Contrast Collar, Matching Pocket Square and Tie Acceptable?

[mensimageconsultant]

If someone is wearing a dress shirt that has a white contrast collar and the tie and pocket square match (with the same tasteful color), do you think that can look okay in some situations? There are only so many colors that one should wear at the same time, and (due to its rarity and the contrast) the white collar is likely to be the focal point (rather than attention being distractingly split between between the tie and pocket square). Perhaps the tie-and-square sets originated when contrast collars were more common.

 

[aravenel]

PS and tie match is insta-fail.

Contrast collars tend to veer towards costume IMO, so unless you are a 60 year old senior partner at your law firm pulling in millions of business a year, I'd avoid.

 

[mensimageconsultant]

That second part is plausible, but then it can be used to argue that with costume, almost anything goes. Also, pocket squares themselves are closer to costume than they used to be. Regardless, after the obvious first choice of white pocket square, it becomes harder to coordinate a square with a white contrast collar (and tie) without doing a color overload.

 

[HughJ]

I don't think the collar softens the failure at all.

 

[YRR92]

This seems like saying "My car has traction control. Will that mitigate the damage if I drive into a tree?"

I kind of like contrast collars (on solid blue shirts or blue shirts with a white stripe), but I think if you were looking for a way to simplify things then I'd suggest this: always wear a white PS with a contrast-collar shirt.

 

[mensimageconsultant]

Just pointing out it doesn't look as bad. (Assuming a tasteful color, not-too-shiny tie, and pocket square not jumping out of its pocket.)

 

[msulinski]

I still think it looks bad to match. I guess the contrast collar can distract the viewer from the mismatch. But why bother doing this? The simple solution is to wear a white linen or cream silk pocket square, which will presumably not match the tie.

 

[YRR92]

Just pointing out it doesn't look as bad. (Assuming a tasteful color, not-too-shiny tie, and pocket square not jumping out of its pocket.)

I think it does, though. In a purely aesthetic way, is it less boring? Sure. But it still makes the wearer look like an unsophisticated dresser. That's the pitfall of contrast collar shirts, really -- they tend to be used badly by people who are new to dressing in suits, who end up preening in them. Add in the matching-tie-and-square -- a pure-D rookie screw-up -- and it would scream "trying too hard."

 

[RSS]



Just pointing out it doesn't look as bad. (Assuming a tasteful color, not-too-shiny tie, and pocket square not jumping out of its pocket.)

But it does look bad. Matchy-match never works. And this is especially matchy-match.

 

[archibaldleach]



That second part is plausible, but then it can be used to argue that with costume, almost anything goes. Also, pocket squares themselves are closer to costume than they used to be. Regardless, after the obvious first choice of white pocket square, it becomes harder to coordinate a square with a white contrast collar (and tie) without doing a color overload.

For anyone who does not know how to coordinate pocket squares and ties or cannot be bothered to learn how, they should just stick to white linen or maybe cream silk (or alternatively avoid pocket squares altogether). Matching ties and pocket squares look cheap and tacky and make the wearer look like he doesn't know how to dress. I don't see how wearing a contrast collar would make a combination that looks bad any better.

 

[Wallcloud]

A sock can make a nice ps. I would recommend Hanes or fruit of the loom.

 

[Gus]



Just pointing out it doesn't look as bad. (Assuming a tasteful color, not-too-shiny tie, and pocket square not jumping out of its pocket.)

Post a photo a prove it doesn't look" bad".

 

[aravenel]



But it does look bad. Matchy-match never works. And this is especially matchy-match.

Yeah... I can't imagine how this doesn't look bad.

 

[Mute]

No.

 

[mensimageconsultant]



Post a photo a prove it doesn't look" bad".

Pictures of such are hard to locate or produce. Do you or anyone else here happen to have the required items? One wouldn't expect Style Forum members to have matching tie-and-pocket-square sets.