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What Color Belt Goes With A Blue Suit? (Pics)

December 22, 2022
What Color Belt Goes With A Blue Suit? (Pics)

Choosing a belt seems simple enough, but it’s no secret that certain belt colors tend to work better with specific suit colors. 

So, here are some great belt colors you can wear with a blue suit: 

  • Black
  • Brown
  • Oxblood
  • Burgundy
  • Navy

But you need a whole lot more than that. 

After going through a couple of tips to help you coordinate belts with blue suits in the best way possible, we’ll run through the belt colors in more detail (with pics). 

Sock Variety Collage
Images From Deposit Photos

How To Color Coordinate Belts With Blue Suits

These tips should see you through no matter what shade of blue suit you may be wearing or what you might be dressing for. 

blue suit with brown belt
Image From Deposit Photos

1.  The Belt And Shoes Should Match

No matter what shade or style of blue suit you wear, make sure the belt you choose matches the shoes. 

Sticking to this basic and fundamental principle of formal men’s style will always serve you well. 

Not sticking to it is a quick and easy way to make a suit look poorly coordinated. 

The two items don’t have to match perfectly, but the closer they are in color, the better. 

man in navy blue suit and black shoes
Image From Deposit Photos

For example, if you’re wearing a blue suit with light brown shoes, wear a light brown belt. 

If you’re wearing a blue suit with oxblood shoes, wear an oxblood belt. 

When buying a pair of shoes in a more unusual or uncommon color, try to buy a belt in a similar color at the same time. 

Think of the two items as going hand-in-hand. 

2. Always Consider The Dress Code

The more formal the setting, the more likely it is that a black, dark brown, or oxblood belt would be the most appropriate option when wearing a blue suit. 

Between the three of them, black would be the most formal, followed by dark brown and then oxblood. 

When dressing for a formal or “professional” setting, it’s likely you’ll be wearing a dark blue suit as opposed to a light blue one. 

That’s one reason why these typically dark-colored belts tend to work better. 

navy blue suit with dark brown belt
Image From Deposit Photos

If you feel as though there’s a risk of underdressing, the safest option would always be wearing a black belt. 

In business-casual settings, a belt in a light shade of brown such as tan or caramel would often look great. 

In even more casual or “smart-casual” settings, you’ve got the option of going for a more eye-catching or uncommon belt color if you wanted to. 

However, try to do this without drawing too much attention and keeping the suit sophisticated overall. 

A burgundy belt would be a great option in these more casual environments. It’s eye-catching, but not so attention-grabbing that it looks over the top. 

Remember, no matter which of these belt colors you end up choosing, be sure to wear a matching pair of shoes.

3. Consider The Buckle

While the belt buckle isn’t something you should pay too much attention to, consider its color when accessorizing. 

It’s likely that you’ll be wearing a belt with a classic frame buckle or at the very least a box buckle. 

But is it brass or silver? 

Silver tends to look a little more formal, but there are no hard-and-fast rules here. 

If you’re wearing a brass-colored belt buckle, consider wearing a watch or a chain in a similar color. 

The same would go for a silver-colored belt buckle. 

While coordinating your accessories may seem unnecessary at first, it’s a relatively simple way to make your outfit look extremely well coordinated. 

5 Belt Colors You Can Wear With A Blue Suit

Here are those belt colors displayed and described in more detail. You’ll quickly notice how certain options look more formal than others. 

Blue Suit With A Black Belt

A  blue suit can be worn with a black belt in formal, business-professional, and smart-casual settings. 

Navy blue suit + black belt + black oxford shoes
Images From Deposit Photos

In many ways, a black belt would be the most versatile option because of the wide range of events you could potentially wear it to. 

When wearing a blue suit with a black belt to a formal or business-professional setting, go for a suit in a dark shade of blue such as navy or midnight blue. 

In smart-casual settings, you could wear a black belt (and black pair of shoes) with a suit in a lighter shade of blue. 

Medium shades of blue include royal and admiral blue, while light shades of blue could be anything from sky blue to teal. 

Ultimately, a black belt would be versatile, neutral, and dressy enough to wear with a suit in any shade of blue. 

Blue Suit With A Brown Belt

A blue suit can easily be worn with a brown belt, with dark brown belts being more appropriate in formal settings. For more casual events, consider a belt in a light shade of blue (eg. tan or caramel). 

Navy blue suit + dark brown belt + light brown belt + light oxford shoes + dark brown shoes
Images From Deposit Photos

A brown belt can look very different depending on its shade. 

In general, the darker the shade of the brown belt, the more suitable it would be for formal or business-professional settings. 

While light brown belts can look great, they’re usually more appropriate in more casual environments. 

If you’re looking for a dressy, formal, and low-key combination, go for a dark blue suit with a dark brown belt. The contrast between the two items is low and the outfit will look subtle as a result. 

If you want a more eye-catching combo, consider a suit in a medium shade of blue such as admiral blue, and go for a tan or caramel brown belt. 

It’s still important to coordinate your belt and shoes here. If you’ve gone for a dark brown belt, wear a dark brown pair of shoes. 

The same would go for a light brown belt. 

The shades don’t have to match exactly. But the closer they are, the better. 

Blue Suit With An Oxblood Belt  

An oxblood belt can be worn with a blue suit in formal, business-professional, and smart-casual settings. 

Navy blue suit + oxblood belt + oxblood shoes
Images From Deposit Photos

Oxblood is a dark shade of red but has subtle dark brown hues. It’s similar to burgundy but less striking and eye-catching. 

It’s often considered appropriate to wear in formal and business-professional settings, but may not be the best choice if you fear there’s a risk of underdressing. 

In these cases, go for a dark brown or black belt instead. 

But if you were looking for a slightly more exciting alternative to a black or dark brown belt in a dressy setting, consider an oxblood belt (and pair of shoes). 

It’s a subtle way to stand out from the crowd a little. 

Oxblood also looks great paired with the color blue, with the “warm” undertones of the red counterbalancing the noticeably “cool” undertones of the blue. 

Blue Suit With A Burgundy Belt  

A  blue suit can be worn with a burgundy belt in smart-casual settings. The combination would be too casual for a formal event.

Medium blue suit + burgundy belt + burgundy dress shoes
Images From Deposit Photos

Burgundy is a bold and vibrant color that tends to look great with suits. 

When wearing a blue suit to a casual or smart-casual setting, burgundy would be a great choice. 

It’s a dark shade of red but has a noticeable purple hue. 

As a result, it’s more eye-catching and in-your-face than oxblood. It would usually be too bold to wear in formal or business-professional environments. 

But if you were looking to stand out from the crowd a little in a smart-casual environment, a burgundy belt (and pair of shoes) would be a great idea. 

Blue Suit With A Navy Belt

A navy belt can be worn with a blue suit, but it’s important to make sure that the shade of the suit is noticeably different from that of the belt. 

Light blue suit + blue belt + blue suede derby shoes
Images From Deposit Photos

Avoid wearing a navy belt with a navy suit and go for a more contrasting color instead. 

Navy belts tend to work best with suits in light or medium shades of blue that can easily be distinguished from them. 

The more different the suit is from the belt, the better. 

While it may sound obvious, it’s worth mentioning that a navy belt should really only be worn with a blue suit in casual or smart-casual settings. 

It should never be worn in formal or business-professional settings where it would always come across as too casual. 

Finally, it’s also important to coordinate the belt with a navy pair of shoes. It’s a simple rule, but an effective one. 

Conclusion 

While you aren’t short of options, it’s likely that there’s a single belt color that’s most appropriate for the specific setting you’re wearing a blue suit to. 

Hopefully, you’re now several steps closer to figuring out what it is. 

Consider the dress code, the shade of your blue suit, and how much contrast you want between the two items. 

Enjoy.