Red Ties & Navy Blazers

I wear a navy blazer a lot. I would say that I have been wearing a navy blazer at least once a week for the last 3 years. I have learned a few things in that time. One of those things is that red ties work really well with them.
Red Tie & Navy BlazerRed Ties & Navy Blazers 2In hindsight it seems like this should be a no-brainer. Contrast is one of the most important elements in putting together a rig. However, my knowledge of color theory is non-existent so I learn what colors work by two methods. Learning from others is my most effective. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel. The other is trial and error which is why I recommend the first.

in the end, red ties just work with navy blazers. When I say red I also mean burgundy ( I told you that I have  no background in color theory). These are the ties that I reach for most often. If you are new to the navy blazer or have trouble pairing a tie with them give a red or burgundy repp tie a shot. It is usually a hit.

oxford cloth button down
Jerrod Swanton is a simple man interested in simple, classic, and traditional style.

13 Comments on "Red Ties & Navy Blazers"

  1. Old Trad says:

    Only once a week?

  2. Grey Flannels says:

    Try white shirts, rather than blue,
    and both the navy blazer and the red
    tie will even look better.

  3. Bluchermoc says:

    Who makes that great leather belt?

  4. oxford cloth button down says:

    Bluchermoc – Thank you. I had it made by a guy with a kiosk in the middle of the local mall. He sells belts, buckles, and leather stuff. I saw this buckle and wanted a belt. He put it all together on the spot for $20. Cut the leather to measure as well.

    Grey Flannels – You make a good point. I tend to avoid white. Might have to work on that.

    Old Trad – More like 3 days a week.

  5. Joe says:

    Agree 100%!
    I also like Brooks #4 stripes in both Burgundy/Navy & Kelly/Navy. (something about the symmetry of the stripe width & the “pop” the Kelly gives a navy blazer w/a blue OCBD.

  6. Camford says:

    If you try white pinpoint, as opposed to thicker Oxford cloth, you
    may find yourself hooked for life.
    Pleased to hear that you wear a navy blazer three times a week.
    Classic, unobtrusive simplicity.

  7. Lennart says:

    Nice combo Jerrod. Personally I favour a navy/green striped bow tie to this. However I mostly skip the tie/bowtie most days, plays better with the general dress code where I work. as for the shirt, to a navy blazer all colors are great, light blue, white, pink or light green which has became one of my favorites after having read a post about green ocbd’s a while ago.

  8. MrErikJ says:

    I used to prefer navy based ties as my “standard” but since I don’t wear as much gray anymore, I agree with you the red seems to offer the ideal contrast to blue shirts and navy jackets. The monochrome look of navy background ties on blue shirts with navy blazers can look good if the navies aren’t too far off. However, I think it was G. Bruce Boyer who said that extremely handsome men (Cary Grant, Sean Connery) can dress simply and look fantastic. The rest of us need some pattern and color. For these reasons, most of my ties are now red/burgundy or green.

    I’m also slightly inclined to disagree with Gray Flannels regarding wearing a white shirt. White shirts look fantastic, but for a fair complexion they produce too much contrast with a navy jacket and make light haired/skinned boys like us look washed out. Blue is a better complement to navy for blondes and dark blondes. A white shirt would look better with a light colored jacket, leave the dark jacket white shirt look for the Don Drapers of the world.

  9. Straight Arrow says:

    The claim that white shirts make fair-skinned gents
    look “washed-out” is one of the great satorial
    myths of our age. The other claim, that a white shirt looks
    good with a light-colored jacket is equally unsubstantiated.
    Navy and white complement each other perfectly.

  10. Straight Arrow says:

    As one who is ruthless in his criticism of others for their spelling mistakes, allow me to apologize for my own error: “satorial”, should have been “sartorial”.

  11. Tom says:

    Hi Jerrod, when it comes to khakis, do you always go for the same shade or do you vary? I can’t decide what would be more versatile, regular khaki or the slightly lighter “British” khaki.

  12. Richard says:

    Jerrod, great post. Who makes that fourth tie from the left? I keep admiring it.

  13. oxford cloth button down says:

    Richard – Thanks! Is is the same one that is featured in the second pic in the post? If so it is Robert Talbot. I have seen a very similar one at Ben Silver, but it is not cheap.

    Tom – Sorry for the very late reply! I need to invest in some better comment software. To answer your questions I always wear British Khaki which in my experience is actually a little darker than regular khaki. I find it more versatile.

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