How to wear a white shirt

[Mikael]



I just don't like purple with white. Better with a blue or pink shirt, or a stripe or check. As for the suit, blue or gray are both fine.

I have a deep purple silk knit, and on a blue shirt, it looks almost black, while with a white shirt you can tell that it's not black - almost have to deduce the color. So, to my eye, it looks better with a white shirt. Then again, my wife keeps telling me that my eye for color is absolute crap.

Manton, I remember you talking about lavender shirts on some shirt thread - would lavender work with a dark purple tie?

 

[Fraiche]



Tan with white is an "advanced" look that can be good but let's leave that aside for now.

Would you care to elaborate?

 

[Slewfoot]



Would you care to elaborate?

I'm guessing he means the exact shade of tan and the exact shade of white have to be juuuuust right.

 

[radicaldog]



Note that Molloy did not say "and tweed."

White OCBD paired with grey or blue-grey herringbone tweed?

 

[radicaldog]

Also, forgive me if this is stating the obvious, but there's white, and then there's white. I agree with Manton about bright, highly-reflective white (my shirtmaker calls it 'optical white'). But soft-collared shirts (not just OCBD) in whites that are less reflective without being cream or grey (ice, stone) can work with more casual ensembles.

 

[Hampton]

I think that's a pretty good looking combo. myself.

I showed it to a coworker and he agreed.

I think it's a nice way to wear a white shirt casually.

The guy may just be the type of person who makes everything he wears look good though.

Yepp and that's the way to pull off a hat.

 

[Manton]



White OCBD paired with grey or blue-grey herringbone tweed?

yeah, that's fine

 

[DocHolliday]

Careful, M. Keep issuing exemptions and you might become a convert.

 

[Manton]

that "exception" was in the OP

 

[DocHolliday]

There've been so many I can't keep up!

 

[Manton]

Look the OP was not "don't wear a white shirt," so the term "exception" is itself a misnomer. It was rather to say, "Here's where it works best and here's where it works less, and here's where it doesn't work at all." The main point was to dispel the myth that white always works.

 

[DocHolliday]

First of all, I'm yanking your chain. But from what I recall, we've determined white can look good with gray, blue, blue-gray, navy, brown (for advanced) and tan. Purple is out, but I don't wear purple, so we can agree on that as well.

Wait, what are we arguing about again?

 

[FillW]

But what about...

 

[Adarael]

But what about...

Yes, white shirts are a good match if you are wearing Sean Connery.

 

[thebestsummerever]