If you’ve ever been to London, you know there’s pretty much a city-wide dress code.
It’s a navy or grey suit with a white shirt underneath. The only room for individualism is in the tie. You can choose black or red. Those are your options.
But if you live anywhere else, the blue suit is an excellent choice because it’s so versatile. For younger gents looking to get their first suit, I always recommend navy.
Black suits are stuffy and best saved for formal occasions. While your white linen suit is for wind-swept photoshoots on the beach. But your blue suit fits in well at the office, weddings, or even just going out on a Saturday night dressed to kill.
Unless you’re trying to make a wild fashion statement, you’ll want to stick with shirts that pair well with your suit. So what color combos look the best?
We’ve broken down 13 of the classiest blue suit combinations (plus bonus tips on which color tie to pair). It’s our mission to put an end to the question of what to wear with a blue suit.
Ready?
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What Color Shirt Should You Wear With a Blue Suit?
Twilight fans argue team Edward or team Jacob. Game of Thrones fans argue team Stark or team Greyjoy.
And men’s fashion blogs argue team blue suit vs team grey suit.
If you ask me which camp I’m in—well, I’m with you, man. Blue suit all the way.
But if you’re in the market for your second suit or beyond, a deep charcoal grey is a fantastic choice.
Once you have a well-fitting tailored suit, most of your work is done. Now you just need to find the right compliments to make your look pop.
All the shirts I’m using for these examples are from Italian made-to-measure shirt brand, Apposta. We reviewed Apposta last year and loved their fit and quality.
Apposta manages to justify its premium price tag through its fabric and shirtmaking quality, made-to-measure fit, and bewildering customization choice---spearheaded by an impressively seamless online ordering system.
I picked up a few more shirts for this article (my first time, Taylor was our lucky Apposta model last time), and I’m really impressed with the fit.
I’ve always known that my left arm was slightly longer than my right, and most shirts show this (it’s not enough for anyone by myself to notice, thankfully). But Apposta has applied my home measurements accurately, and the sleeves fit properly. Hoorah.
Knowing these shirts were well worth the investment, I picked up a few that would compliment my blue suits.
Here’s what they look like in action.
Blue Suit / White Shirt
Best tie colors: Red, Burgundy, Black
The blue and white color combo is as classic as you can go. But classic doesn’t mean boring. This combination leaves a ton of room for you to add in your personal flair.
It’s all about the tie you choose.
Tie colors like red and burgundy suggest power, so they’re a great choice for the office. A slim black tie lends a modern edge with a hint of formality.
But it doesn’t have to be all serious. The blue suit and white shirt combination creates a blank canvas for you to add an accessory to showcase your personality. For me, that means yellow silk floral patterned tie.
It’s a timeless look, so if you’re thinking about building a collection of shirts for your wardrobe, white is the best place to start.
Blue Suit / Dark Blue Shirt
Best tie colors: Black, Yellow
Here’s a crispy combo—the blue suit and dark blue shirt. The key to making this look pop is to differentiate your textures.
For instance, the heavier texture in this Apposta shirt contrasts with the fabric of my suit. While the colors are similar, there’s enough difference to stand out.
If the color and texture are too similar, your shirt will get lost. Plus, mixing textures lends a richness to your outfit that’s hard to achieve otherwise.
Blue Suit / Pink Shirt
Best tie colors: Navy tie with floral pattern
One of my personal favorites, the blue suit and pink shirt combination is both fun and professional.
Antonio Centeno at RealMenRealStyle wrote a great article describing how pink has a long history as a masculine color and only recently gained a reputation as “lady-like.”
It’s been a long time since 4th grade, so I’m going to agree with Antonio and say that pink is one of the best colors a guy can wear—especially when paired with a blue suit.
Light pink shirts have a similar color value as white shirts, meaning you can pair a wide variety of ties with them. But pink suggests power, warmth, and confidence all at the same time.
Adding a navy tie with a floral pattern (preferably with pink hues mixed in) is a knock-out combination. That sort of attention to detail shows you’re a man who knows how to take care of himself, and that’s sure to draw more than a few looks your way.
Blue Suit / Floral Shirt
Best tie colors: Solid Blue
Floral shirts always make a statement when paired with a suit. If you choose to wear a tie with this look, try and match the color with your suit. If you add in another color or pattern, you’ll take attention away from the floral shirt—or worse, it’ll clash.
I wanted a floral pattern for more relaxed occasions, so when ordering through Apposta, I opted to go with a band-collar.
I love the band-collar style and I think we’ll see more of it as less workplaces are requiring ties as part of their professional dress code.
Blue Suit / Light Blue Shirt
Best tie colors: Navy, Red, Yellow, Stripes
Another timeless classic here—the light blue shirt runs along the same lines as the white and light pink shirt. You have almost unlimited versatility for your accessories.
Again, a red tie with classic accessories like silver or gold cufflinks and tie-bar will communicate power and confidence. A yellow tie is more relaxed, but still full of energy. Navy is the safe yet classic choice. I could go on, but you get the idea—you’ve got options.
Blue Suit / Grey Shirt
Best tie colors: Grey stripe, Red
When pairing your blue suit with a grey shirt, try to compliment both with a tie that incorporates both colors. The most important factor here is that your grey shirt is a lighter hue than your suit. So if you have a charcoal grey shirt, it’s best to pair that with a deep navy suit.
Blue Suit / Black Shirt
Best tie colors: Black
Want to stand out? This color combo is for you.
It works best to pair a black shirt with a mid-tone blue suit (like royal). A black shirt also works with a navy suit, but the effect is less dramatic. The more contrast you can get between colors, the better.
You have far fewer tie options with this combination. You can go with a black tie, or a tie the same color as your suit. Those are your two choices. Adding any extra colors will only distract from the look. But pair this up with some black shoes and you’ll be looking sleek and dapper.
We felt the navy suit was such a classic piece of any man’s wardrobe, it deserved a section all to itself.
Navy suits are the perfect beginner suit because they’re appropriate just about everywhere.
Except on your next spelunking adventure.
If I had to throw away all of my suits but one, I’d keep my navy (but I’d shed a silent tear for my green suit).
Here are the best color combos.
Best tie colors: Emerald Green, Yellow Floral, Red Stripe
A white shirt holds up with any color suit. Again, your accessories are what will complete this outfit. Showcase your fun-loving personality with a yellow floral tie. Another unique look is an emerald green silk tie to add a dash of color while still remaining professional.
Best tie colors: Light Grey, Red, Burgundy
While pairing a navy suit with a light blue shirt is an easy task, it’s more difficult when you get into the mid-tones like royal blue.
If you’re looking to pair your navy suit with a mid-tone blue, keep your tie simple, like a light grey or burgundy.
Best tie colors: Deep Purple, Charcoal, Light Blue
Something as traditional as a navy suit practically begs for less traditional colors like pink and purple.
Adding a dash of color is an excellent choice for springtime weddings and nights out on the town. If you’re pairing navy and purple, keep your ties either light or dark—don’t settle on a mid-tone. Choices like deep purple, charcoal, or light blue will compliment without becoming a distraction.
Best tie colors: Navy Striped, Charcoal, Light Blue Floral
It’s a bold move going with the red shirt and navy suit. I like your style.
This is a much trickier look to pull off, though it looks amazing with a three-piece navy suit.
Because red is such a bold color, you’ll want to find creative ways to tone it down.
A navy tie, either striped or solid, will bridge the outfit together nicely. And as I mentioned earlier, a navy vest underneath your coat tones the brightness down.
Red and white checked shirts are safer, but still have a bold edge to them that can look fantastic if you take measures to tone the style down with your accessories.
Best tie colors: Grey and Blue Striped, Yellow Patterned
Navy and grey work together in one of two ways: if they’re the same value, like a navy and charcoal, you’ve got a winner. Or if the grey is very light—more comparable to a light blue or pink shirt—it’ll also match.
Because these are both neutral colors and there isn’t much contrast, this style looks fantastic paired with a heavily textured knit tie.
Best tie colors: Mid-Tone Blue
Navy suit and light blue shirt is another workday classic that’s hard to beat. An interesting way to add intrigue to this combination is by choosing a mid-tone blue tie. You might not think it, but varying the blues in your outfit adds a lot of contrast for an appealing style.
Blue Suit Color Options
Light Blue Suit
This is some advanced suit-wearing right here. The light blue suit isn’t something you merely dabble in. No, you must commit.
Whether you like it or not, a light blue suit is a statement. Use your statement for the powers of good. It’s best to pair this with a white or light blue shirt. If you want to pair with a tie, you can venture into pale pink and yellow territories, but be careful not to add in any vibrant colors—the combination is simply too loud.
Brown shoes fit perfectly, and if you have a pair of white leather loafers, this is your golden opportunity.
Mid Blue Suit
Mid blue suits have been gaining in popularity over the past decade as more young professionals are looking to branch out a bit but stay classy.
I’ve yet to see a man who doesn’t look good in a blue suit, so if you’re on the fence, you’re safe here.
Mid blue suits are right in the middle of the formality scale. They’re a great choice for the office, but if you choose to wear a t-shirt under the jacket, roll the pants up a bit, and throw on some sneakers you’ll be killing it on your casual style game.
When my highschool aged cousin was graduating, he asked me what color suit he should get.
I didn’t even have to think about it.
Navy.
It’s the first color I’d recommend to anybody. And I mean anybody.
It’s professional and sharp, but can venture much further casual than a black suit. And it’s more fun than a grey suit.
Again, your accessories here determine the look. A navy suit with black shoes and classic silver or gold accents is more formal and dapper. But a navy blue suit with brown shoes can bounce between the office and more joyous occasions like weddings.
Suit Up, Gentlemen
With so much focus on the fit and color of your suit, it’s easy to forget about the accessories. Tie bars, lapel flowers, pocket squares, cufflinks—these are the small tidbits that paint a dapper picture.
Really, it’s all about the small details.
After you’ve had your suit tailored, the next best thing you can do for yourself is pair it with a top-quality shirt.
As I mentioned earlier, Apposta is our go-to choice for made-to-measure shirts. You can choose the fabric you want and customize it to your liking. Band collars, club collars, french cuffs, breast pocket—design your shirt from the ground up. There are literally billions of dress shirt combinations you could land on.
Apposta manages to justify its premium price tag through its fabric and shirtmaking quality, made-to-measure fit, and bewildering customization choice---spearheaded by an impressively seamless online ordering system.
I’m impressed with the quality of the fabrics, and I love that I’ve finally got a few shirts in my wardrobe that take into account my marginally longer left arm.
When thinking about what shirts to pair with your suit, consider the events you’ll be attending. How do you want to stand out?
With this guide in your shirt pocket, we’re pretty sure you’ll be the best-dressed gent in the room.
