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Some colors are more accessible to match than others, but a red shirt can be pretty challenging, especially if you want to look good without making any fashion mistakes. So what color tie goes with a red shirt?
I had never bought a red dress shirt in my life. However, I went shopping and looked for different neckties to match the best color options. After all, when you are still deciding what colors you can wear with your red shirt, it’s better to ask someone else opinions, right? So let me help you determine what color tie goes with a red shirt.
What Color Tie Goes With A Red Shirt?
The ties that go great with a red shirt are blue, black, red, gray, and silver.
Some shades of red match better with some tones than others, and red shirts are no different when picking the correct color tie. Likewise, light red shirts work better with some color ties, and dark red shirts work well with others. So, just because a shirt is red doesn’t mean that the same neckties will work well with any shade of red.
Now, let’s check each color tie individually, so you can better decide when pairing it with your red shirt.
Wear A Red Shirt With A Blue Tie
Pairing a red shirt with a blue tie is a no-brainer since they are nearly opposite colors, offering the contrast you want to make your necktie noticeable. Red means sacrifice, danger, and courage.
Read: What Color Tie Goes With A Blue Shirt?
Most guys prefer a slightly darker red shirt with a darker blue or navy necktie, but it’s tricky to get it wrong when mixing these two colors. I would avoid wearing a vivid red shirt with a royal blue tie, because it’s too bold, and doesn’t look so elegant. However, you can wear a light or darker red shirt with a royal blue or navy tie. I also love the idea of a patterned necktie with blue and red.
Read: What Color Tie Goes With A Light Blue Shirt?
You can wear a red shirt with a blue necktie to weddings or other casual events with friends. Wear a red shirt, a blue tie, a burgundy or navy suit, burgundy shoes, or navy loafers.
Wear A Red Shirt With A Black Tie
If you want to wear a red shirt but want to give your outfit a more professional approach, you can pair it with a black tie. Black provides any attire with a certain formality and seriousness.
Read: What Color Tie Goes With A Black Shirt?
You can pair a black tie with any shade of red, and you will not get it wrong. It doesn’t matter if the tone of your red shirt is lighter or darker. It will look professional and dapper. Combining it with a black necktie is a good option if you have a vivid red color. However, I think a black tie syncs better with dark red shirts, mainly burgundy, but still, it looks fine with any tone of red.
You can wear a red shirt with a black tie to more casual-professional environments where the environment is more relaxed, but you have a better option color shirt-wise for that. Wear a red shirt, a black tie, a black or gray suit, and black shoes.
Wear A Red Shirt With A Red Tie
I love a monochromatic outfit, depending on the occasion and what you do with it. For example, you can mix different shades of red between your shirt and tie, contrasting both.
Read: What Color Tie Goes With A Burgundy Shirt?
Choosing the right shade of red for your tie is essential since you want people to notice the contrast between the color of your necktie and shirt. If you wear a light shade of red in your dress shirt, opt for a darker red-tone tie like burgundy or maroon. On the other hand, if you pick a dark red shirt, go for a light red necktie. You can also mix different shades of red and patterns in the necktie, which makes a better contrast, and I love this option.
You can wear a red shirt and tie to weddings or nights out with your friends. Wear a red shirt, a red tie, a burgundy or navy suit, burgundy shoes, or navy loafers.
Wear A Red Shirt With A Gray Tie
Red shirts also combine very well with gray ties since it’s a neutral color and one of my favorites. Gray represents balance and neutrality, which is excellent for diverse occasions.
Read: What Color Tie Goes With A Gray Shirt?
If you wear a light/medium shade of red, you can pair it with a darker gray necktie to contrast better. I would opt for a lighter gray necktie if you wear a darker tone of red in your shirt. However, you can wear a darker red shirt with a darker gray tie and still look dressy and classy.
You can pair a red shirt with a gray tie to any casual business event or anywhere where you want to look elegant, especially if you have a darker red shirt. Wear a red shirt, a gray tie, a gray suit, and brown shoes.
Wear A Red Shirt With A Silver Tie
If you are looking for another level of class and elegance, pair your red shirt with a silver necktie. Silver is associated with elegance, modernity, glamour, and wealth.
Read: What Color Tie Goes With A Dark Blue Shirt?
You can also pair a silver necktie with any shade of red, but I think it looks a lot more elegant and classy if you do it with a darker red tone. Also, I prefer a plain shirt and tie if you wear a silver necktie, but with a gray necktie, you can go for a patterned tie with shades of red and gray.
You can pair a red shirt with a silver tie to any event where you want to capture the attention of people around you. Wear a red shirt, a silver tie, a gray suit, and brown shoes.
What Color Ties Are Acceptable To Wear With A Red Shirt?
Now, I want to share with you some color ties that are still fine to wear with a red shirt but that you have more acceptable options when deciding between them or other/similar colors. These color ties are gold, purple, green, and brown.
Wear A Red Shirt With A Gold Tie
Pairing a red shirt with a gold tie is a clever way to give your outfit a classy touch. The gold color means success, achievement, power, and fortune.
Your best option is to pair a dark red shirt with a gold necktie to create that classy ensemble you want. However, I am not a big fan of a light or medium red shirt with a gold necktie, or even a vivid red, since it doesn’t look that elegant.
I would wear a darker red shirt with a gold necktie at a delightful but classy event or during a celebration. Wear a red shirt, a gold tie, a burgundy or navy suit, burgundy shoes, or navy loafers.
Wear A Red Shirt With A Purple Tie
I don’t see almost anyone pairing a red shirt with a purple necktie, but if you match the shades of both colors correctly, it will look great. Purple is associated with fortune, luxury and confidence.
Read: What Color Tie Goes With A Purple Shirt?
I would only mix a dark red shirt with tones of burgundy or maroon with a slightly darker purple necktie. I mean, a light red shirt also looks good with a dark purple necktie, but I wouldn’t wear any vivid reds or any other vivid or soft purple tones.
You can pair a red shirt with a purple tie for a wedding or any other casual event with your friends. Wear a red shirt, a purple tie, a burgundy or navy suit, burgundy shoes, or navy loafers.
Wear A Red Shirt With A Green Tie
Red and green are complementary colors, depending on the shade of green you pick. The color green represents luck, prosperity, money, and vitality.
Read: What Color Tie Goes With A Green Shirt?
I wouldn’t pair a light green necktie with any red shirt, but if you select a dress shirt with a darker or lighter tone of red with a darker green necktie, it will look elegant. With a green necktie, I prefer a light red shade of red over a darker one, but both look great.
You can wear a red shirt with a green tie to any casual event. Wear a red shirt, a green tie, a burgundy or navy suit, burgundy shoes, or navy loafers.
Wear A Red Shirt With A Brown Tie
Pairing a brown necktie with a red shirt is not the most popular combination among men, but it can work. The color brown means resilience, safety, and dependability.
The only combination I like when pairing a red shirt with a brown necktie is a shirt with light shades of red and a darker brown necktie. A darker red shirt like burgundy or maroon will not look dapper because you can’t see the contrast between the shirt and the necktie.
You can wear a red shirt with a brown tie during casual events with friends or even in the office. Wear a red shirt, dark brown tie, navy suit, and navy or brown shoes.
What Color Ties Don’t Go With A Red Shirt?
Everyone has a different perspective on fashion, so what I like, you may not, and vice versa. However, you should avoid pairing a red shirt with a pink, yellow, and orange tie.
Don’t Wear A Red Shirt With An Orange Tie
Pairing a red shirt with an orange tie is not easy at all, and the reason for that is that this pairing doesn’t look elegant.
Now, I could accept a light red shirt with a rust orange necktie since orange and red are contrasting colors. However, I’m not too fond of this pairing and believe you have a lot of better colors to wear with a red shirt. If you really want to combine both colors, pick a light red shirt and a rusty orange necktie.
Don’t Wear A Red Shirt With A Yellow Tie
I mean, why would you pair a red shirt with a yellow tie when you can pair it with a gold one that looks so much more elegant?
A red shirt with a yellow necktie is a little bit too much of a bold look, no matter what shades of red or yellow you try to pair. It’s definitely a no for me, and I stand by the idea that you should pick a gold necktie instead of a yellow one.
Don’t Wear A Red Shirt With A Pink Tie
I like to match a red necktie with a pink shirt but not the opposite because it doesn’t look as nice.
Read: What Color Tie Goes With A Pink Shirt?
The problem that I have when pairing a red shirt with a pink necktie is that you don’t have enough contrast between both colors, and it doesn’t really matter what shade of pink you try.
Tips On How To Match Ties With Red Shirts
When choosing the right color tie to match your red shirt, 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 picking the best color tie to wear with your red 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?
Evaluating all the questions above is essential to ensure you don’t make any fashion errors and look your best. Usually, the invitation suggests to you if the dress code for the event is formal or casual, but if it doesn’t, you can always ask the individual, a colleague, or a friend how they will dress that day or night.
You want to dodge wearing a yellow tie with a red shirt in a professional environment (or ever) or a black tie with a red shirt at a wedding. 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 red is green. It’s not always easy to combine complementary colors. Contrasting colors usually are the colors between a color, so the contrasting shades of red are orange (which doesn’t look good) and purple. So, in this case, be careful when pairing a red shirt with complementary or contrasting colors.
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 red shirt, you can wear a tie with different shades of red 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 red shirt, or if your red shirt has stripes, dots, etc., you should opt for a simple tie.
Match The Rest Of Your Outfits
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.
Conclusion
So what color tie goes with a red shirt? Blue, black, red, gray, and silver are excellent choices for a red shirt. Tie colors like gold, purple, green, and brown are also acceptable when wearing a red shirt.
No matter what you wear, you should feel happy and wear whatever pleases you. 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.
