What to Wear With a Navy Suit: Shirt, Tie and Shoe Combinations

Navy suit combinations are forgiving because navy is dark enough to be formal and blue enough to take color. Almost any pale shirt and almost any darker tie will work. The decisions that really change the result are the shoes, the shade of the tie and how much contrast you want for the occasion.

What color shoes go with a navy suit?

Black and dark brown shoes both go with a navy suit. Black is the more formal choice and right for conservative business, evening events and funerals. Dark brown is the more versatile choice and right for most offices, daytime weddings and social occasions. Lighter browns, tan and suede push the suit toward daytime and casual wear.

The style of shoe matters as much as the color. A black cap-toe oxford is the most formal shoe you can wear with a navy suit, while brown suede loafers are among the least. Our guide to shoes to wear with a suit ranks every style.

What color shirt goes with a navy suit?

A white or light blue shirt goes best with a navy suit, and both work for every occasion. Pale pink and lavender add warmth and suit most occasions short of the very formal. Fine stripes and small checks in the same pale colors work too, as long as the tie is solid or patterned at a clearly different scale.

What color tie goes with a navy suit?

Burgundy is the best tie color for a navy suit. It contrasts with the blue, flatters most complexions and suits every occasion from an interview to a wedding. Navy, green, brown and gold are close behind. The only colors to treat with care are bright blues that sit too close to the suit and very pale ties that are lighter than the shirt.

For patterns, a navy suit takes almost anything: repp stripes, small dots, paisleys and florals all work on a plain navy. If the suit itself is striped, keep the tie solid or choose a small, neat pattern. See how to match a tie to your shirt and suit for pattern rules.

12 navy suit combinations, from formal to casual

These twelve outfits run from the most formal at the top to the most relaxed at the bottom. Each one works as shown; swap the tie or square within the same family of colors and it will still work.

Navy suit combinations by occasion

The more formal or serious the occasion, the more contrast and the darker the shoes. The more relaxed the occasion, the more color you can add to the tie and square and the lighter the shoes can be.

A navy suit is acceptable at most funerals, though charcoal or black is more traditional; our guide to funeral attire explains the options. For interviews, see what to wear to a job interview.

Pocket squares, belts and socks with a navy suit

A white linen or cotton pocket square in a flat presidential fold goes with every navy outfit and is the right choice for business. For social occasions, a silk square in a color drawn from the tie or shirt adds warmth: burgundy, gold, rust or a navy pattern with white. The square should complement the tie, not match it exactly. Our guide to folding a pocket square shows each fold.

Match the belt to the shoes in color and roughly in finish: black with black, dark brown with dark brown, suede with suede. Wear navy socks long enough that no shin shows when you sit, or choose a sock a shade darker than the trousers. Patterned socks in navy-based colors suit relaxed settings.

How to wear a navy suit without a tie

Without a tie, a navy suit needs a shirt collar that holds its shape. A semi-spread collar with collar stays or a soft button-down sits neatly under the lapels; a large cutaway tends to collapse when worn open. Undo one button, or two if the collar is low, and keep the shirt white or light blue. Brown loafers or suede derbies suit the relaxed look better than black oxfords, which look as if the tie has been forgotten.

A navy suit in cotton, linen or a textured wool can go further toward casual, with a knitted polo shirt or a fine merino crewneck under the jacket and white leather sneakers. A fine worsted business suit rarely looks right with sneakers, because the fabric is too smooth and formal. See our guide to smart casual for more.

Navy suit combinations for summer and winter

In summer, lighten everything around the navy. Choose a lightweight worsted, a hopsack or a linen blend, a white or light blue shirt, and a tie in linen, cotton or a light silk in pale yellow, light blue or a small floral. Mid brown, tan or brown suede shoes suit the daylight better than black.

In winter, deepen and warm the palette. A navy flannel takes burgundy, bottle green and brown ties in wool, cashmere or knitted silk, and dark brown or oxblood shoes, including plain dress boots under full-length trousers. A navy overcoat or a camel coat both sit well over a navy suit.

Can you wear a navy suit jacket as a blazer?

Only if the fabric has texture. A smooth navy worsted suit jacket worn with chinos or jeans looks like half a suit, because the fabric is clearly made to be matched with trousers. A navy suit in hopsack, flannel, linen or a visible twill can pass as a separate jacket, especially with patch pockets and contrasting buttons. Bear in mind that wearing the jacket alone wears it faster than the trousers, and over time the two can fade apart.

What not to wear with a navy suit

• Black shirts. They remove the contrast that frames the face and make the suit look like a uniform.
• Bright royal blue ties. They sit too close to navy without being clearly darker or lighter.
• Brown belt with black shoes, or the reverse.
• White athletic socks or short socks that show the shin.
• Tie and pocket square from the same matched set.
• Shiny satin ties with a matte wool suit in daylight.

The tailor's view: not every navy is the same

Navies range from a near-black midnight to a bright, almost royal blue, and the shade decides how far the combinations above will stretch. A dark navy is the most formal and the most versatile, taking black shoes and evening wear easily. A mid navy is a little friendlier and better in daylight. A bright navy looks less serious in business and works best at weddings and social events.

Fabric texture also changes the color. A smooth worsted reads darker and more formal, a flannel softer and warmer, and a linen or cotton lighter and more casual. If you will wear the suit with both black and brown shoes, a plain or nearly plain dark navy worsted is the safest choice. For the full color rules behind these pairings, see our guide to suit, shirt and tie color combinations.

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