Commonly recommended colors for neckties include the darker shades of blue, brown, green, and red, but rarely do you see mentions of silver or grey. Silver or grey, however, are some of the best colors you can wear with navy suits. And while fewer and fewer men have the occasion to wear suits these days, when they do, navy is a good stand-by, so having a few silver or grey neckties on hand is a good idea.
For formal occasions, such as weddings, one can wear silver silk herringbones, grey grenadines, or something that looks close enough to grey from a distance, such as black and white Shepherd’s checks or glen plaids. To take the level down a notch, try a softer, less shiny material, such as the cashmere or wool varieties you see above. These can be worn with worsted suits in the fall to give your look a more autumnal touch. A step further down still would be something like the silver tie here with off-white and red repp stripes. Again, I find stripes to generally be less dressy than silk ties with small, repeating geometrics, and the one you see above can be worn with either navy suits or grey trousers with navy sport coats. The key is to make sure the grey of your tie doesn’t match too closely to the grey of your trousers.
Of all my grey ties, the one I find most useful – though not always the most worn (that would go to all the others featured here) – is the silver grenadine. It’s really the perfect tie for formal occasions, leaving you with one less thing to worry about when you have to get dressed for a wedding or fancy evening out. A navy suit worn with a crisp, semi-spread collar shirt; pair of freshly polished black oxford shoes; and silver grenadine is as foolproof of a combination as you can get.
