Open the tie drawer of a working man and you usually see two groups: a few ties worn all year round, and a heap bought because they "looked okay" and left untouched. The tie colours that go with a suit are exactly the ones in the first group. The five colours below sit on almost any suit, with a white or pale blue shirt, without long thought in front of the mirror.
Quick answer
The five tie colours that go with most suits are navy, burgundy, silver grey, light sky blue and lilac. Navy and burgundy are safe for the office, silver grey suits formal occasions, and light sky blue and lilac are lighter for daytime and weddings.
1. Navy: the base colour for every meeting
Navy is a deep blue close to the colour of ink. From a distance it reads as a solid; only up close do you see the check or the tiny dots. It suits grey, charcoal, black and even brown or beige suits; that is why every wardrobe should have a navy tie.
The shirt should be white or a very pale blue. With a navy suit in particular, the tie must differ in shade or material: choose a navy deeper than the suit, or a woven tone-on-tone check for depth. A common mistake is choosing a navy "almost the same" as the suit; in daylight the two colours drift apart and look like a mismatched set. In Mon Amie's accessories section there are the deep navy tie with a check pattern and small white dots, the deep navy with a subtle diamond lattice and double silver bars and the navy-indigo with a small square grid. More detailed pairings are in the article Top 10 Ways to Pair a Tie With a Navy Suit.
2. Burgundy: a warm accent that stays deep
Burgundy is a red with brown and purple in it, differing from bright red in not being harsh. It gives a feeling of initiative yet remains polite, and suits navy, grey, charcoal and black suits. It is right for an important meeting, a presentation or an evening event.
Patterns should be small and even: small squares, tiny dots flecked with silvery white; the burgundy with tiny silvery-white squares and burgundy with small squares flecked with white give that feeling. A pure white shirt keeps the red from competing for space; avoid pink or orange shirts because two warm shades side by side tend to look muddy. Another mistake is choosing bright red instead of burgundy and wearing it with a light suit; the whole look turns loud. The burgundy with small navy and white squares and crystal accents adds navy and carries over more easily to a blue suit.
3. Silver grey: formal, works with both light and dark suits
Silver grey is a cool grey with a light sheen, often woven with silver flecks or blue-grey. This colour is almost the default choice for formal occasions: a black suit with a silver tie is the classic pair at weddings and award ceremonies; a navy suit with a grey tie gives a discreet, polished look.
If the suit is also grey, the tie must be at least one shade darker than the suit; otherwise the whole outfit sinks into itself and loses its accent. A white or pale blue shirt is the safe choice. Patterns should be small, visible only up close: the small square check in blue-grey and navy flecked with silver and the navy with small blue, white and silver dots both follow this direction. Note: silver shimmer is rather bright under stage lights or camera flash, so for a wedding with lots of photos, try the tie under lights before deciding.
4. Light sky blue: light for daytime and hot weather
Light sky blue is the colour of morning: bright without glare, suiting navy, grey and beige suits and light-coloured summer suits. With a black suit it still works if the shirt is white, but it is most distinct against navy or grey, where the pale colour stands out.
A white shirt is the right choice; avoid a shirt in the same blue because the tie will melt into it. The pattern should be fine stripes or wide stripes interleaved with navy, such as the navy tie with fine silky sky-blue stripes or the navy with wide light sky-blue stripes interleaved with lilac. A common mistake: choosing light sky blue and wearing it with a dark suit and a striped shirt, so the whole outfit has three competing patterns. Keep one pattern and leave the other two items plain.
5. Lilac: refined for daytime parties and weddings
Lilac is a purple with a hint of blue, light and cool. On a navy or charcoal suit it makes a refined accent, suited to daytime wedding receptions, spring days, and groom or groomsmen wanting a little difference. It suits brown suits less, because the two shades drift apart.
This is the colour that needs more careful choosing than the previous four. Start with a striped form interleaved with navy, such as the navy with wide diagonal lilac and white stripes or the deep navy with fine diagonal stripes in powder pink and pale purple, because navy pulls the colour toward deeper tones. A wide solid lilac is easily glaring, especially with a purple or pink shirt. A white shirt and a white pocket square keep the whole look tidy.
Quick summary table
| Colour | Goes with | What to remember |
|---|---|---|
| Navy | Grey, charcoal, black, brown, beige suits | With a navy suit, choose a deeper navy or a tone-on-tone check |
| Burgundy | Navy, grey, black suits | Choose burgundy instead of bright red, a small pattern, a white shirt |
| Silver grey | Black, navy, charcoal suits | With a grey suit, the tie must be one shade darker |
| Light sky blue | Navy, grey, beige, light-coloured suits | Avoid a shirt in the same blue, keep one pattern |
| Lilac | Navy, charcoal suits | Start with a striped form interleaved with navy, avoid a purple shirt |
Tips from Mon Amie's master tailors
- The tie should be as dark as or darker than the shirt; a tie lighter than the shirt looks as if it is floating off the collar.
- Tie width should roughly match lapel width: a medium lapel suits a tie about 7–8 cm wide.
- One suit should have only one large pattern; leave the other two items plain or with a small pattern.
- Check the colour in daylight before deciding; shop lights shift the shade, especially navy and purple.
- The tip of the tie should reach about the belt, no longer than the buckle; see also the article Top 5 Tie Knots Worth Knowing.
Frequently asked questions
What colour of tie looks good?
Navy, burgundy and silver grey are the three easiest when you do not know what to pick; they go with most office suit colours. The other two, light sky blue and lilac, are for when you have a white shirt and know which occasion you are dressing for.
How do you match a tie colour with a suit?
A simple rule: the tie is as dark as or darker than the shirt, and differs in shade from the suit. A navy suit goes with burgundy, silver grey and sky blue; a grey suit goes with navy, burgundy and lilac; a black suit goes with silver grey, burgundy and navy. The articles Top 8 Ways to Pair a Tie With a Grey Suit and Top 8 Ways to Pair a Tie With a Black Suit go deeper.
What criteria should you use to choose a good men's tie?
Look at four things: a colour that goes with the suit, a small and even pattern, a width that fits the lapel, and cloth thick enough for the knot to sit neat and not twist. A good tie usually reads as a solid from afar, with the pattern visible only up close. You can see the whole range in the Mon Amie products section.
Final word
Choosing ties does not need many, only the right ones. The five tie colours above are enough to pair with most suits in the wardrobe. When having a new suit made or preparing for a wedding, you can bring tie samples to the showroom to try beside real cloth, or book a visit for a stylist to coordinate the whole outfit.