Cristina Bernes Photography

Jun 30, 20203 min

Business Suit; OK, but WHAT COLOR?

Updated: Jun 7, 2021

If you've seen of my other blogs I refer to a study that was done by John T Malloy in relationship to color combinations in dressing for business in the corporate world, but this can extend to apply also to good color combinations in life that can communicate trustworthiness and comfort and are a way to communicate with people before they even speak to us. 

But before I get into the color combinations I wanted to put in a plug for the MATERIAL that the suit is made of, as that can create a good or bad impression:
 
For a suit, you do not want a suit made of simple polyester material as that comes across as cheap and un-classy.
 
You for the winter you want your suit made of wool or wool mixes, for the summer it can be cotton or cotton blends, linen, or other blends but NOT 100% plain polyester. It is best when there is a fabric pattern such as herringbone, gabardine, tweed or different pattern woven into the fabric threads, which is also known as Jacquard.
 
For the material that the blouse it is preferable that it made of either cotton, cotton blends, silk, or linen. If it is of man-made fabric such as rayon or other it just needs to be made well and rich looking. It is ok if the blouse has small micro-prints. 
 


 
For the color combinations of jacket/blouse/pant or skirt here ere are some colors that work well:
 
A Black suit jacket can go with the following combinations:
 
Skirt/Pants Color:                 Blouse color:
 
Medium gray...................................White
 
Light gray...........................................Off white
 
Burgundy............................................Pale Blue
 
Rust........................................................Light Beige
 
Maroon................................................Pale pink
 
Taupe....................................................Red
 
Grayish beige.................................Oyster
 
Charcoal Gray.................................Light Gray
 
Medium Blue..................................Heather Blue
 
A Navy suit jacket can go with the following combinations:
 
Skirt/Pants Color:                        Blouse color:
 
Beige with Gray tint............................White (small print is ok)
 
Medium Gray............................................Pale Blue
 
Charcoal Gray..........................................Light Beige
 
Medium Blue...........................................Maroon
 
Taupe.............................................................White
 
Light gray...................................................Rust or pale yellow
 
Beige.............................................................Ecru
 
Camel............................................................Blue
 
Bluish gray................................................Pale pink or light gray
 

 
A Navy suit jacket can go with the following color dresses: beige, beige with gray, pale blue, red, blue, light gray, pale yellow, pale pink, maroon, rust, off-white.
 
Medium blue jacket can go with the following color combinations:
 
Skirt/Pant Color:                        Blouse color:
 
Beige..............................................................White
 
Dark Gray....................................................Pale Blue
 
Medium Gray............................................Heathered blue
 
Beige Gray.................................................Beige Gray
 
Taupe..............................................................Creamy beige
 
Camel.............................................................Rust
 
Stronger blue...........................................Pale Yellow
 
Charchoal Gray.......................................Maroon/Red/Ecru
 

 
Dress color: beige, rust, maroon, creamy, beige, medium gray, light gray, beige gray, red, ecru, pale yellow.
 
A Medium Gray Jacket (which is the best of the gray colors) can go with the following combinations:
 
Skirt/Pant                                     Blouse color:
 
Charchoal.....................................................White
 
Navy Blue....................................................Light Blue
 
Beige Gray....................................................Oyster
 
Taupe...............................................................Ivory
 
Black.................................................................Maroon
 
Deep Maroon.............................................Red, Salmon
 

 
A Beige/Gray jacket combines well with:
 
Skirt/Pant color:                           Blouse color:
 
Navy Blue.....................................................Pale Blue
 
Medium Blue.............................................Heathered blue
 
Dark Gray......................................................Rust
 
Black................................................................Maroon
 
Black................................................................Maroon
 
Gray..................................................................Red
 
Maroon/Cranberry, dark brown or gray and brown....................................................light blue.
 

 
[Very dark brown jacket (not recommended apparently) but it goes with a skirt/pants that are  either Beige, khaki or taupe, and a blouse that is either: ecru, white, pale blue or pale yellow. And it goes with a dress that is beige, taupe, pale blue or pale yellow.]
 
A Medium Brown jacket has the following color combinations:
 
Skirt/Pant color:                           Blouse color:
 
Dark Brown....................................................Pale blue
 
Khaki...................................................................Heather blue
 
Beige..................................................................Ecru
 
Medium Range blue..............................Off white, khaki, beige or pale yellow.
 
Well that was white a bit to absorb!
 

 
You can use this as a reference for outfit planning and also for everyday casual clothes for what color matches with what that looks good. Nice to have it all ready at your fingertips so you don't have to think about it too much.


 
XOXO, 
 
Cristina


 
feel free to write me if you have any questions, at cristinabernesmail@protonmail.com

    80
    2