Blue is more than just a color in menswear – it’s a style essential that can make or break your outfit. From navy suits to casual denim, understanding how to strategically wear blue can elevate your wardrobe while avoiding common fashion missteps.
This guide explores why blue is a versatile powerhouse, how to use it as an accent, and the best ways to style everything from light blue shirts to business trip attire.
How to Style Blue (Best Color Combos)
In general, avoid black and blue
If you are wearing blue clothes, you are better off avoiding black as it can make your outfit too dark or rather drag your perfect color scheme/palette down. If you are unsure about your color palette, it is better to use white or beige (light colors) instead for a more harmonious look.
For example, a white shirt refreshes a blue suit and looks classic and sophisticated. This combination always looks good. Soft pinks also work well with blue, while lighter shades of blue create a smooth blend of similar tones. In addition, details in maroon and red will complement the blue.
A blue blessing
Royal, Azure, Klein, Iris, Majorelle, Oxford Blue, Sky, and French Blue. The number of words used to describe the attractive shade of blue currently popular with men is only limited by the imaginations of the people representing it. In reality, it doesn’t matter what you call it, and the only thing that matters is that you wear it. That’s why we’ve put together a guide to many ways to show you how to wear blue in menswear.
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Of course, blue, a traditionally masculine color, has always been central in a man’s wardrobe. However, it is a dark blue that predominates most of the time. Blue looks graceful because it is a universal color, not a speckled color, and so dark that it borrows much of the formality we associate with black clothing.
In a nutshell, while navy blue adapts nicely, it’s pretty sensible – royal blue provides a brighter alternative, especially during the warmer months.
The extent to which you want to use royal blue will likely depend on your surroundings as well as your desires. A new watchband will suffice for some men, while others will not be satisfied until they are in a royal blue mohair suit.
Whether you want to add a touch of personality to your classic suits, look for an alternative to black for your next pair of pants. Or, if you want a new casual jacket this season, the answer comes in the form of royal blue.
Blue as an accent
Whether a person is held back by their environment (formal office environment) or doesn’t want to visit a tailor’s parlor, there are many ways in which they can display a simple hint of their personality. The man can be dressed in an ensemble that makes us imagine drinking gin and tonic on an expensive yacht’s deck, fueled by his classic white pants and a navy blue blazer with a royal blue striped shirt and azure strap.
The contrast between an old-style wristwatch and a lively strap is especially pleasing and disrespects the serious world of watchmaking.
Wearing light blue
Lino leluzzi runs a Milan-based menswear store that does not sell online and does not seem to have ambitions to become a global brand. And yet he is the star of the streetwear style in Italy, and his bold taste in dressmaking has inspired thousands of iGents worldwide (the generation of the tailor-obsessed man whose style appears in Pitti Uomo every season).
Leluzzi is known for wearing a padded double-breasted jacket with shoulders. Of course, he almost always wears a double-breasted blazer with soft shoulders, but this color has a bold blue hue, and it can be seen so often on the streets of Florence that we tend to call it Pitti blue.
The color of the jacket is intense, but Ieluzzi has managed to soften the visual impact with accessories and sunglasses in the same shade, opting for more muted shades of blue in his open-necked shirt and perfectly folded pocket square.
Just ditch your tie when wearing your regular navy blue blazer. Make sure your look is paired with complementary light blue shades to avoid being too monotonous in the blue ensemble.
If Ieluzzi takes a casual approach to tailoring, he is still one of those clearly rooted in traditional tailoring codes. A more modern way is to abandon the old rules when looking for clothes.
It is with this elegant blue suit, which, besides the fact that the jacket and trousers are made of the same fabric, bear little resemblance to perfectly tailored clothes. Thus, it serves as a better inspiration for an Italian summer outfit than an office ensemble. The fabric is very lightweight, reinforced with wrinkles around the fastening point.
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Blue for a business trip
Even if a man dresses up in a conservative style, he can still look fabulous by adding a light shade of blue he wears. Suppose a guy is dressed in a navy blue suit. In that case, he might get the impression of a Wall Street shark, but if the suit has soft shoulders, brown boots, slim pants, and hypothetically open-neck shirt, they can still look like they’re heading for a glass of Prosecco and not for a PowerPoint presentation.
So it can be a lesson on how to manage the sometimes difficult office-to-work transition relevant to the men of Florence and the financial districts of the world, especially if you’re a man of the office.
Accessories
A well-designed accessory is a great way to show some mastery in conservative business attire. For example, a wonderful tweed suit is worn over a classic light shirt and wool tie. However, if you keep a wallet or a cardholder with you, the eye would be drawn to a dramatic portfolio crafted from blue lapis lazuli leather that can change the viewer’s perception of the entire outfit.
The key to this is the contrast in the color of the suit and the accessory and the apparent quality and texture contrast of the leather item with the blue suit. Any element you use to grab the viewer’s attention has to stand up to scrutiny.
Keeping it simple
Simone Marchetti, the editor of the fashionable Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, shows us here how to leave the house in a tailored coat, a wool pullover, and loose trousers looking comfortable and sophisticated at the same time. It’s an outfit that sounds like it needs to be worn on a weekend getaway, but Marchetti wears it in a way that (and no doubt) ensures entry to the finest restaurants and most exclusive bars, even in his furry slippers.
The outfit’s success depends on how the three shades of blue are different. So there is contrast, not clash, and the apparent quality of the fabrics. We especially welcome the unadorned simplicity of the exterior.
In Closing
Navigating blue in men’s fashion is about strategic simplicity. By understanding color combinations, knowing what to avoid, and mastering subtle accents, you can transform blue from a basic color to a style statement.
Whether you’re dressing for the office or a casual outing, blue offers the flexibility to create looks that are both refined and effortlessly cool.
Before you go, you may be interested in this guide on Best Colors for Southeast Asian Skin Tone.
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