Short answer: pick the suit first, then the shirt, then the tie. Keep the tie darker than the shirt. Vary the scale of any patterns you combine — if the shirt has a small pattern, the tie needs a large one. And never wear two patterns at the same scale. A navy suit, white shirt and burgundy tie works every time and is a fine place to start.

The order of operations

Work outward from the largest piece to the smallest.

1. Suit. The biggest block of color. Navy or charcoal for business, which makes everything downstream easier.
2. Shirt. Lighter than the suit. White or light blue by default.
3. Tie. Darker than the shirt, and it can carry color the other two don't.

That gives you the first rule of matching, which handles most of the work on its own: light shirt, dark tie, and the tie should stand out against the shirt, not blend into it.

Pattern scale: the rule that actually matters

You can wear two or even three patterns together. What makes it work is scale, not color.

Every pattern has a size — the distance between repeating elements. A pinstripe is small scale; a wide windowpane is large scale. The rule:

Patterns worn together must be different scales.

• Small-check shirt + wide-stripe tie — works.
• Pinstripe shirt + large-pattern tie — works.
• Small-check shirt + small-dot tie — fails. They fight, and at a distance they blur into visual noise.
• Pinstripe suit + pinstripe shirt — fails, for the same reason.

If you want a simpler version: one loud thing at a time. A patterned shirt gets a solid or textured tie. A bold tie gets a solid shirt. That never goes wrong.

Combinations that always work

Burgundy against navy and white is worth singling out. It's the highest-contrast, most reliable business combination in the English-speaking world, and it photographs well, which matters more than people expect.

Color, briefly

You don't need color theory, just three ideas.

Contrast beats coordination. A tie that's a slightly different shade of the shirt's color looks like a mistake. A tie that's clearly darker or a different color entirely looks chosen.

Pick up a color, don't match it. If the shirt has a thin burgundy stripe, a burgundy tie ties the outfit together. An exact match to the shirt's base color does the opposite.

Warm with warm, cool with cool. Burgundy, rust, olive and gold sit together. Navy, grey, silver and cool blue sit together. Mixing across is possible but it's the advanced version.

Texture as the easy upgrade

If patterns feel risky, use texture instead. A knit tie, a grenadine, or a tie with a visible weave reads as more interesting than a flat solid while carrying none of the pattern-clash risk. A textured solid tie with a patterned shirt is one of the safest combinations available, and it's what a lot of well-dressed men default to.

Mistakes worth avoiding

• Matching the tie exactly to the shirt. It reads as a uniform.
• A tie lighter than the shirt. Occasionally works in summer; usually looks inverted.
• Two patterns at the same scale. The one rule that consistently matters.
• A tie ending anywhere but the top of the belt buckle. Length is more noticeable than pattern.
• A novelty tie at a serious occasion. Holiday parties, yes. Interviews and funerals, no.
• A tie with a short-sleeve shirt. Contested, but it reads as a uniform to most people.

Where the tie should end

The tip should reach the top of your belt buckle — covering it, roughly, or stopping just at it. Too short is the more common error and the more noticeable one. If you're tall or a tie runs short, a smaller knot (four-in-hand rather than a half Windsor) buys you an inch or two.

Common questions

Can you wear a patterned shirt with a patterned tie?

Yes, provided the patterns are clearly different in scale. A small-check shirt with a wide-stripe tie works; a small-check shirt with a small-dot tie doesn't.

What color tie goes with a navy suit?

Burgundy is the strongest default. Forest green, silver, and navy with a small contrasting pattern all work well. Avoid a tie that's the same shade of navy as the suit.

Should a tie be darker than the shirt?

Almost always. The tie is meant to stand out against the shirt, and a lighter tie tends to look inverted outside of warm-weather settings.

How long should a tie be?

The tip should reach the top of your belt buckle. Too short is the more common and more noticeable mistake; a smaller knot gains you length.

Can you wear a tie with a short sleeve shirt?

It's possible but it reads as a uniform to most people. If the occasion calls for a tie, a long sleeve shirt is the safer choice.

What tie goes with a white shirt?

Almost anything — white is the neutral that lets the tie do whatever it wants. Which is exactly why a white shirt is the right choice when the tie is the bold piece.

What we make

&Collar makes performance neckties in solids and patterns, built from the same stain-resistant approach as our shirts — which matters, because a tie sits directly under whatever you're eating. Ties are $19.99.

Pair them with our white, patterned or solid performance dress shirts at $49.99, or any three for $99, and the Range Suit Jacket at $124.99.