03 Dec Choosing the right shoes for your suit

At Exclusive Alterations, we talk a lot about suits, how they should fit and what the best fit for your body is.  And – while this is important for looking stylish and chic – you should not neglect your accessories.  This elevates your look from simply ‘good enough’ to ‘perfect’.

Here are some hints for choosing the best shoes to go with each colour suit.

With a black suit

With a black suit, the answer is always black shoes.  Wearing brown or navy shoes will look mismatched, akin to wearing black shoes and white socks.  It stands out, but not for any of the right reasons.  There are celebrities that opt for coloured shoes, but we do not recommend that.  There is elegance to wearing a black suit and black shoes.

It’s a classic choice that you can never go wrong with.

With a navy suit

When you have opted for a navy suit, you have freedom with choosing a shoe colour, just like with choosing a shirt colour.  Although the three best options are: black, burgundy or brown.  Since black has already been discussed, we will focus on the other two colours.

The suit-shoe combination that you choose, is influenced by the event that you plan to attend.  Brown shoes work better in warmer month, whilst burgundy works better for the fall and winter months.

You should keep the colour of your shirt and tie in mind when you choose your shoe colour, and be sure to avoid all-over colour.  That means if you have chosen a brown shirt, choose another colour for your shoes, so that you do not look monotone.

Otherwise, you are free to choose.  White trainers also look well with a navy suit.  It’s a versatile suit to look stylish in.

With a grey suit

Giving guidance on grey suits is a bit of a tricky one, seeing as there are so many shades of grey, making the suit ideal for mixing and matching.  Brown, tan and, for the daring few, oxblood or burgundy are also good choices for shoes.

Pro Tip: the lighter that the shade of grey is, the lighter the shade of brown your shoes should be. 

With a cream or tan suit

When wearing a cream or tan suit, it’s most likely made of linen – meaning that you’re wearing it in warmer weather.  You should also take this into account when choosing your shoe colour.

This is one of those instances where black shoes don’t fit.  Instead, opt for light brown or even white shoes.  Or, if you want to catch the eye, go with two-tone shoes.

If you are still unsure, trust the team at Exclusive Alterations to guide you in the right look.