Despite advising against blue shirts and gray jackets recently, I do wear them. I do not wear them often, but when I do combine the two the gray is always a lighter shade. It is charcoal that is really the problem with blue.
The ever so slightly overchecked gray flannel suit is worn with a very old blue and white checked shirt, a navy oxford weave tie and one of 35 new Rubinacci silk pocket square designs that will be on the ASW store beginning next week.
Yes, sometimes I do contradict myself.
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We know Will....quite a lot actually....LOL. Not that there's anything wrong with that because it's inevitable given the abundance of clothing options and their aesthetic nature. No matter, we can live with the minor inconsistencies....you're one of the go to guys when it comes to matters of dress.
A blue and white check shirt does seem like a natural choice for that suit, considering the blue and white windowpane. What's your opinion on combining textures and patterns? The texture of your tie is roughly the same scale as your shirt's pattern. It still looks good, though I would have thought to contrast scale there too.
Nothing wrong with self-contradicting if real experience brought you there. Will, I'm looking forward to your appraisal of charcoal and blue. I know I don't dislike it. It's the combining of blue and blue that troubles me (for now).
Hi Will!
Thank you for today’s entry—I am glad you recapitulated the theme of grey and blue. I am still a beginner, so forgive me. I have been rereading your past entries on this theme (e.g., “Blue Shirts” and “Dress Shirts Are Simple”). I am still puzzled. My questions are:
1. What specifically is wrong with the charcoal/dark grey with the light blue shirt? Is the light blue shirt too dull? Not enough of a stark contrast to the suit color to provide a ‘background’? What is it about the dark grey color that makes it unsuitable, as opposed to a medium grey? And what is it about tan shirts or pink shirts that do work with charcoal/dark grey?
2. What are your thoughts about light grey shirts (you’ve written about this before) combined with charcoal/dark grey trousers?
3. What are your thoughts about this grey and blue principle as it applies to a dark grey odd trouser?
4. And lastly on a semi-related note: would you pair dark brown shoes with a dark grey/charcoal suit?
Thanks so much!
Another Thomas Mahon suit? Great fabric/pattern (what is it)?
It's a Davies & Son suit (I use Thomas for double breateds) and London Lounge flannel.
Contradicting oneself once in a while does not only give one a rather endearing human touch but is arguably also preferable to stubbornly repeating the same nonsense day in day out, isn’t it? ... Seriously though: I very much appreciate your taste, Will, agree with many of your rules and recommendations and look up to you for your laudable public education efforts. I fail to see though why grey – be that light or medium grey or indeed charcoal – would not go well with blue. There are many more subtle factors to be considered, as always – the exact shade of the respective greys an blues, the pattern, the weave etc etc – but to my eye, greys and blues go very well together in principle. The photograph you just posted and many other examples online and on the street ever so often provide ample evidence for the attractiveness of this combination, in my view. What strikes my European eyes as much more awkward is the rather prominent top buttonhole in this three-roll-to-two coat. This can work well occasionally, although I personally would always prefer a three-roll-to-two-and-a-half cut where the top buttonhole is much more covered by the lapel roll, but in this particular case I find the feature almost intrusive and disturbing the otherwise pretty flawless harmony of a fine coat. Not exactly Davies & Son house style, either, I would argue, not that that would count for anything.
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