Mens Style Tips: Dress Shirt & Necktie

Unless you want to stick to tired old white, you will have to take great care when you are choosing the colors of your dress shirts. From your intended message to the color of your skin, there are a lot of factors for you to consider. And because it is likely to be the most visible color of your outfit, it is one choice where you cant afford to make mistakes.

Shirt Colors from Your Colors
It shouldnt come as any surprise that the colors in your body should be some of your primary considerations when choosing dress shirt colors. Take a good long look in the mirror and take note of the color of your hair, eyes and skin. Pay particular attention to the contrast between your hair and your skin, and between your eyes and everything else.

Consider yourself fortunate if your eyes have a very strong contrast to your other features. If you have, for example, green eyes and black hair, you will automatically look good in dress shirts that match your eyes shades of green in this case. Alternatively, a neutral dress shirt with a bold necktie that matches your eyes will also work excellently.

Complementing the Color Contrasts
Notice how strongly the color of your hair contrasts against the color of your skin. This can be a basis for the colors of your dress shirts. A low contrast combination like black hair with dark skin will look good in shirts in softer, more subdued colors. Blues, grays and earth tones are a good idea for you if you have this kind of color combination. Take these rules of thumb as well if you have little or no hair left.

On the other hand, a strong contrast like jet black hair on fair skin will be complemented by an equally contrasting combination like a black suit with a light blue shirt and a deep, dark tie. Brighter colors will also serve you well if you fall under this description.

Shirts for Your Skin
You could even use the color of your skin exclusively as the basis for your choices in shirt colors. It is an oft-mentioned fashion rule that certain shades and hues work well for people of certain skin types and colors.

Bright and loud colors can really offset fair skin. It makes the otherwise dull color look much more vibrant, giving you a younger and more energetic appearance overall. Deep and dark colors like burgundy or champagne are also great options if your skin is this color, especially if you intend to wear the shirt to a formal occasion.

If, on the other hand, your skin is more on the tanned or darker side of the color spectrum, lighter colors will really complement your skin. White, bone and sky blue will help balance the color of your skin, making you look even better under good lighting. Avoid bright or screaming colors like neon shades, as they will further underline the darkness of your skin.

Choosing dress shirts is far from simple; especially for the first few times you will do it. Once you have gotten the hang of mixing colors, however, you should end up knowing the color palette that makes you look best.