The Art of Color Matching Made Easy

The Art of Color Matching Made Easy

Whether you are trying to find the right tie for a suit or selecting a cap that matches your swimming trunks, being able to match colors is key to looking put together. Here are a few key things to keep in mind when learning how to match colors.

Identify Your Base Color The start to matching any outfit is identifying your base shade. Depending on your needs, it might be something like a navy suit, a red sweater, or a green shirt. This will be the color that all other parts of your outfit must match. Try to decide if the base color is a neutral and whether it is a warm color or a cool color. Neutrals are plain colors like black, grey, white, tan, beige, and sometimes navy blue. Shades with a warm color tend to be most reds, oranges, yellows, browns, and creams. Cool shades are typically blues, purples, greens, blacks, and whites.

Find Coordinating Secondary Shades The secondary shade needs to be something that will complement the base shade. If your base is a neutral, your job is easy. You can add another neutral in the same color family or just include any color you like. If your base shade is already a distinctive color, you can choose a neutral to

ground it, or you can select a coordinating shade that has the same temperature, level of saturation, or brightness.

Add a Pop of Color You can stick to all neutral outfits if you want to avoid any matching disasters, but adding even one note of color will help to round out an outfit. An easy way is just picking a brighter version of your base color, such as a bright blue tie for a navy jacket. If you are feeling more adventurous, consider a complimentary color for your base color. Red compliments green, yellow compliments purple, and orange compliments blue.

Try Out Classic Color Combinations Here are a few key ways to match some of the items that almost every man has in his closet:  

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Dark Denim: Dark denim can pair well with crisp neutrals and deep jewel tones.

Khaki Chinos: This wardrobe classic can be worn with plenty of bright, strong colors.

Wear it at work with strong burgundies and deep blues, or make it a fun weekend look with exciting pinks, aquas, and greens.

Light Denim: Light denim tends to be a clear, bright blue that pairs well with neutrals like grey jackets, white shoes, black boots, or cream shirts.

Colorful Shorts: For the bright, preppy colors like salmon, aquamarine, and emerald that are so trendy lately, the ideal shirt is something a little more neutral. Consider a classic polo or linen shirt in navy, grey, or white.

Navy Blazer: This versatile colors works with anything besides black. Consider pairing it with a white button down, light blue chinos, and brown loafers.

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