EASY Guide For What Color Tie To Wear With Blue Shirt

What color tie to wear with blue shirt? This can be a challenging topic to cover, whether you’re in your teens or your 40’s. It can depend on many factors. For example, what type of blue shirt do you have? Is it sky blue? Navy? Striped? A white dress shirt? An oxford?

It also obviously depends on what type of tie you own or are shopping for. And, what kinds of ties are you comfortable wearing? One solid color? A patterned tie like stripes? Polka dots? Little critters? A bow tie? There are so many different colored ties and tie combinations out there.

Tie Culture

Plus, since our society has changed so much in the last 30 years, I find myself wearing a tie less and less these days. I’ll go months without putting on a suit and tie to the point where my blazer has dust on it and the pants fit a little tighter. But, I keep all my ties and suits and dress shirts because I know I’ll need to break them out at least 5-10 times a year.

There are still plenty of occasions in which a tie is appropriate, so it’s important to think about the purpose of why you’re wearing it. Are you heading to a fun event like a wedding or party? Is it for work and a business meeting? A job interview? A fancy dinner or other formal event? What type of personality do you have? Are you outgoing and exciting, or want a more conservative look? Do you even know how to tie a regular tie versus a bow tie? I need a refresher on youtube with a bow tie the one time I wear one every few years.

I worked at J.Crew for 6 years in my 20’s, so I was able to build up a solid tie collection. I actually really enjoy wearing ties because my wife thinks I look good in them, and people tend to take me a bit more seriously when I’m dressed up. I mostly wear a tie to important functions for work, church, weddings, funerals, New Years Eve parties, and even birthday parties and Christmas dinner. I tend to have mostly conservative and preppy ties since I worked at J.Crew for so long, but there are definitely plenty of fun ties out there as well.

Invest in Blue Shirts

I also have a wide range of blue shirts – from a lighter shade blue oxford, to a dark navy broadcloth, to a western denim, to a chambray, to a striped blue and white shirt. Most of my ties go with most of my shirts, which is the beauty of the blue shirt and tie combo. It’s usually pretty hard to mess it up. But, just to give you some ground rules, I’ll show you which colors go best with which shades of blue shirts.

What Color Tie to Wear with Blue Shirt

Budget-wise, you can put together a tie and blue shirt combo for around either $75 to $500. Personally, I’ve never bought a tie for more than $50 or a blue shirt for more than $75. Since you are probably reading this article because A. You have an event or function coming up that requires a tie, and B. You only have a blue shirt, let’s break down all the functions that may require a tie and look at which colors go best with a blue shirt in this comprehensive guide. Hopefully you’ll find the best option and be inspired to pull off a great fit. 

Job Interview – Navy Tie with Stripe

Even though some of the more laid-back companies out there don’t expect you to wear a tie – or even a dress shirt for that matter – it’s probably still best to wear a tie for an interview. One of the most serious ties you can wear is a navy tie with a stripe – like this one from J.Crew.

This one is made in the USA (Long Island City, NY actually), and is 100% English silk. A timeless classic stripe tie never goes out of style, which means you can wear it for the next 20-30 years if you take care of it properly. Typically if you’re wearing a darker tie, pair it with a light blue dress shirt or patterned blue shirt and a charcoal or navy suit, and you’re showing your interview manager that you mean business.

Day at the Office – Knit Navy 

Picture a hip, upscale office in the West Village, NYC where the men are wearing jeans and knit navy ties with thick, black-rimmed glasses. Does this workplace exist anymore? I can honestly say this is how men dressed at the J.Crew office in the Village back in the mid-’00s and it was really fun to try to put different tie and shirt color combinations together. I’m not there anymore so I have no idea if that’s how the office culture still is, but back in the day a knit navy dark blue tie with a light blue oxford shirt would go perfectly together. 

Check out this good option from Bonobos. 

Along with a broken-in oxford shirt. You can get one in faded navy, university stripe rain, or raincoat blue at J.Crew.

Winter Wedding – Wool Flannel in Charcoal

If you’re headed to a wedding or other formal occasions in the middle of winter, go with a wool flannel charcoal gray tie – like this one from Todd Snyder. 

Snyder used to be a men’s designer at J.Crew, so there’s a reason his ties look similar to those from his previous employer. Snyder has upped the quality level – this tie is hand-stitched in Italy, and the charcoal virgin wool has a “heathered and wooly feel,” according to the description. A good choice would be to pair this dark grey tie with a thick light-blue oxford button-down and a darker shade blue suit and you’ll be stylin’ and profilin’ at that wedding.

New Years Eve Party – Black Bow Tie

I have been known to wear a light blue chambray shirt, black bow tie, black jacket, and black shoes for a New Year’s Eve party or two. It’s an excellent choice when you want to mix things up and the easiest way turn plenty of heads. Everyone loves seeing a guy wearing a bow tie because it’s just so classy and different compared to what most men are wearing. Just make sure you watch a youtube video or two before the big night so you remember how to tie it properly. And sometimes I’ll mix it up and wear brown shoes with black pants.

Graduation Ceremony – Foulard Wool Tie

Headed to a graduation ceremony – or any type of ceremony for that matter? Try out this Foulard Wool Tie from Nordstrom.

A neat foulard pattern gives you a versatile look. You could actually pull this color tie off with a variety of different shirts – from a light blue oxford to a darker blue. If you’re the one graduating, no need for a blazer since you’ll be wearing a graduation gown. 

Birthday Party – Navy Polka Dot

Polka Dot ties are classy, fun, and versatile. A good rule of thumb is that you can pretty much wear a polka dot tie with a suit for any function, so they definitely work well if you’re attending a fancy birthday party at a restaurant or club. This navy blue tie from Tom Ford goes great with a light blue shirt and blazer. 

Country Club – Critter Tie

If you frequent the local country club, you can’t go wrong with a critter tie for a classic look. This one from Brooks Brothers called the “Silk Plaid Frenchie Dog Tie” features fun, lovable pups – a must-have for dog lovers everywhere. The great thing about critter ties is that they are excellent conversation starters if you don’t know anyone at the event. And if you do, either way you’ll receive plenty of compliments. This 100% Italian-spun silk tie goes well with a light blue oxford.

Day in Court – Solid Burgundy Tie

If you got a speeding ticket or something worse and have a court date, it’s best to dress sharp and professionally and not wear anything goofy. Go with a dark solid grenadine tie like this one from Kingsman by Drake’s and a blue dress shirt with a suit. Burgundy is a serious color that means you are sophisticated and mean business. If you make a good first impression on the judge, you may get off a little easier. Plus, you’ll look good too.

Ivy League Party – Navy Striped Repp Club Tie

If you’re lucky enough to go to an Ivy League school, you will need a striped repp club tie like this one from Ralph Lauren. Sometimes the parties and dances can be formal, so you’ll want to look the part with a preppy striped repp club tie. Ivy League book and clothing stores sell them with their school’s crest on them as well. Complete the look with a light blue striped shirt, blue blazer with brass buttons, and of course some light khaki-colored chinos.