Mens Color Matching Theory
Now that youve gotten refreshed on the specifics of the color wheel, theres another foundation you need to know for mens color matching. Color theorys role in the perception of color. Each color correlates to how we as humans perceive certain things. Here are some examples.
- Red: Danger, passion, anger, immediacy, love
- Blue: Trust, calm, stability
- Purple: Luxury, royalty, mystery, creativity
Mix And Match Colors By Instinct
Color Profile are just groups of colors that appear together often. Just like how certain flavor combinations are found in dishes from a certain cuisine.
Take a look at that photo above. Can you sort through and find outfits with similar color combination patterns? Take a few seconds and see how many you can group together.
If we sort it out, it would look something like this:
Can you see it clearly now?
Let me dive deeper into these 3 most common color profiles.
11 Celebrities Wearing All Red Sneakers
NBA players have known for their athletic skills and a great sense of style such that many of the basketball players are also fashion icons. Red shoes are their favorite, and often you can see them wearing red shoes everywhere. Not only red sneakers but they are wearing red shoes for formal occasions also.
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Matching Your Shirt And Pants
A comfortable shirt and pair of pants are invaluable. If you’re like most guys, there’s nothing better than effortlessly slipping on your favorite jeans or T-shirt no matter the occasion. You want to feel the best in your clothing, but you should also want to look your best when going out and about. To stay comfortable and confident in every scenario possible, we suggest learning how to match your clothes correctly. Knowing how to match your shirt with your pants can completely enhance your look.
Matching Trousers With Beige Shoes Overview
In the world of mens footwear, beige shoes occupy niche territory in the wardrobe.
Only appropriate for spring and summer and often found only in Nubuck or suede, a well-dressed man must be highly selective when both purchasing a pair and when creating outfits around them.
The challenge of doing so is proportional to the reward you receive when you succeed: tons of compliments and a tasteful way to stand out from the crowd.
Being a summery, more casual color, beige shoes are arguably more popular in casual lasts such as driving moccasins or crepe-sole desert boots. Keep this in mind as you read through the various color combinations.
NOTE: There are exceptions to every rule. Use your good judgement, and feel free to leave us a comment if you have questions!
Read on for full explanations and reasoning of the above coordination suggestions. Or, click here to go see our Ultimate Shoe & Trouser Color Coordination Matrix showcasing how to match any color shoes with any color trousers.
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How To Match Patterns
Ready to graduate from mixing solid colors to mixing patterns? Lets do it! Patterns that are the same size can compete for attention, so the biggest thing to remember is to mix up the scale to help create contrast and really define each piece.
Give a thick plaid check some room to breathe by opting for a thin striped shirt. Busy prints like pants in camo can be balanced out with a large, color-blocked sweatshirt. Want to keep things a little separate from your outfit? Consider patterned bags, scarves, or other accessories for a bold style move that wont clash.
> Read more about matching patterns
Menswear Neutrals Are The Key To Easy Mixing And Matching
When you think of neutrals, maybe you think of greys, black, and white.
But for clothing, theres a group of colors that I call Menswear Neutrals, because they look great together in practically any combination, plus, they serve as a great base for any other color you might throw into your outfit.
#menswearneutrals
So a few common combos from my own life:
- Olive chinos and a white OCBD
- Dark denim and a light blue chambray
- Light wash denim and a navy linen shirt
- British khaki chinos and a chambray shirt
You get the idea.
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How To Match Clothes: Quick And Easy Color Combos
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Matching Stuff That Matters
Believe it or not, there are a few things you do want to match as much as possible.
Match your leather
If youre wearing leather shoes and a leather belt, make sure those match as closely as possible. Leather jacket? Best to match that as well.
They dont have to be exact matching , but get as close as you can. So black leather shoes with a tan leather belt obviously not close enough. Medium brown belt with cognac shoes? Yeah, that can work.
If you find yourself wearing a lot of cognac-colored leather shoes, best to buy a cognac belt. Same goes for any other leather color you wear a lot.
Match your metals
Pretty self explanatory. I like to center my whole jewelry aesthetic around one central piece, usually my wedding ring or a watch
If you have a yellow gold wedding ring, best to wear a yellow metal watch and a yellow necklace and to a lesser degree, your belts hardware should also match. Not that big a deal if it doesnt, but if it does, all the better.
My way around this rule is to wear two-tone jewelry. So my wedding ring is white gold with a double milgrain edge in yellow gold.
Basically it has both yellow and white metal, so that gives me a bit of leeway when wearing jewelry. I have a thin gold chain and I wear a steel watch. It all works because my ring has both yellow and white metals.
Other Suit And Shoe Color Combinations
This article is built around the most common colors of men’s suits and dress shoes.
Some guys may end up with different suit colors or types of footwear. And things get more complicated when they wear casual trousers with leather shoes or suits with casual shoes .
That’s when you’ll have to do some trial-and-error. The more casual the outfit, the less strict the rules. If it is convention-defying on purpose , don’t sweat it too much.
If it looks good in the mirror, go ahead with it. Don’t debate about whether or not it’s right. Just bear in mind this rule of thumb: avoid things that are close but not quite matching.
Keep the contrast clear, and you’re likely to pull off anything that’s original or experimental.
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Rule #: Leathers Should Match
Simply put, leather is AWESOME.
History shows how it represents wealth and status. So take advantage of that and let your leather pieces stand out as a group with the same color.
But this rule isn’t strict. Two things you should focus on matching are your shoes and your belt.
Then follow-up by means of the color of your watch strap and leather bag but only if it’s convenient. Don’t spend money just for that purpose.
And it’s important to remember in this case the more different the colors of your leathers are, the worse of a match you’ll end up with. So pairing sleek black boots with a light brown belt is out of the question . Chocolate brown boots are a better alternative here.
Your black leather footwear can go with a belt that’s any shade of gray . But if your want each leather piece to stand out equally I suggest finding ONE particular color you like and stick to it.
That’s probably what you’ll need to do if your belt options are limited. Most of us have about 2-3 individual belts at home. Buying more could feel like a waste
Thankfully, Anson has a solution to this. Through their unique belt system you’re given more than just a handful of belts. You’re offered lots of variety! Anson provides at least three separate buckles plus separate straps .
Anson Belt & Buckle makes it super easy to match any belt with the leather shoes you own. And their different buckles can be matched with other metals easily which leads to our next rule.
Coordinating With Your Unique Features
Your complexion plays a big role in coordinating your outfits correctly. Skin tone, eye color and hair color can all have a subtle or substantial impact on how well your outfit complements your natural appearance. There are three types of contrast high, low and medium. High contrast men have skin tones that highly contrast their hair color while low contrast men have lesser hair and skin contrasts. Medium contrast men typically have dark skin with dark hair or light skin with light hair, both of which aren’t too contrasting.
Men with higher contrasting features should dress with equally contrasting colors, such as wearing dark slacks with a light shirt. Men with lighter contrasting features should try to wear outfits that follow a monochromatic color scheme for instance, pants and shirts of a beige, brown or gray coloring. Medium contrast men will often dress in a similar shade to their complexion, although they can experiment with the contrasting shades to find the style which suits their features best.
Here are a few general rules of thumb when matching shirts and pants:
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Rule #: Learn From Famous People
You might be processing all this information and thinking A doesn’t go with B but goes with C quite a lot. Juggling all these yes’s and no’s.
But the art of matching is much easier when you have a ROLE MODEL. Someone who’s always seen in public with a killer ensemble. It could be Idris Elba or Ryan Gosling on the red carpet, Bruno Mars when he performs on live television, or Roger Federer when he appears on watch ads.
Those are the masters you want to learn from. They present what works every time . Take inspiration from them but don’t copy every little detail. Your individuality still needs to pop out.
15 How To Wear Red Boots For Formal Events
Ankle boots in red are definitely a fashion statement. In fact, if this is not a fashion statement, then I do not know what is. Pair up the red boots with a casual or formal outfit, and you are fit for going clubbing and partying or for a boys night out. You can even try a red leather jacket if you are in a serious partying mood.
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Color Matching Is Confusing
Obviously, you want to dress the best you can, but keeping track of which colors match and which colors clash is hard.
Even if you ignore the full color spectrum, and only look at basic colors, you still have a ton of possible combinations.
Just look at the basic color wheel pictured above.
This color wheel only has 12 colors in it, but that means you can combine them in 66 different ways.
Figuring out which of those combinations match and which clash would be a pain.
Colour Combinations For Clothes
When it comes to selecting color combinations for clothes, the color wheel can be useful. By allowing you to identify complementary and similar colors, the color wheel can act as a rough guide on what hues go well together. Complementary colors, which are opposite on the wheel offer a balanced contrast. However, they can be intense, which is why split complementary colors are often used in their place. Analogous colors are next to one another on the wheel, meaning they have similar tones and blend well together. Triadic colors are three evenly spaced hues. They work in harmony but can be quite bold. While the wheel can provide a useful guide, you shouldnt rely on it solely. Nailing the perfect combinations will come with experience and knowledge about shades and style.
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How To Wear Red Shoes Stylishly For Men
Here are some very cool and trendy ideas about how you can wear red shoes in different ways. Enhance these ideas with your own personal style and taste, and you are ready to take on the world with your fiery red shoes.
Tips on What To Wear With Red Shoes:
- The shoes greatly amplify or enhance your overall outlook.
- To choose the right color for your outfit, it is better to go for light colors.
- Monochrome colors for your outfit like beige, black, white, and gray will work well.
- You can also go for contrast, such as navy or light blue. Dont try to wear a red shirt matching your red shoes because it will look too loud and funky.
- I think a baggy jacket or cardigan in winter will look best, especially in a grey color. And yes, if you are from warmer regions, you must choose a darker shade of red because it will give a cool effect to your personality. But in more cold regions, a bright red will enhance your personalitys mildness instead of inciting passion and restlessness.
10 Red Accessories With Red Shoes
Red accessories go well with red shoes. Again emphasizing not to overdo with red. When you are wearing red shoes with red accessories, everything else in your outfit must be monochrome. We have a red jacket, red belt and red shoes with all black and it all blends perfectly. Have a look at these Trendy Mens Clothing Trends and Fashion Accessories.
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Best Jewelry Colors For Men
The best colors for mens jewelry is more about which colors theyll work with and less about the colors themselves. Most mens jewelry comes in black, brown, gold, silver or bronze. Luckily for your style, these colors pretty much go with everything.
When picking the right accessory for your outfit, consider the color balance. For instance, silver will probably go better with a bolder color like red than say gold would. An easy trick is to match your accessories with things like a buckle on your shoes or the color of your belt. Thisll create a subtle nod to the color scheme without overdoing it.
Red Shoes Outfits For Men
Red shoe outfits for men. When it comes to mens wardrobe, we think of some particular colors and styles. When we think to override these conventional style statements and choose some peculiar stuff for our use, we undoubtedly enter into a controversial hype.
The same is the case when we choose a color for our shoes. As a schoolboy, of course, you can choose any color for your shoes, but when it comes to middle-aged men, you definitely pause and think before buying a new red pair of shoes that looks quite attractive, appealing, and promising in a glass rack. However, the red shoe fever has been all the rage lately, and watching every other celebrity wear red shoes with their outfits makes you want to try them out too. All the big shoe brands like Nike, Reebok, Gucci are designing red shoe lines for men, and it is very enticing to see the brilliantly colored shoes lined up, waiting to be picked up.
However, most people will shy away from wearing them just because of RED being considered unconventional for men. Let me assure you this has been the perception in the past. Now every man can try out the red shoe outfit look as he deems comfortable. Do not worry about how it will look because were here to help you avoid any fashion disaster. Although we do agree, it is not easy to choose what one should wear with red shoes.
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Selecting Oxfords And Loafers
What Cooking Can Teach You About Mixing Colors
In cooking, Chefs use whats called Flavor profiles, these are groups of flavors and ingredients that are associated with certain types of cuisine.
For example, if I said Mexican food, you might automatically think chill, cumin, lime, onion, garlic, and cilantro.
If I said Chinese food, youd think soy, ginger, garlic, and scallions.
Were going to use something very similar to help us learn how to mix colors. Instead of Flavor Profiles, Im going to show you Color Profiles.
They same way you think of specific flavors when you hear chinese food, youre going to instinctively think of specific colors when you hear a phrase like Americana or Romantic.
And heres the best part, theyre INCREDIBLY easy to learn and apply. You wont need to memorize a stupid color wheel, or try to sort out what analogous, complimentary, shades, and hues mean.
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Sneakers And Athletic Shoe Rules
