The Navy Suit is a staple in every discerning gentleman’s wardrobe, and as a corollary, knowing which shirt and tie combinations complement a navy suit is of the utmost importance. In this detailed guide, we cover how to match ties to navy suits based on underlying shirt color, pattern considerations and some seasonal considerations!

The stage is set. You’re ready to make that impression. It’s a closing presentation, and you’ve ironed out all the wrinkles. The suit is set, the shirt is crisp and your shoes are brand spanking new. Except there’s a glaring gap. Your tie choice has become a conundrum. You don’t know what tie to strut your suit with. How do you choose the centerpiece of your ensemble?

Fast forward a week, and it’s date night. Again, you have everything perfectly curated. A new watch. That timeless classic navy blue suit, and a stunning light pink oxford shirt. What could possibly go wrong. You fiddle through your tie selection, looking for that perfect finishing touch, but cannot seem to settle on one. Your mind races and you start to blur.

Either of these situations sound familiar? The navy blue suit, a timeless classic, has been around for as long as contemporary men’s style has, and while it is incredibly easy to slip into, choosing a tie that is perfect for the shirt you are wearing, the suit, and the occasion, can be downright flabbergasting. With that said, here is our comprehensive guide on shirt and tie combinations with a navy suit!

Navy Blue Suit With White Shirt

Few things pair as seamlessly as a crisp white shirt and navy blue suit. Whether you are opting for a solid oxford, a pinpoint weave or a white herringbone, there are a range of ties that can go with this classic combination.

Your go to colors for a white shirt and navy blue suit would include a navy, red or burgundy tie. Given that a navy suit demonstrates a certain level of assertiveness, those ties would become the perfect complement. While a navy tie provides for a more monochromatic look, burgundy or red ties will contrast perfectly with your navy suit.

The Dark Knot's Berkshire Abstract Burgundy Silk Tie with A Navy Suit! 

Grey and brown should also be staples in your wardrobe, as they allow you to keep your outfit a bit more in neutral – allowing you to demonstrate assertiveness, while maintaining a level of neutrality.

 A Brown Grenadine Tie adds a perfect neutral element to an otherwise powerful suit! Featuring The Dark Knot's Domaso Grenadine Brown Silk Tie! 

Fall & Winter Months would be best complemented by earth tones, such as a mustard yellow, olive green or brown tie. Looking to add a level of sophistication to your next wedding? How about a grenadine tie? Grenadine Ties are ideal for colder months, as the higher grade ones are typically made in Northern Italy, with a rich weave and texture to them!

Strutting your navy suit and white shirt during the spring & summer months? How about introducing some pastels such as light green, lilac, pink or coral ties! On a perfect spring or summer day, printed silk ties with repeating motifs such as sports or animals are a great way to add both color and personality to your ensembles.

Animal Print Silk Ties add a dash of vibrancy and flair to your navy suits! 

Navy Blue Suit With Blue Shirt

A Navy Blue Suit With A Blue Shirt offers a seamless, monochromatic look. Looking to polish off this suit and shirt combination with an appropriate tie? A burgundy, dark purple, grey or brown tie will do the trick.

Alternatively, you could opt for a full monochromatic look. If you are opting for a navy tie, it is best to ensure that the shirt is a very light blue. As a personal preference, a patterned navy tie will inject some extra personality into your ensemble!

Looking for something a bit more relaxed for the spring / summer months? How about an animal motif printed silk tie, that will add a sense of fun and quirkiness to your ensemble. Alternatively, you could opt for a knit tie, which adds textural variation to your ensembles. 

The Dark Knot’s Stafford Squares Burgundy / Light Blue Silk Tie perfectly complements this lighter blue shirt & navy suit combination! 

Looking for ties that will match your suits & shirts, but unsure about color & pattern coordination? With The Dark Knot's filtered search system, one can find ties based on matching suits, matching shirts & even the type of occasion that you are dressing up for. Please feel free to view our exquisite silk tie collection here. 

An exquisite range of solid, striped, geometric foulard, polka dot, paisley, floral & printed silk ties! Ties are available in both regular and extra long length. 

Navy Blue Suit With Pink Shirt

Yes, real man do in fact wear pink. Few things speak to your sense of style like a pink shirt – particularly a light pink shirt. As we’ve suggested over our numerous style articles over the years, a tie is best worn when it is a darker shade than your shirt. For that reason, we would highly prioritize lighter pink shirts.

A light pink shirt is best worn with a navy or burgundy tie. A navy tie provides the perfect level of contrast, complimenting your suit in the right way, while a burgundy tie provides a monochromatic look. Being a darker shade of red, a burgundy tie provides the perfect statement piece to go along with that crisp, light pink shirt.

Looking for ties that match a navy blue suit & pink shirt? Our tie collection, which allows you to view ties based on matching suits, shirts & even the type of occasion you are dressing up for, can be viewed here.

A navy suit and light pink shirt is perfectly complemented by this stunning burgundy grenadine tie. Courtesy of www.pinterest.com

Looking for a shirt and tie combination that is more appropriate for spring and summer months? How about a tie of the royal blue variety?

The Dark Knot’s Fort Covington Blue / Silver Silk Tie is ideal for year round wear, but would be particularly suited to spring & summer months.

Wearing a pink shirt with a subtle or micro scaled pattern, such as a light herringbone or a microcheck? How about a navy or burgundy polka dot or paisley tie. The larger pattern spacing of these designs will allow them to perfectly pop off against a finer, subtler pattern on your pink shirt! 

 Some of our more popular ties. On sale! Filter your search based on matching suits, so that you have ties to go with those swanky navy jackets! 

Navy Suit With Lilac Shirt

Lilac shirts, a lighter variant of purple, perfectly complements a navy blue suit. Purple and blue are adjacent on the color wheel, hence creating a familiar look (both cooler colors – red or burgundy, on the other hand, create a greater level of contrast as they are warmer colors). Lilac shirts help provide for a dapper look that is not too bold. Hence, sticking with ties on the same side of the color wheel can work to great effect here.

A navy tie would provide the perfect accessory to your suit, all while complementing the lilac shirt. Looking for a monochromatic look? A darker purple tie will pop off perfectly against that lilac shirt. 

Yes, finding ties that match a navy suit & lilac shirt can be cumbersome! Please feel free to view our ties that match a navy suit & lilac shirt - so that you don't have to do any of the guess work! 

This purple grenadine tie provides the perfect complement to this navy suit and lilac shirt! Courtesy of www.thenordicfit.com

Finally, if you are looking for something really bold, an olive green tie (direct complement to purple, and directly across the color wheel) will provide for the perfect statement piece!

As we’ve discussed with pattern combinations previously, larger scaled navy and darker purple tie patterns will allow you to wear them with a range of underlying shirt patterns.

Navy Suit With A Green Shirt

Nothing quite says cool like a light green shirt. Green is an earth color that produces a calming effect, particularly when presented in a lighter shade. Looking for a sense of familiarity with your suit? How about a navy or darker blue tie with your light green shirt. Both colors are adjacent on the color wheel, and help create a seamless, visually pleasing look that is easy to look at.

The Dark Knot's Berkshire Abstract Navy / Turquoise Silk Tie makes for the perfect complement with this lighter green shirt!

How about an alternative piece, that makes a statement without the viewer feeling like they’re staring into a kaleidoscope. Cue the purple tie. Purple, a cooler color, can be worn with a lighter green shirt. The trick, as always, is to go with a darker purple tie!

Looking for something bolder? Burgundy, which is a direct complement to green (directly across the color wheel), creates the greatest level of contrast. A burgundy tie creates a sense of ‘harmony’ between warmer colors (burgundy is a darker variant of red) and cooler colors (green, along with blue and purple make up the cooler colors in the color wheel).

Please feel free to view The Dark Knot’s range of Navy Ties

Please feel free to view The Dark Knot’s range of Burgundy Ties

Tired of not being able to find ties that match your suits & shirts? With The Dark Knot's filtered search system, one can find ties based on matching shirts, matching suits and even the type of occasion you are dressing up for. Please feel free to view our range of ties that will match a navy blue suit & blue shirt here.

Pattern Matching

Now that we’ve gone over tie combinations with different shirts, we thought it would help to spend some time discussing pattern matching. Pattern matching, like color, should be about creating an ideal level of contrast. Therefore, the two most critical components of pattern matching, in order, are:

Pattern Proportion

The scale of your pattern (i.e the spacing between the elements of the tie pattern) are of paramount importance. Therefore, using examples from above, a navy blue polka dot tie will pair well with a microcheckered pink shirt. Even a wider striped navy regimental tie will pair well with a finely striped light blue shirt. The key here is pattern scale / proportion. Without pattern proportion, the actual patterns won’t matter as much, as you’ll just have a visually jarred effect.

            

Pattern proportion perfectly exemplified! A wider striped knit tie pairs perfectly with this smaller scaled, micro checkered shirt (noted that this was not a navy suit, but it helps to illustrate pattern proportion perfectly). Featuring The Dark Knot’s Rockland Stripes Silk Knit Tie.

Pattern Type

Once proportion has been ensured, pattern type can be paid attention to. Patterns that generally work well with a range of underlying shirt patterns, provided that the patterns are smaller scale (houndstooth, micro checkered, pinpoint etc) are polka dot and paisley patterns. Given that most shirts are not of a polka dot or paisley variety, these ties provide both differences in pattern proportion AND pattern type, creating an ideal look that can come across as incredibly dapper.

Pattern variation played to perfection by @dapper.one, featuring a wider spaced Exeter Paisley Blue / Brown Silk Tie from The Dark Knot, against this finer striped shirt pattern.