wearing ties, I found it hard to match shirt with tie (especially since I have a lot of stripe ties).

I only buy the sized shirts for work; fitted ones when I can. The general sized shirts I wear casually when going out to dinner or to a bar/club. Another pain in my ass... For my neck size (16.5"), the shirts fit too loose (mostly around the waist, causing the puffy look) when not fitted. This has made me want to get a few shirts tailored, but this is expensive. I have also resorted to buying smaller sized shirts (say 15 or 15.5") to get a better body fit, but then I have to wear the shirts with the top button undone when wearing a tie. Though this look isn't bad, it's not that great for work on the most part depending on how small the neck size actually is.

I think plain white is too boring too, but I've started liking the solid white shirts with some kind of texture design to them. I feel these are a good look. I also like to wear dress shirts with french cuffs.

Are most of your dress shirts white and light blue? I feel like I need to buy more white and light blue shirts, or at least focus solely on solid colored shirts from here on out.

 

[I Are Baboon]

Are most of your dress shirts white and light blue? I feel like I need to buy more white and light blue shirts, or at least focus solely on solid colored shirts from here on out.

I have a couple of light blue ones, and I have a few solid white one that I honestly can not remember the last time they got worn. I have solid shirts of all different colors: blues, reds, greens, greys, etc etc. I probably have 25 shirts or so. My wife says I'm a clothes whore.

Yeah, the fitted ones are nice but hard to find. I have the best luck at outlet stores like Geoffrey Beene and Perry Ellis. Always lots of colors in the fitted style at those stores.

 

[largepkg]

My rule has always been the more earth tone the shirt the duller the tie. ie tan shirt w/ light color tie and the more loud the shirt the more loud the tie. Sometimes I'm sure I look like bozo the clown but what the hell...

 

[Witchblade]

I don't understand why there's so much fuss about 'respectable outfits'. Just wear any combination you like and feel comfortable with. It's not like there are laws for this shit, it's all subjective.

 

[maniclion]

When I used to have to wear shirt and ties I had several Jerry Garcia print ties, I like solid color shirts with unique textures. Boss makes really nice ones.... I also like brushed cotton dress shirts....

 

[TexanTA1996]

Don't wear a tie without a jacket unless you sell cell phones at the mall for a living. If you want some good tips, check out Style Forum - Discussion of Men's Clothing, Streetwear, Denim, Health, & Lifestyle

 

[maniclion]

Don't wear a tie without a jacket unless you sell cell phones at the mall for a living. If you want some good tips, check out Style Forum - Discussion of Men's Clothing, Streetwear, Denim, Health, & Lifestyle

OH YEAH, come to my island and see how long you can last wearing a full suit. Hell most business men don't even wear shirt and ties here it's aloha shirts and thin slacks. Better to dress less formal than to be sweat drenched and smell like a pigs armpit....

 

[I Are Baboon]

Don't wear a tie without a jacket unless you sell cell phones at the mall for a living. If you want some good tips, check out Style Forum - Discussion of Men's Clothing, Streetwear, Denim, Health, & Lifestyle

I'm supposed to sit in a cubicle all day wearing a sports coat?

I'm pretty sure I earn more than a cell phone rep.

 

[TexanTA1996]

You asked a style related question, sorry. Wearing a tie without a jacket looks bad from a professional fashion standpoint. Nobody said you couldn't take the jacket off while at work, but a tie should never be worn without a jacket unless you're wearing a skinny tie with jeans, or some other similar fashionable attire. I wasn't referring to a sports coat, which is not business attire. I'm talking about a suit.

 

[maniclion]

You asked a style related question, sorry. Wearing a tie without a jacket looks bad from a professional fashion standpoint. Nobody said you couldn't take the jacket off while at work, but a tie should never be worn without a jacket unless you're wearing a skinny tie with jeans, or some other similar fashionable attire. I wasn't referring to a sports coat, which is not business attire. I'm talking about a suit.

So you're ok'ing the hipster tie with jeans thing but professionals who do the slacks with tie thing are fasion faux pastanistas? Sorry but tie with jeans is worse than tie, dress shirt and nice dress slacks sans coat....

 

[TexanTA1996]

So you're ok'ing the hipster tie with jeans thing but professionals who do the slacks with tie thing are fasion faux pastanistas? Sorry but tie with jeans is worse than tie, dress shirt and nice dress slacks sans coat....

A tie with jeans, done right, is completely acceptable. It's very rarely ever done right, though. A tie with no jacket doesn't look right. Read around the style forums, you'll find that it's a pretty common law...Read around this forum, it's one of the biggest fashion forums for men. You'll find roughly 30 thousand people who disagree with you...Men's Clothing - Style Forum

 

[I Are Baboon]

30,000 metrosexuals must be right.

 

[tucker01]

Wow this thread got gay quickly.

 

[TexanTA1996]

30,000 metrosexuals must be right.

Most of the people on there are old school. It's primarily a forum about dress clothing, higher-end suits, shoes etc...Not men's beauty products.

 

[maniclion]

Most of the people on there are old school. It's primarily a forum about dress clothing, higher-end suits, shoes etc...Not men's beauty products.

Like Brat Pack Old School with the fedora and vest to match their tie and jeans old school...

 

[KentDog]

What do you guys think of the following outfit for a friend's wedding?:

The shirt's got some texture to it which I like, and has French cuffed sleeves. Here's an alternative shirt I was considering without French cuff, and with vertical texture:

I'm on the fence about what tie to wear as well. The three ties pictured above are my first picks. However, I have a few other to choose from if you guys think the above three suck:

Would like serious input.

 

[maniclion]

I would either do the 7th from the left or third from the right but those are the only ties out of all I would own anyway, I'm very picky about ties I like odd designs. But also I haven't had to wear a tie regularly for several years so what do I know....

 

[TexanTA1996]

You're going to a wedding and you aren't wearing a suit? Don't wear a french cuff shirt without a jacket. Cuff links and no jacket = no idea how to dress.

 

[KentDog]

You're going to a wedding and you aren't wearing a suit? Don't wear a french cuff shirt without a jacket. Cuff links and no jacket = no idea how to dress.

Thanks. I asked a few other people and they said the same thing about the suit. I guess I'll be wearing a suit then.

What do you think about a navy suit over the white french-cuffed dress shirt and pink tie?

 

[TexanTA1996]

What do you think about a navy suit over the white french-cuffed dress shirt and pink tie?

It's really a matter of opinion. There are such things as "wedding ties", but not many people would know or care about that. You should be fine as long as you're in a suit.