How to Match a Tie to Your Suit and Shirt: A Colour Pairing Guide
02 September 2026 · Updated 24 October 2026 · By Tajmilkha P.
Short answer: Let the suit set the tone, keep the tie a shade darker or richer than the shirt, and wear only one bold pattern at a time. A navy suit, white shirt and burgundy tie is close to foolproof for business.
Short answer: with a navy suit, burgundy, deep green, gold or a darker navy tie all work. With a grey suit, choose navy, burgundy, teal or green. With a black suit, a silver, burgundy or deep jewel-tone tie looks sharpest. Over a blue shirt, burgundy, navy or gold gives clear contrast; over a white shirt almost any colour works.
Matching a tie to a suit and shirt isn't really about rules so much as contrast. You want the eye to notice the tie without the whole outfit fighting itself. A few principles make the decision far easier than it looks.
What colour tie with a navy suit?
Navy is the most forgiving suit colour. Burgundy is close to foolproof, deep green and gold look considered, and a navy tie works as long as it has texture or pattern (such as a pin dot) so it doesn't disappear into the suit.
What colour tie with a grey suit?
Grey suits take richer colours well. Navy, burgundy, teal and green all stand out against mid grey; with light grey, softer shades such as sage or champagne suit daytime events and weddings.
What colour tie with a black suit?
A black suit needs a tie with enough depth to hold its own: silver, burgundy, emerald or a dark jewel tone. Avoid pale pastels, which can look washed out against black.
What tie with a blue shirt?
Over a light blue shirt, burgundy, navy, gold and red all give clear contrast. Avoid a tie in the same pale blue as the shirt; it needs to sit a few shades darker.
What colour tie with a white shirt?
A white shirt goes with every tie colour, which is why it is the safest base. Let the suit decide: burgundy or navy for business, champagne or sage for a wedding.
Start with the Suit
The suit is the largest block of colour you're wearing, so let it set the tone. Navy and charcoal are the most forgiving bases, almost any tie colour works against them. Lighter suits, like mid-grey or tan, need a touch more care: darker, richer tie tones (burgundy, deep green, navy) tend to look more deliberate than pale ones.
Contrast Against the Shirt
The tie should always read as a shade darker or more saturated than the shirt beneath it. A burgundy tie over a white or pale-blue shirt has instant definition, while a burgundy tie over a burgundy-toned shirt disappears into itself. If the shirt has any colour at all, pick a tie that either complements it directly or sits a few shades deeper on the same side of the colour wheel.
Pattern Mixing Rules
One patterned element at a time is the safest approach: a patterned tie over a plain shirt, or a subtly patterned shirt (like a fine stripe) under a solid or small-motif tie. When mixing two patterns, keep the scale different: a wide chalk-stripe suit pairs better with a fine paisley or small medallion tie than with another bold stripe.
Occasion Matters
Formal daytime events favour restrained patterns: small foulards, subtle jacquards, quiet stripes. Evening or celebratory occasions can carry richer colour and texture: deep jewel tones, heraldic motifs, rosettes. Weddings sit in between, and it's worth checking with the groom or hosts before committing to anything too loud.
Suit, shirt and tie combinations at a glance
| Suit | Shirt | Tie colours that work |
|---|---|---|
| Navy | White | Burgundy, deep green, gold, textured navy |
| Navy | Light blue | Burgundy, red, gold |
| Charcoal | Light blue | Navy, deep green, burgundy |
| Mid grey | White | Navy, burgundy, teal, green |
| Light grey | White | Sage, champagne, teal (great for weddings) |
| Black | White | Silver, burgundy, emerald |
A Few Reliable Combinations
Navy suit, white shirt, burgundy tie is close to foolproof for business. Charcoal suit, light-blue shirt, navy or deep green tie reads sharp without trying too hard. For black tie or formal evening wear, a solid or finely patterned tie in a single deep colour keeps the whole look coherent.
Once you know the colour you're after, shop by colour: navy, burgundy, green, sage green, gold and champagne, red or teal. For the navy suit, white shirt and burgundy tie combination, the Royal Crown Burgundy is a customer favourite.
Colour is only half the equation once pattern enters the picture. See our guide to mixing stripes, checks and paisley for how to combine both confidently.
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Pieces that fit the advice above: The Greenwich Navy Pin Dot Tie, The Victoria Burgundy Herringbone Tie, The Crouch End Sage Paisley Tie.
