2 ms·

With patterns (stripes, plaid, checks, whatever), essentially you don't want to have more than one item with a similar-size pattern. So if you're wearing a shi

by omgsean 15y ago

With patterns (stripes, plaid, checks, whatever), essentially you don't want to have more than one item with a similar-size pattern. So if you're wearing a shirt with small checks you can wear a tie with a big pattern (wide stripes, big plaid, etc.) but shouldn't wear a tie with a small pattern. Same goes for pants. The reason people advise against it is that it's visually distracting. Some people are bold and mix patterns but the safest bet is to just not wear more than one patterned item at a time. In terms of colour matching, that's more of a personal thing. The biggest thing you need to remember is don't put a brown item next to a black item (ie brown shoes with black pants). This post on reddit covers the basics: http://www.reddit.com/r/malefashionadvice/comments/ginj6/in_which_epicviking_teaches_you_how_to_match/ http://www.reddit.com/r/malefashionadvice/comments/ginj6/in_... As with all aesthetic disciplines the rules are made to be broken, but it's good to know them first.

kstenerud 15y ago
Ugh... I'm already lost. Ok, so he mentions "warm" and "cool" colors. Since I burn within 30 seconds of encountering the sun, I'm "cool". Then he mentions seasonal colors, all of which he says go with "cool" complextion, which means any color goes with cool? I think I'm missing something here. I had someone once tell me I should wear "autumn" colors, so all of my stuff is yellow, orange, and brown, but apparently that doesn't work (or at least not always... There are some browns that work and others that don't apparently). My eyes shift between light blue, green, and grey depending on the season. So that means I should wear those colors, right? Are my eyes considered to be "contrasting" or "non-contrasting"? How do you even decide what colors are "contrasting" or not? Some other things: "Blue shirt + yellow tie is pretty classic, but disastrous if done wrong. A deeper,darker yellow more akin to goldenrod and a lighter blue is the ticket here." - Is there an official matrix of acceptable color combinations available somewhere? "Anything black at all should be a rough texture." - And yet I see so many people wearing smooth textured black things. Are they just poorly dressed? "Grey flannel trousers are the shit" - Umm... ok. Why? "One madras element per fit." - What's a madras element? Google didn't turn up anything useful. "Be cohesive and holistic. The whole should be better than the sum of the parts. Build an outfit, don’t just toss together flair." - Great, but HOW do you do that? "Don’t be overly matchy. “Close enough” is more charming and better looking than fabric shade OCD." - So don't wear colors of similar shade, then?
- omgsean 15y ago
  You're overthinking it. First of all, fit is kind and much easier to understanding. Second, how often are you putting together complex colour profiles? There are a few combos that work great for pretty much anyone: - Casual: Dark blue jeans, nearly any colour shirt, brown leather shoes - Charcoal slacks, black leather shoes, nearly any colour shirt - Khaki chinos, light blue shirt, brown shoes >"Grey flannel trousers are the shit" - Umm... ok. Why? Because epicviking thinks so. I happen to like them too, they've got a great texture and they go with almost anything. You can wear black or brown shoes with them and any colour dress shirt pretty much. >"One madras element per fit." - What's a madras element? Google didn't turn up anything useful. Madras is like a big plaid pattern. >"Don’t be overly matchy. “Close enough” is more charming and better looking than fabric shade OCD." - So don't wear colors of similar shade, then? Try to avoid it yeah. >"Blue shirt + yellow tie is pretty classic, but disastrous if done wrong. A deeper,darker yellow more akin to goldenrod and a lighter blue is the ticket here." - Is there an official matrix of acceptable color combinations available somewhere? Nope but if you're in a bind you can always google "what colour tie goes with a ____ shirt" and get some input. If you want advice specific to yourself I'd post a picture of yourself on malefashionadvice, people there are very helpful (although you have to be okay with getting criticized, don't take it personally)
  - kstenerud 15y ago
    "First of all, fit is kind and much easier to understanding." - Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean by this. "Second, how often are you putting together complex colour profiles?" - What would be considered a complex color profile? I have a closet with clothes of various colors, and I need to choose which shirt to wear with which pants/shorts/whatever. And I guess which shoes. So I know that not all reds are the same, and not all oranges are the same, and some reds go with some oranges. Problem is I don't know which is which; That's why I was asking about a color matrix. Then there's patterns, which are even more dangerous, because it seems that most mixes of colors don't go at all with most other mixes of colors. I don't understand how people decide that certain ones "match" and others don't. If there's no color matrix to show what works and what doesn't, how can you even know?

by omgsean 15y ago

kstenerud 15y ago

Ugh... I'm already lost. Ok, so he mentions "warm" and "cool" colors. Since I burn within 30 seconds of encountering the sun, I'm "cool". Then he mentions seasonal colors, all of which he says go with "cool" complextion, which means any color goes with cool? I think I'm missing something here. I had someone once tell me I should wear "autumn" colors, so all of my stuff is yellow, orange, and brown, but apparently that doesn't work (or at least not always... There are some browns that work and others that don't apparently). My eyes shift between light blue, green, and grey depending on the season. So that means I should wear those colors, right? Are my eyes considered to be "contrasting" or "non-contrasting"? How do you even decide what colors are "contrasting" or not? Some other things: "Blue shirt + yellow tie is pretty classic, but disastrous if done wrong. A deeper,darker yellow more akin to goldenrod and a lighter blue is the ticket here." - Is there an official matrix of acceptable color combinations available somewhere? "Anything black at all should be a rough texture." - And yet I see so many people wearing smooth textured black things. Are they just poorly dressed? "Grey flannel trousers are the shit" - Umm... ok. Why? "One madras element per fit." - What's a madras element? Google didn't turn up anything useful. "Be cohesive and holistic. The whole should be better than the sum of the parts. Build an outfit, don’t just toss together flair." - Great, but HOW do you do that? "Don’t be overly matchy. “Close enough” is more charming and better looking than fabric shade OCD." - So don't wear colors of similar shade, then?

omgsean 15y ago
You're overthinking it. First of all, fit is kind and much easier to understanding. Second, how often are you putting together complex colour profiles? There are a few combos that work great for pretty much anyone: - Casual: Dark blue jeans, nearly any colour shirt, brown leather shoes - Charcoal slacks, black leather shoes, nearly any colour shirt - Khaki chinos, light blue shirt, brown shoes >"Grey flannel trousers are the shit" - Umm... ok. Why? Because epicviking thinks so. I happen to like them too, they've got a great texture and they go with almost anything. You can wear black or brown shoes with them and any colour dress shirt pretty much. >"One madras element per fit." - What's a madras element? Google didn't turn up anything useful. Madras is like a big plaid pattern. >"Don’t be overly matchy. “Close enough” is more charming and better looking than fabric shade OCD." - So don't wear colors of similar shade, then? Try to avoid it yeah. >"Blue shirt + yellow tie is pretty classic, but disastrous if done wrong. A deeper,darker yellow more akin to goldenrod and a lighter blue is the ticket here." - Is there an official matrix of acceptable color combinations available somewhere? Nope but if you're in a bind you can always google "what colour tie goes with a ____ shirt" and get some input. If you want advice specific to yourself I'd post a picture of yourself on malefashionadvice, people there are very helpful (although you have to be okay with getting criticized, don't take it personally)
- kstenerud 15y ago
  "First of all, fit is kind and much easier to understanding." - Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean by this. "Second, how often are you putting together complex colour profiles?" - What would be considered a complex color profile? I have a closet with clothes of various colors, and I need to choose which shirt to wear with which pants/shorts/whatever. And I guess which shoes. So I know that not all reds are the same, and not all oranges are the same, and some reds go with some oranges. Problem is I don't know which is which; That's why I was asking about a color matrix. Then there's patterns, which are even more dangerous, because it seems that most mixes of colors don't go at all with most other mixes of colors. I don't understand how people decide that certain ones "match" and others don't. If there's no color matrix to show what works and what doesn't, how can you even know?