What colour of suit should you buy?
This is not to say that black colour has disappeared altogether – it hasn’t. It still has its firm place in a modern man’s wardrobe as it’s a part of the three classic suit colours – charcoal grey, navy blue and black. What makes black colour our less preferred and recommended choice is its use limited to special occasions, such as weddings or funerals.
Choosing a men’s suit colour if you…
Let’s put it this way – if you were to own only one suit and would rarely wear it, then black can still be one of your options, although not necessarily the first one.
However, if you intend to wear your suit beyond rare occasions, then charcoal grey andnavy blueare the superior choices. Why? They are the most versatile and useful suit colours that provide a great value for those who have to wear formal suitsregularlyand look for a classic and timeless option.
Lets put black colour aside and take a look at each of the two colours – charcoal grey and navy blue – in more detail.
Charcoal grey suit
Charcoal grey is an excellent and versatile suit colour option suitable particularly for business occasions. This may be due to the fact that this colour projects authority and makes its wearer look more mature.
A charcoal grey suit is very easy to colour-match with the rest of your outfit. As it lacks any colour (grey is colour neutral), it matches well with a wide range of colours, allowing you to be more adventurous with the shirts and ties that you selected to pair this suit with.
As for your dress shoes, this will also depend on your desired look. Black dress shoes are the safe choice for any gentleman, while brown leather will be a more modern, daring choice.
Note that charcoal grey isn’t the only option in the family of grey-coloured suits. If charcoal doesn’t quite fit the bill or occasion, you may find other shades of grey more suitable for you and your needs.
Navy blue suit
Wearing a navy blue suit has the exact opposite effect from its charcoal grey sibling – it accentuates the youth of its wearer. That’s why the end use of the suit is very important to consider when selecting the best colour for a men’s suite as wearing it will send a certain message about you.
Navy blue suits are a great choice for the use at work as well as attending events, conferences or dinners. It is a versatile colour(everso slightly more than charcoal grey), easy to match with others and is a popular choice among men, particularly in Western cultures. Therefore, wearing a navy blue suit makes men fit in rather than stand out from the crowd.
Most men pair their navy blue suits with either brown or black dress shoes, with black leather colour being the safe choice.
Final thoughts on choosing the best suitcolour
Overall, if you are just starting to build your wardrobe or expanding your selection beyond just black, then choosing the best colour for your suit is straightforward – you can’t go wrong with either charcoal grey or navy blue suit. Both are highly versatile and considered conservative and traditional, which is the desirable look in many formal professions, such as politics, finance, law and others. These colours are also timeless and aren’t susceptible to trends the same way designer fads are.
Once your classic suit collection is complete, you can start looking at other more daring colours, for example, brown, tan or bright blue. Just note that these colours are less versatile and are often used at particular seasons, but on the other hand, they can better highlight certain personality traits in a way that the classic coloured suits can’t. Alternatively, another way you can spice up your suit collection is to experiment with various patterns and fabrics.
FAQs
However, if you intend to wear your suit beyond rare occasions, then charcoal grey and navy blue are the superior choices. Why? They are the most versatile and useful suit colours that provide a great value for those who have to wear formal suits regularly and look for a classic and timeless option.
What is the most versatile suit color? ›
On the other hand, dark grey suits may be the most versatile of all the types of suit colors. Charcoal grey is not too formal and not too casual. For that reason, you can dress this suit up or down however you see fit. Darker grey suits also have the wonderful effect of giving you a more mature and distinguished aura.
Which colour suits best for men? ›
We recommend sticking with dark-colored suits, like black, navy, or charcoal gray for a formal event. For a day at the office, an all black men's suit is way too formal. Instead, we recommend wearing a gray or navy blue men's suit to work.
How to choose the right suit color? ›
We recommend choosing a suit that is in keeping with your natural undertone for a truly cohesive look. For example, a warm olive green suit will truly complement those with deeper, warmer skin tones, and a cool-toned blue suit will flatter those with paler, cool tones in their skin.
Which color suits with everything? ›
Neutral colors are the backbone of any wardrobe. Black, white, gray, and brown are versatile and can be paired with any other color on the wheel. They're like the glue that holds your outfits together.
What is the most versatile suit material? ›
Wool Fabric
Wool is one of the most common fabrics used in suiting, thanks to its versatility and quality.
What is the most elegant suit color? ›
A black suit is useful for the most formal of occasions, such as a black-tie event. If you're going to an event that requires a tuxedo or a black-tie dress code, make sure that your suit is truly black. A black suit is also appropriate for funerals.
What color suit to buy first? ›
First, navy blue and grey suits are appropriate for every occasion. The rules are much less stringent for funerals than in years past, and a dark suit in any color is sufficient.
Does the color of your suit matter? ›
The colour of a suit isn't simply a feature, but it can tell the world how you want to be perceived; it gives onlookers a snippet of your personality and can carry a lot of meaning.
What are the 3 most attractive colors? ›
A total of 31 colors were presented in 465 pairs, and their result shows that there was a general preference for red, blue, and violet-blue with a dislike for green-yellow and black.
Of the four tested colors, the blue color scheme was perceived as most trustworthy and black as least trustworthy. The results showed that the effects are strong in a statistical sense, but limited in effect size.
Is a black suit the most versatile? ›
While your final suit choice might depend greatly on your use or personal style, if you're just going to get one suit color and you're going to potentially need it for weddings, funerals, business meetings, interviews, and any other sort of event that might come up, there is one suit color that stands out as the most ...
What suits are versatile? ›
Two-Button Suit
The two-button jacket is probably one of the most common suits you can find today. This is the perfect business casual suit for those who are looking for something more versatile and wearable for more occasions. It's perfect for any body type and has a slight slimming effect, without feeling too tight.
Is grey or blue suit more formal? ›
In terms of formality, the grey suit is one step below the navy suit. However, that is not to say that it isn't formal.
Should first suit be navy or grey? ›
In almost every case (aside from needing a suit for a funeral which one will be a pallbearer) a man's first suit should always be navy blue or medium/charcoal grey. The reasons for this are numerous. First, navy blue and grey suits are appropriate for every occasion.
