7 Tie Colors You Can Wear With A Black Suit And Blue Shirt

The range of options is wide, but there’s a good chance there’s a perfect one for your specific circumstances. 

So, here are some great tie colors you can wear with a black suit and blue shirt: 

• Red
• Black
• Pink
• Green
• Gold
• Grey
• Purple

A list like that is great, but you need more. 

Let’s go through each of those tie colors in more detail. 

7 Tie Colors You Can Wear With A Black Suit And Blue Shirt

You’ll notice how some tie colors just look more formal or more professional when wearing a black suit and blue shirt, while others look more casual. 

We’ll specify appropriate dress codes for each of them as we go through. 

Red

A black suit and blue shirt can be worn with a red tie in many different settings ranging from formal or business-professional to smart-casual. Dark red ties (eg. burgundy, maroon, or crimson) would be more appropriate in dressier settings. 

Appropriate Dress Codes: Formal, Business-Professional, Smart-Casual

It’s worth mentioning that it’s hard to go wrong with a black suit and blue shirt combo. 

There are a seemingly endless number of tie colors that’ll coordinate with a color pairing as simple and neutral as this. 

Red just happens to be one of them. 

But the shade of red you choose is important. In more formal or professional settings, consider a tie that’s in a dark and muted shade of red. 

Burgundy and maroon are common favorites. 

While a bright and bold shade of red such as scarlet wouldn’t necessarily be considered “casual” or “unprofessional”, it’s still likely to be quite attention-grabbing. 

In general, the more attention-grabbing your suit, shirt, and tie combination is, the more casual it’s likely to come across. 

This is even more important when wearing a blue shirt, given how high-contrast a blue shirt and red tie can look. At the end of the day, you’re combining a “cool” color with a “warm” color. 

Black

A black tie can be a great option when wearing a black suit and blue shirt given how neutral and effortless it is to coordinate. 

Appropriate Dress Codes: Formal, Business-Professional, Smart-Casual

If you’re worried there’s a risk of underdressing, going for a dark and neutral tie color such as black or dark grey would be the safest option. 

It’ll work well in formal settings, as well as business-professional workplaces. 

Color coordination isn’t even something you’d have to think about. 

While the black suit and black tie combo is likely to look a little bland or uninspired here, the relatively colorful blue shirt will pop out as a backdrop. 

It’ll make the outfit look a little more interesting but still subtle and understated overall. 

Pink

A pink tie can be worn with a black suit and blue shirt, with the combination working especially well in celebratory social settings ranging from formal to smart-casual ones. 

Appropriate Dress Codes: Formal, Smart-Casual

A pink tie worn over a blue shirt will coordinate well but will often be eye-catching. Pink is a very “warm” and vibrant color, while blue is an unmistakably “cool” color. 

What this leads to is a high-contrast combination that’s bound to turn some heads. 

While it’s possible to wear a black suit, blue shirt, and pink tie in professional workplaces, it’s best to go for a more understated tie color here whenever possible. 

Reserve the blue shirt and pink tie for dressy social settings, whether they present themselves as “formal” or “smart-casual”. 

The color combination would be suitable for either of them. 

All that would change would be the style and construction of the items themselves. 

For example, for a formal event, you’re more likely to choose a black worsted wool suit with a light blue dress shirt and salmon pink silk necktie. 

For a smart-casual event, consider a black tweed suit with a light blue OCBD shirt and a dusty pink knit tie. 

Green

Green ties work well when wearing a black suit and blue shirt, especially during the winter and fall months. 

Appropriate Dress Codes: Formal, Smart-Casual

While a red tie is said to symbolize power and strength, a green tie is associated with balance and reliability. 

Green ties also work exceptionally well with blue shirts given how the “cool” undertones of each color play off of each other. 

It produces a laid-back and relaxed aesthetic, especially when compared with the more vibrant and energetic options of pink or red. 

The earthy tone of green does work well during the winter and fall months, but the black suit, blue shirt, and green tie combination does work well year-round. 

Dark shades of green such as hunter, forest, and olive green look great, with the dark tones of the suit and tie syncing well. 

In addition, a light blue shirt and dark green tie does tend to have a dressier and more formal look to it than a light or bright shade of green would (eg. lime or chartreuse). 

Gold

A gold tie can look fantastic when wearing a black suit and blue shirt in formal, as well as smart-casual settings. The radiance of the gold tie is immediately eye-catching. 

Appropriate Dress Codes: Formal, Smart-Casual 

While the extravagance of the gold tie should be avoided in professional settings, it’ll work in practically any other environment. 

The warm undertones of the golf tie stand out and contrast the cool undertones of the blue shirt.

The black suit simply forms a neutral backdrop over which these two colors can take center stage. 

Gold ties aren’t as commonly seen as red, yellow, or orange ties. As such, they’re a great option if you’re looking to stand out from the crowd and make more of a statement. 

It’s definitely worth noting that the combination isn’t subtle, but would rarely ever be considered excessive. 

Grey

A grey tie can easily be worn with a black suit and blue shirt given how neutral and easy to coordinate it is. 

Appropriate Dress Codes: Formal, Business-Professional, Smart-Casual

The neutrality of grey does lend itself well to formal and business-professional settings. 

In these environments, dark shades of grey (eg. charcoal) work especially well when wearing a black suit and blue shirt. 

Try to ensure that the tie is noticeably darker than the blue shirt. The easiest way to pull this off would be to simply choose a dress shirt in a very light shade of blue such as baby blue or sky blue. 

Here, the blue shirt will be the most colorful component of the suit, with the black suit and grey tie forming a neutral foundation over which the shirt can take the focus. 

Purple

Purple ties work exceptionally well with black suits and blue shirts, especially dark or muted shades of purple such as plum or mauve. 

Appropriate Dress Codes: Formal, Smart-Casual

Referring back to the color wheel, you’ll notice how blue and purple both fall firmly on the “cool” half of the color wheel. 

As a result, combining the two colors produces a low-key, low-contrast, and laid-back aesthetic that’ll work well. 

A light blue shirt and dark purple tie combo works well here, with the dark purple syncing well with the black suit. 

While a purple tie would never be as “professional” as a black, grey, navy, or even dark red tie, it would still be considered suitable in dressy social settings. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s finish up by answering a few FAQs on the topic. 

Can You Wear A Black Suit And Blue Shirt With No Tie? 

A black suit and blue shirt can easily be worn without a tie in smart-casual settings. It produces an effective and laid-back aesthetic. 

Keep a single button undone and embrace a more relaxed look. Go for two buttons undone if you’re really dressing down. 

If you don’t feel as though a tie is necessary for the setting you’re attending, technically, there’s no reason to wear one. 

Can You Wear A Black Suit And Blue Shirt With A Blue Tie? 

A blue tie can be worn with a black suit and blue shirt, but try to ensure that the tie is a noticeably different shade of blue. 

While monochromatic shirt and tie combinations work well, it usually works best when the tie is clearly a darker shade than the shirt. 

For example, a black suit, baby blue shirt, and navy blue tie. 

A combination like this will always work. 

Conclusion 

As you’ve now seen, your choice of tie color will make a huge difference when it comes to the aesthetic and formality of your black suit and blue shirt combination. 

In general, darker and more muted tie colors would be better options when dressing up, while more extravagant and eye-catching ones are more suitable when dressing down.