Friday, January 30, 2015

Friday Faux Pas: Darker Than Your Shirt

One of the "rules" of men's styling for the longest time has been having a tie that is darker than the shirt you're wearing. For some reason that seems to be more of a blanket regulation for menswear newbies so they don't have any missteps, but times have changed and so has style.
Stylish? Yes, but a bit forgettable.
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of this rule is "What if I'm wearing a black shirt?" and then the predicament when wearing a white tie, which according to this rule, can only really be worn with a white shirt. A new rule should be drawn up consisting of shirt and tie combos having some level of contrast to them, whether in texture, color, or fabric, to draw and attract the eye. Needless to say, it is easier to find variety in the patterns and fabrics of a tie as opposed to what would be available for shirts, so being adventurous with the tie and subdued with the shirt proves to be a common feature of most mens' styles. That's not to say that always has to be the case; sometimes a shirt will have more texture or playing off the similar patterns with both to create some complexity are all up for grabs, but simply voiding this option in your daily style should not be an option. Take every opportunity to make a statement without screaming for attention.
Mix'n'match and get some great results.
Check in tomorrow for a stylish celebrity influence and next Friday for another installment of my fashion faux pas!

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