You can pick up formal shirts in all kinds of colours these days, but the most popular options remain white, blue, and pink. Pairing the colour and style of your tie to the colour of your shirt is a vital part of looking well-dressed, so we thought we’d provide a quick overview of how to bring together the right type of tie with each popular colour of shirt.  

White Shirts

  White shirts are truly a blank canvas. As such, it’s hard to really go wrong with your tie, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use the crisp white background more effectively with certain ties. It’s more about colour than design – with the white to work against, you can opt for deeper and more vibrant colours than you could with a blue or pink shirt. Solid colour ties often work well when you really want to make a statement, but stripes and checks are just as good.  

Blue Shirts

  It’s a little easier to make a misstep when you go for a blue shirt. Of course, that risk also presents a measure of opportunity – this is a chance to show off your ability to match colours and styles away from the safe neutrality of pure white. In general, you’ll find that blue shirts work well with patterned or textured ties. Blue-on-blue isn’t great, but green makes a nice choice for a look at once refined and subdued. To go bolder, look to darker oranges, yellows, and reds.  

Pink Shirts

  Pink shirts are even more of a risk. They’re a trendy item, and it takes a little bit of guts to wear one, so you need to make sure your tie selection is on point. Opting for similar colours, such as purple and mauve, will work – just make sure you select a shade that’s darker than the tie itself. For contrasting colours, light blue often works. Because pink is such a vibrant colour, the main rule is to keep the colour and shade of the tie relatively subdued.