What color shirts look best w/ a black suit for a company party - cocktail attire?

[hahacoo]

i have a company party coming up next week and the dress is cocktail attire, for men it says suit is required and tie optional.

i have a black suit, but i'm not sure what color dress shirt to wear. i like striped dress shirts a lot, but do those go with a plain all black suit? what are some colors that would fit well for solid or striped dressed shirts. i have brown eyes and black hair if that helps. i don't really like really bright colors either, so i'm not sure whats the best color to match my black suit. also, i don't plan on wearing a tie.

i'd really appreciate any suggestions (and if possible, perhaps links to pictures of shirts that would look good?)

thanks!

 

[Will]

If the party is in the evening, wear a white shirt.

 

[Dormouse]

I would wear a white shirt with french cuffs and a pair of silver cufflinks.

 

[hahacoo]

yeah the party is in the evening. so no need for a tie if i wear a white shirt?

 

[Edward Appleby]

For a cocktail party, with a black suit, I'd skip the tie otherwise you'll end up looking like you're going to a funeral.

 

[Jovan]

Black... suit...

All my biases aside, I agree with the last post. I think a button down collar would be optimal.

 

[Film Noir Buff]

I believe we are at a point where the black suit doesn't make the same visual impact it did a few years ago. I always liked a a black striped shirt with a black suit but you can wear just about anything with it now, In fact, the only shirts I wouldnt wear with a black suit are those I probably wouldnt wear with any suit, like a bright red stripe or a green solid shirt. It's become a very very dark grey suit in the public mind.

Oh, and I have some thoughts on the black suit, if youre interested:

http://www.filmnoirbuff.com/article/...ck-suit-part-1

 

[Jared]

Personally, I wouldn't wear a white shirt unless it had cufflinks and some texture. Without a tie you won't look like you're going to a funeral, but you'll still be boring. I think a striped shirt would be excellent. Wearing a jacket covers so much of the shirt that you can wear quite loud stripes without it being AmJack. That being said, a black is such a stark contrast with everything, that perhaps less saturated colours are advisable?

 

[DeSica]

Originally Posted by Edward Appleby

For a cocktail party, with a black suit, I'd skip the tie otherwise you'll end up looking like you're going to a funeral.


Didn't Sinatra say that a gentleman should always wear black, or at the very least, navy blue in the evening?


...I'm more of a Dean Martin fan, but just thought I would bring that up.

 

[Jovan]

Everyone made mistakes. I wouldn't wear my jacket all buttoned up just because Cary Grant did and Tomasso feels the need to show that picture whenever the subject comes up...