Putting it all together

[cchgn]

I think this is why fashion just went with wear whatever you want,,,,anything goes.

 

[EliasRDA]

True, Its not like I'm trying to pull off a vintage look. I'm just trying to keep from looking like a fool, ya know.

I did find some sites that recommend a tie with a hint of red too it, I just have to watch how much red I wear near my face due to skin tone & hair color.

 

[Two Types]

while I enjoy the alliterative "b's", I prefer the relative syllabic simplicity of the American version. "Dust can" is my favourite, though, just because the word dust is funny.

It has to be better than my wife's chosen expression: "the bucket"

I believe it's a north of the border thing.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

OKay,
I know this is a stupid question but please indulge me... I'm going to get a decent pair of oxblood dress shoes, have a mid grey (not charcoal dark) suit to wear them with but I dont wear belts, only braces/suspenders. Since the braces will be under a vest & not readily seen what color can I go with?

Since they won't be seen, any colour will work for the suspenders. The oxblood/grey combination won't necessarily work. the shades of each will be critical. takes the trousers along when you're buying the shoes to make sure they'll go together well.

Grr, this is one reason I tend to stick with black & charcoal grey clothing, I can wear my shirts & they dont clash with my black shoes. :eeek:

Blue is also an excellent option for black shoes. A pair of brown shoes is essential, I think, before oxblood.

I think this is why fashion just went with wear whatever you want,,,,anything goes.

Absolutely not. I hope that's not the impression you're getting from this thread!

 

[herringbonekid]

for beginners: complementary colours

complementary colours are those which are opposite each other on the colour wheel:

because they are direct opposites they have the most amount of contrast possible.

here's an outfit using strong 'complementary' colours:

they've used an almost exact complementary in the shirt against the jacket which creates the strong contrast (or 'pop' in street vernacular) then moved off it slightly into deeper orange and brown, but still stayed within the complementary zone.
whether you want an outfit to contain such strong contrasts is a matter of taste, but it's still good to know what the complementary of any given colour would be so you can think in terms of playing contrast up or down.

(you can easily check what the opposite of a colour is by creating a swatch of it in photoshop and going to 'invert')

 

[herringbonekid]

for beginners: analogous colours

'analogous' colours are those which are next to each other on the colour wheel, therefore they are very similar in hue:

people usually say these colours 'harmonise' together. analogous colours in an outfit create a more subdued, understated look:

the burgundy and dark blue of the tie are neighbours of the jacket's blue rather than being opposites.

there are nearly always analogous colours used in an outfit, even if only in the pattern of a fabric.
the danger is in choosing colours which are too similar in both hue (colour) and tone ('value' or darkness) which can create an unpleasant 'trying too hard to be the same' effect.
therefore it's better that although similar there is still a recognisable degree of difference between analogous colours.

 

[herringbonekid]

for beginners: split complementary

'split complementary' or 'analogous with an accent' is basically a combination of the first two; harmonious 'analogous' colours combined with an opposing 'complementary' for a touch of contrast:

in this outfit the blues and greens are 'analogous' and the red-browns are 'complementary' to those colours (her sock and trouser are exact complementaries).

this is also a good example of using a light tone / value of an analogous colour (in the trousers) to add more contrast between the similar 'analogous' hues.

 

[simonc]

I find results more exciting when getting dressed in the dark socks, tie, shirt and suit as long as they don't match, most of the time, I'm good.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

nice breakdown hbk!

 

[Fastuni]

the danger is in choosing colours which are too similar in both hue (colour) and tone ('value' or darkness) which can create an unpleasant 'trying too hard to be the same' effect.

This is certainly right - but the other "extreme" could also be a pitfall: 'trying too had to be complementary".
A well-matching outfit should not betray that it was thought through excessively.
I just grab whatever suit/jacket I prefer for the day and pick a tie/shirt that does not have the same color, but without thinking about whether the colors complement each other. That being said, 90% of my ties are reddish-brownish-bronze variations and therefore match with almost any suit.

 

[herringbonekid]

nice breakdown hbk!

thanks.

incidentally - speaking of inverting colours in photoshop to see their opposite - the only 'colour' which can't be inverted is a 50% grey:

it has no complementary, which i'm sure gives it some sort of sartorial significance but i can't think what. most versatile 'colour' ever perhaps ?

 

[Fastuni]

most versatile 'colour' ever perhaps ?

Definitely! Color of the universe.

 

[herringbonekid]

A well-matching outfit should not betray that it was thought through excessively.

i'm more of the 'much discipline and hard work to achieve the appearance of effortlessness' school.
i don't mean that it should be a head ache though.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Shock news from Scientists: Dark Matter is in fact grey flannel wool stuff.

Definitely! Color of the universe.

 

[Two Types]

That's the sort of science I'd be happy to try to understand!

 

[Annixter]

complementary colours are those which are opposite each other on the colour wheel: . . . . because they are direct opposites they have the most amount of contrast possible.

Nice overall discussion of colors/color pairing. I don't think that technically opposite colors (complementary) are always the most accurate way of discussing color pairings. For example, what about the RGB color wheel that pairs blue and yellow as complementary colors? I use this as an example because the traditional color wheel shows blue as a primary and yellow as a tertiary color, yet the two combined make for very high contrast--possibly more so than blue-orange. I'm not suggesting that one color wheel cancels out another, and complementary colors are those opposite each other on the traditional wheel, but I just wanted to point out that strictly complementary colors don't always make the strongest contrast. Here's an RBG color wheel for reference:



Not a good picture at all, but here's a blue/yellow combo off google for a visual:

 

[herringbonekid]

Annixter, i see the blue-yellow or blue-orange pairings as being just slight variations of the same thing. the 'complementary zone' has a bit of leeway when it comes to looking at colours of clothes with the naked eye. yellow is next to orange; either would be classed as a 'complimentary' of blue... as far as putting together an outfit goes.

 

[scottyrocks]

Interesting observation. I wonder what most people did back when and how practical paying such minute attention to hues of a shirt was in the Golden Era (as Guttersnipe mentions in post 529) and is now, which suggests a reason for why few people discussed/discuss the topic? I have a hard time believing that the majority of people in the 20s-50s meticulously picked out shirt colors based on hues in relationship to their complexion because that process would be quite expensive and time-consuming. Most people's complexion then changed and now changes throughout the year--depending on their genetics, climate, and their intake of sunlight amongst other reasons--so not only would people need different colored suits and shirts for different seasons, but they would need different hues of the same color shirts/suits as well. I cannot imagine a typical working-class man standing in front of his closet in the morning thumbing through four shades of the same color shirt and holding it up to his face asking "Hmm, do I look paler, darker, or deader today?" Sure, maybe the wealthy and successful actors paid/pay attention to minute details of complexion in choosing color hues (note "hues" and not the general color that many people do consider alongside complexion), but I think most people chose a shirt color and suit color that complimented each other and the person's general skin tone and went about his life. I come to this conclusion partially from the lack of multiple hue choices in RTW catalogs and fashion magazines posted on FL.

I'm sure that very few people paid this much attention to colors and hues every morning, especially the great majority of everyday workaday people.

Back then, men put on wool trousers, and a collared shirt, and a jacket to just pretty much step out the front door. That was the norm then, much the way today's norm is a t-shirt and sweat pants, or 'athletic' suit. Mindsets were different. What men wear today as casual wear would've been looked at by most men back then as stuff from another planet, or a science fiction motion picture.

So most men today who throw on whatever to go about their daily chores would've been matched by most men back then who did the same thing, except with the different clothing of the era. Anyway, that's my take on it.

 

[Annixter]

Annixter, i see the blue-yellow or blue-orange pairings as being just slight variations of the same thing. the 'complementary zone' has a bit of leeway when it comes to looking at colours of clothes with the naked eye. yellow is next to orange; either would be classed as a 'complimentary' of blue... as far as putting together an outfit goes.

Agreed. Pairing any primary color will give some form of contrast (not always the best looking though), but I find yellow as a tertiary color combo particularly suited to work well with blue more so than say a primary-tertiary combo such as purple-orange or red-yellow. I assume the wavelengths/vibrations have to do with the peculiar nature of yellow and blue, but maybe it's just my eye?

I'm sure that very people paid this much attention to colors and hues every morning, especially the great majority of everyday workaday people.

Back then, men put on wool trousers, and a collared shirt, and a jacket to just pretty much step out the front door. That was the norm then, much the way today's norm is a t-shirt and sweat pants, or 'athletic' suit. Mindsets were different. What men wear today as casual wear would've been looked at by most men back then as stuff from another planet, or a science fiction motion picture.

So most men today who throw on whatever to go about their daily chores would've been matched by most men back then who did the same thing, except with the different clothing of the era. Anyway, that's my take on it.

If I'm following you correctly, I tend to agree. While fashion etiquette has changed between 1940 and 2013, I have a feeling that most working-class people then, as now, wanted to spend their free time doing other things than worrying about varying degrees of shirt tones. I'm sure some did, however.

 

[Tomasso]

I have a hard time believing that the majority of people in the 20s-50s meticulously picked out shirt colors based on hues in relationship to their complexion because that process would be quite expensive and time-consuming.

It doesn't take much time to hold a shirt up to your face and you aren't charged more for a shirt because it's a better color for you.

Most people's complexion then changed and now changes throughout the year--depending on their genetics, climate, and their intake of sunlight amongst other reasons--so not only would people need different colored suits and shirts for different seasons, but they would need different hues of the same color shirts/suits as well.

No, the colors that suit you best are worn year around.

I tan easily in the summer and then pale during the winter, so I'm more concerned with the balance in proportions and compliment of general color choices than I am with the nuances of my complexion.

You choose the most suitable colors sans tan and they will remain effective even when you're tan.

I see well dressed men every day who have nailed it from their shoes up to their shirt collar-----but using colors that do not compliment their skin tone.Apparently this is acceptable to you but it is a major failure in my book.