Hey,
I'm new to this forum but have been reading all the great work by Dappered writers for some time now. I'm hear because I am looking for some advice regarding what kind of tie to wear to my girlfriend's law school's semi-formal (ie suits but no tuxes). I'm in my early 20s and while I don't want to be the center of attention, I don't want to blend in with all the "slubbos" either. I personally find that people that stand out just enough make better first impressions on me than the ultra-conservative guy standing in the corner.
I might not normally put so much thought into what tie I would wear, but see the event as a good benchmark of me segueing into a more mature wardrobe. Even a year ago I only had one black suit and spent fall and winter in hoodies. With the help of this website I've made progress but still have some loose ends to tie up like what to do in this situation.
I know have 3 suit options: Navy, Dark Charcoal with light wide pin stripes, and black.
Navy: I am heavily leaning toward the navy but could be dissuaded. Feel the fit is the best -- "best" is clearly subjective, but I mean that it is trim enough in the sides and broad enough up top to give a crisp look. Pictures may need to make it up here if they'd help. I'm about 6'5", 220 with an athletic build so slim suits are no go for me; pants fit well.
Dark Charcoal: Definitely cut in a more traditional way but not baggy. I could bring it in a bit but it is my conservative player in the rotation. It is unfortunately a little darker than I remembered it and closer to black than grey. For some reason I remember being very happy about the find but not the "best" look. Don't know if the pinstripes make me look wider or taller and don't know what my desired outcome should be.
Black: Out of a project to save an old suit I had mostly grown out of, I took the jacket to the tailor and picked up separate pants. It is a solid black with a bit of texture, but no real concern about the pants not matching the jacket. Fit is the most tapered in the jacket and sleeves are near trendy short levels but not too far off the natural break in the wrist. I like the way it fits and the silhouette it gives me but not sure I want to wear black.
As I lean towards navy, I am thinking about wearing a burgundy check shirt. It is really similar to the red check shirt Joe talked about (search "patterns" and its like the 4th down? I did my research but can't say it has yielded a solution yet). I again want to stay away from a plain solid white or light blue (and almost want to stay away from a solid in general but I may end up wearing a solid). Beside for the burgundy check, I have a teal microcheck, white with blue windowpane, and white french cuff with texture (have gotten a lot of compliments when I wear it even though it is solid). The dilemma, and main point of this thread, is what tie should I wear with the choices I have? I realize it may be hard to say without pictures and will try to fix that and that I over complicated the issue but considering different suits and shirts, but wanted to hear some opinions.
My date's dress is blue (not navy, not royal, just blue) and coordinating wouldn't be bad but also could take it or leave it. From a footwear perspective, I have various shades of browns and burgundy I'd like to experiment with -- never wore brown shoes with the blue suit -- as well as my go to black dress shoes.
Opinions greatly appreciated in whatever way they come at me. The event is quickly approaching (this Saturday night) so while I won't buy a new suit, a new shirt or tie isn't out of the question. Thanks even for just reading this, realize its a very long post with no pictures.
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