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Solid black tie with navy or charcoal pinstripe suits?

kdsvs

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I just got a solid black tie and it doesn't seem as versatile as I expected. All my suits are navy or grey/charcoal pinstripe. The problem is, to my eye, the black tie doesn't really work with any of these suits...it seems to require either a black suit or light-coloured suit. Any thoughts?
 

kronik

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Originally Posted by kdsvs
I just got a solid black tie and it doesn't seem as versatile as I expected. All my suits are navy or grey/charcoal pinstripe. The problem is, to my eye, the black tie doesn't really work with any of these suits...it seems to require either a black suit or light-coloured suit. Any thoughts?

I'd say the charcoal moreso than the navy, but neither, really.
 

dressed2kill

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I think it doesn't work because it challenges colors. Maybe if you got a black tie with blue colors two or could find a way to bring some of the colors from the tie into your suit meaning new tie it would work. As for the charcoal suit I think a solid black would work fine. Look Kdvs first we were fighting now were helping each other out.
smile.gif
 

whoopee

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What kind of shirt are you wearing? Navy solid suit, black textured tie, and white broadcloth shirt is an amazing look, in part because of the no-no of blue-black. It recalls the midnight blue-black formalwear duo and looks very sophisticated.
 

Alter

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Originally Posted by kdsvs
I just got a solid black tie and it doesn't seem as versatile as I expected. All my suits are navy or grey/charcoal pinstripe. The problem is, to my eye, the black tie doesn't really work with any of these suits...it seems to require either a black suit or light-coloured suit. Any thoughts?

Solid black is tough with anything but a black suit (I know, i know- don't start THAT again!) and brings to mind a funeral tie. I got a black DKNY seven-fold a few years ago as a present. I have never worn it- the only funeral I have been to recently was out of town, and I forgot to bring the tie.
 

AlanC

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Conventional wisdom on the board has been that a solid black tie, particularly a black grenadine, will go with just about anything.
 

bch

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Originally Posted by AlanC
Conventional wisdom on the board has been that a solid black tie, particularly a black grenadine, will go with just about anything.

Connery/Bond pulled this look off regularly.
 

dressed2kill

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Originally Posted by bch
Connery/Bond pulled this look off regularly.

Thats funny I was thinking the same thing(tie was thin). He also had the TV fold pocket square with plain white shirt.
 

bch

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Originally Posted by dressed2kill
Thats funny I was thinking the same thing(tie was thin). He also had the TV fold pocket square with plain white shirt.

And he looked cool as hell with that hat in Dr. No.
 

Edward Appleby

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Originally Posted by AlanC
Conventional wisdom on the board has been that a solid black tie, particularly a black grenadine, will go with just about anything.
Exactly. Texture is the key though- I really hate satin finish black long ties.
 

AlanC

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Originally Posted by Edward Appleby
Exactly. Texture is the key though- I really hate satin finish black long ties.
I agree. I'm not a fan of satin ties at all, really.
 

Edward Appleby

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Originally Posted by AlanC
I agree. I'm not a fan of satin ties at all, really.
I don't mind a polka dot here and there, but solid satin ties are waaaay too Donald for me.
 

whoopee

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White, cream, light grey, pink, maybe yellow (hm), with or without basic stripes (black/white). This is one combo in which horizontal stripes might work. See Sartorialist's pic of Robert Burke from a few months back. Change the tie to a black grenadine. With the white-black striped and contrast collar/cuff shirt, dark grey chalkstripe, it looks great. Also, when you tone down the patterns and colours, fit, cut and quality become even more apparent and important. There's no razzle dazzle to steal the show and disguise deficiencies.
 

minimal

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This look is much easier to pull off with a textured tie, like a knit. Otherwise, the dark blue of the suit and the black of the tie resemble each other too much and it looks like a mistake.

A navy blue suit and a black knit tie, white shirt, black shoes/belt/socks is just about infallible; almost everyone looks good in it. It may not be genius, but it works.
 

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