This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy from that link, I may receive a small commission (at zero cost to you), which helps me maintain the quality of this blog. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.
Picking the perfect color tie with your blue shirt can be difficult, but choosing the right one is essential if you want to look good. So what color tie goes with a blue shirt?
Every man has at least one blue shirt in his wardrobe. No matter what shade of blue we are talking about, every guy I know has one. After all, blue shirts are great for both casual and business events. I have at least three different shades of blue in my closet because it’s my favorite color.
Many people associate a blue shirt with a business environment since it conveys feelings of confidence, trust, and calm (great qualities a boss or an interviewer looks for in an employer). So you will definitely need to know what color tie goes with a blue shirt next time you wear one in the office. Let’s find out.
What Color Tie Goes With A Blue Shirt?
The color ties that go great with a blue shirt are burgundy, purple, navy, pink, green, gray, orange, and gold.
Of course, the color of the ties you choose also depends on the shade of blue you pick. If you have a lighter blue shirt, the color of your tie should be as darker as possible for a good contrast. If you have a darker blue shirt, try to opt out for a lighter color tie. The most significant point when wearing a tie with a blue shirt, or any shirt, is that you want your tie or bow tie to stand out on your entire outfit.
Now, let’s check each color tie individually, so you can better decide when pairing it with your blue shirt.
Wear Blue Shirt With Burgundy Tie
Wearing a blue shirt with a burgundy tie is my favorite pick since both colors bring a sense of harmony and contrast well.
Read: What Color Tie Goes With A Burgundy Shirt?
You can wear a burgundy tie with any shade of blue. For example, a lighter blue shirt will look good with a darker burgundy tie, and even if you opt for a darker blue or navy shirt, you can still wear a burgundy tie. However, remember to choose a darker burgundy tie if you want to wear a dark blue shirt.
Wearing a blue shirt with a burgundy tie is the perfect choice for a casual day out with the family or business-casual meeting. A light blue shirt, burgundy tie, and navy suit will do the job.
Wear Blue Shirt With Green Tie
Blue and green are two of the best color to match when it comes to your wardrobe. Together they symbolize new beginnings, abundance, calm, and responsibility.
Read: What Color Tie Goes With A Green Shirt?
Blue and green are complementary colors, making them easy to match in different shades and patterns. For example, most guys prefer to wear a light blue shirt with a dark green tie, which I think it’s a perfect choice.
Now, you can still wear a darker blue shirt and opt for a darker green necktie, but you need to ensure the contrast is still there and the tie doesn’t get lost in the rest of the outfit. I would even say you can wear a light green tie in a darker blue shirt since it still looks good in most cases. However, wear a darker green tie if you want to feel safe with your choice
Wearing a blue shirt with a green tie is perfect for business casual and smart casual meetings. For an outfit idea, I would pick a light blue shirt, green tie, navy suit, and a navy pair of loafers.
Wear Blue Shirt With Purple Tie
Purple ties are not the most popular choice for men, but purple is traditionally associated with luxury, wealth, and confidence.
Read: What Color Tie Goes With A Purple Shirt?
A light blue shirt looks excellent with a darker purple tie, and you want to avoid wearing a light purple necktie. I would avoid a purple tie regarding dark blue shades or even royal blue. It’s not that it looks terrible, but your outfit will be properly darker, and a purple bow tie looks much better with a light blue shirt because of the contrasting colors.
I would wear a purple tie if I lead a business meeting or in a job interview since it shows my confidence in wearing something unusual but still professional. Wear a light blue shirt, a purple tie, and a gray suit.
Wear Blue Shirt With Gray Tie
Gray is neutral, meaning a gray tie will look good with a blue shirt. Gray and blue together represent balance, loyalty and neutrality, and responsibility.
Read: What Color Tie Goes With A Gray Shirt?
Gray and blue are two of the best complementary colors in your wardrobe. When you mix both colors, it looks perfect. For example, you can wear a light blue shirt with a dark gray tie or a dark blue shirt with a light gray tie. Both options look great, and it’s pretty difficult to get it wrong when matching both colors.
A blue shirt with a gray necktie it’s an excellent option for professional business meetings or a wedding. Wear a light blue shirt, a dark gray tie, and a navy or gray suit.
Wear Blue Shirt With Navy Tie
Wearing a monochromatic color doesn’t mean you can’t wear a different shade that will look good. Darker shades of blue, like navy, tend to lean more toward concepts of authority and importance.
Read: What Color Tie Goes With A Dark Blue Shirt?
Because you want to ensure your tie is noticeable, you want to pair a navy necktie with a light blue shirt and avoid wearing dark shades of blue with navy. I have seen some guys wearing navy ties with dark blue shirts, and I’m not too fond of it. The point of wearing a tie gets lost if you can’t notice it.
You should wear a blue shirt with a navy tie at an important business meeting with new clients, weddings, or any formal event that needs you to dress smart and not casually. Wear a light blue shirt, a navy tie, a navy suit and a pair of brown shoes.
Wear Blue Shirt With Orange Tie
Orange and blue are complementary colors and, usually, work pretty well together. When mixed, it gives that fun vibe, and you are up for a good night out.
An orange tie is an accessory that stands out in your outfit, so wearing one will make people look at you without a doubt. You can wear a light blue shirt with an orange tie, or even a dark blue shirt with any orange shade necktie. The contrast will create a bold effect when both colors are combined.
An orange tie with a blue shirt is a very casual outfit, and you shouldn’t wear one in a professional environment. Wear a dark blue shirt, an orange tie, with a navy suit.
Wear Blue Shirt With Pink Tie
Pink and blue are two colors that work very well together since blue is a cool and cold color warmed up by the heat emanating from pink. Some people associate blue with masculinity and pink with femininity.
Read: What Color Tie Goes With A Pink Shirt?
Wearing a blue shirt with a pink tie is easy, and you can barely make a mistake here. However, I prefer a light blue shirt with any shade of pink. Whether you choose a lighter or a darker pink tie, it will look great. You can also wear a dark blue shirt with a dark pink tie, but I prefer a light blue shirt for a pink necktie.
Modeling a blue shirt with a pink tie, it’s great for casual meetings but not for professional environments. Wear a light blue shirt, a pink tie, a navy suit, and a pair of navy loafers.
Wear Blue Shirt With Gold Tie
You can easily mix blue and gold colors, so matching a blue shirt with a gold tie is simple. The gold color means success, achievement, power, and fortune.
Wearing a gold tie with a blue shirt is easy because no matter what shade of blue you choose, it will look well. I do prefer a light blue or a royal shirt with a gold tie, but you can also wear it with a darker shade of blue if you prefer.
You can wear a gold tie in a business environment where you want to look powerful but still approachable. Wear a light blue shirt, a gold tie, and a navy suit.
What Color Ties Are Acceptable To Wear With Blue Shirt?
Now, I want to share with you some color ties that are still acceptable to wear with a blue shirt but that you have better options when it comes to choosing between them or similar colors. These color ties are red, yellow, and blue.
Wear Blue Shirt With Blue Tie
Wearing a blue tie with a blue shirt is great, right? It can be if you use monochromatic colors with different shades. I personally think that a navy tie will look better than any other shade of blue.
Read: What Color Tie Goes With A Light Blue Shirt?
When wearing a blue shirt with a blue tie, always opt for a darker blue necktie and a lighter blue shirt since it will complement well. Avoid wearing the same shades of blue for both pieces, or the tie will not be noticeable. You can also go for a tie with patterns and more than one shade of blue on it since it will look good, especially if you mix the color of the shirt with other blues in the outfit.
Wear a light blue shirt, a darker blue tie with patterns, and a navy or gray suit.
Wear Blue Shirt With Red Tie
Red is a complementary color to blue, and both look great together. However, I just feel that if you have to choose between red or burgundy, this last one will always win because it just looks better.
Read: What Color Tie Goes With A Red Shirt?
If you really want to wear that red tie, go with a royal blue shirt because it is your best option and contrasts nicely with the color of the tie. You can wear a royal blue shirt, a red tie, and a navy suit.
Wear Blue Shirt With Yellow Tie
Yellow is also a complementary color to blue so you can wear a yellow tie with any shade of blue. However, I prefer a gold tie over a yellow one since it just looks better.
If you pick a blue shirt with a yellow tie, I would probably wear a yellow tie with blue patterns to improve the outfit. Wear a royal blue shirt, a yellow tie with blue stripes, and a navy suit.
What Color Tie Doesn’t Go With Blue Shirt?
There are two color ties (probably more) that aren’t a good fit when wearing a blue shirt, and those are black and brown.
Don’t Wear Blue Shirt With Brown Tie
Blue and brown are two colors that can be mixed in some situations and not in others. I think a burgundy tie will look much better than a brown one.
Now, some guys will tell you that wearing a brown tie with a blue shirt looks good. I think differently, at least when it comes to neckties. No matter what shade of blue or brown you try to match, it just doesn’t look on point regarding shirts and ties.
I love wearing blue shoes with a pair of brown pants, especially if they are lighter colors, but not a blue shirt with a brown tie.
Don’t Wear Blue Shirt With Black Tie
Black and blue are two colors that can fit well in some outfits and not so much in others. I think a blue shirt with a black tie is not a great match.
Read: What Color Tie Goes With A Black Shirt?
Dark shades of blue don’t look great with a black tie since it will make the outfit darker. When it comes to light blue shirts, I would always pick a navy tie over a black one. That’s because a navy necktie matches a blue shirt much better, and it doesn’t give that professional and formal look that a black tie provides.
Tips On How To Match Ties With Blue Shirts
When choosing the right color tie to match your blue shirts, you should follow at least three rules. You need to consider the dress code and occasion, wear a tie with contrasting colors and patterns, and match the rest of your outfit.
Consider The Dress Code And Occasion
When choosing the best color tie to wear with your blue shirt, you must consider the dress code and the occasion. Is it formal or informal? Is it with friends or clients? Is it a celebration or a time when you need to be respectful?
It’s important to consider all the questions above to ensure you don’t make any fashion mistakes and look your best. Usually, the invitation tells you if the dress code for the event is formal or casual, but if it doesn’t, you can always ask the person, a colleague, or a friend how they will dress that day or night.
You want to avoid wearing an orange tie with a blue shirt in a professional environment or a gold tie with a blue shirt in a casual event. Again, it would be best to consider the occasion and respect the dress code.
Use Contrast Colors and Patterns
The concept of matching colors and patterns is quite simple, but it can be a nightmare for most people. For example, most guys defend that your tie should be darker than your shirt (some exceptions apply here), and that you should use complementary and contrasting colors.
Complementary colors are opposite, meaning the contrasting shade of blue is orange. It’s not always easy to combine complementary colors. Contrasting colors usually are the colors between a color, so the contrasting shades of blue are purple and green. All these three colors look great with blue, depending on the shade of blue you wear.
I also love a patterned tie. When choosing a patterned tie, the trick is to mix two colors, one being the color of your shirt and the other a complementary or contrasting color. For example, with a blue shirt, you can wear a tie with different shades of blue since it will look flawless.
Also, regarding shirts and ties, I prefer to have one of the items totally plain without any patterns. So if your necktie is patterned, opt for a plain blue shirt, or if your blue shirt has stripes, dots, etc., you should opt for a simple tie.
Match The Rest Of Your Outfit
Not only should you know the color wheel, but you should always think about the entire outfit. Just remember a fundamental fashion rule. You match the tie with your costume and not the opposite. So don’t dress based on the necktie you want to wear because that will make your choices much more difficult.
Common Questions About What Color Tie With Blue Shirt
These are the most common questions about what color tie goes with a blue shirt.
What Color Tie With Light Blue Shirt?
The best color ties to match a light blue shirt are burgundy, green, purple, gray, orange, pink, gold, and navy.
What Color Tie With Dark Blue Shirt?
The best color ties to match a dark blue shirt are green, burgundy, blue, orange, gray, silver, and gold.
What Color Tie With Navy Blue Shirt?
The best color ties to match a navy blue shirt are burgundy, gold, silver, blue, green, gray, and orange.
What Color Tie With Royal Blue Shirt?
The best color ties to match a royal blue shirt are red, yellow, gray, burgundy, silver, and gold.
Conclusion
So what color tie goes with a blue shirt? It all depends on the shade of blue you wear, but colors like burgundy, green, gray, orange, gold, and silver work pretty much with all shades of blue. You can also wear purple and navy ties with a light blue shirt or a lighter blue tie with a dark blue shirt.
No matter what you wear, you should feel comfortable and wear whatever makes you happy. But, on the other hand, if you want to stick with the men’s fashion code, you just need to follow this guide I elaborated on.
