For men with dark skin complexions, dressing up can get tricky. Some bright colors can cause a strong, unwanted contrast with your skin that causes you to disappear. Other bold patterns can clash. But matching your clothing too closely to your skin tone can make for a monochromatic mess. It’s important to find the right mix of hue and details to make sure your look doesn’t overpower you.
A Navy Suit Is Your Best Friend
In general, darker colors on men with darker skin work because they offer canvases for lighter colors. A dark-colored suit paired with lightly colored shirts and accessories is the perfect combination. The overall look plays off your skin tone and often plays it up. No suit does this as well as a navy suit.
Navy suits are great because they work as the one suit you need in your closet. They’re far more versatile than black and gray options. When you mix and match your add-ons, a navy suit is one that can carry you from the boardroom to happy hour to black tie.
For a formal feel, a white shirt and conservatively colored tie will do the job. But if the situation calls for a lighter mood, drop the tie and try a more casual shoe. With some small but noticeable changes in the details, the navy suit can make your skin pop and get you through any event no matter what your day entails.
In terms of suit style, the most modern and versatile option is the 2-button, slim lapel navy suit.
Try Out A Gingham Shirt
Gingham shirts often get a semi-bad rap as being spring/summer shirts. But this simply isn’t the case. A gingham shirt is a really versatile player that makes awesome bedfellows with your navy suit in more casual settings.
Among the many benefits, gingham shirts feature a bold pattern. Luckily, even if your shirt isn’t ironed, the pattern is very forgiving to wrinkles. It essentially camouflages them. The same can be said for your physique. If you have some extra weight to hide around the middle, the gingham pattern deflects attention and slims things out for you. Better yet, the shirt’s medium weight makes for a great layering piece under your suit whether you’re in lightweight wool, linen, or cotton.
Keep Things Casual With A Knit Tie
Knit ties can help you straddle the line between dressy and casual. Unlike their triangular cousins, these ties have a flat, squared bottom. The non-traditional look is bit less formal. But because of this design detail, its versatility is infinite.
A solid navy silk knit tie paired back to a blue gingham shirt and navy suit is the right way to pull off true blue style. Though you might feel like there’s a lot of blue going on, the variation between fabrics and the shirt pattern provides texture. With the aforementioned pieces, you’ve effectively broken up your look and kept it appealing. As mentioned before, the use of dark color complements dark skin and also creates a unified, professional look.
Because this tie is less traditional, try to avoid tricky knots. The Four In Hand or Half Windsor will do just fine. Anything more complicated will just make the tie look bulky. The desired result here is to keep lines and silhouettes clean.
A Stylish Timepiece Is A Detail You Can’t Miss
When you consider an appropriately fitted suit, this means about an inch of your shirt cuff will show beyond your jacket sleeve. While a gingham shirt is most certainly a sight to behold, your bare wrist provides a great opportunity for more accessories. The beauty of men’s accessories is that they’re often subtle. And because there aren’t many, the ones you choose can be as bold you like. This holds true for your watch. A stylish, well-made watch is the perfect way to add some eye candy to your wrist.
Since your overall navy suit look effortlessly toes the line between formal and casual, your watch should do the same. Sleek dress watches are fine, but you’ll probably need something a bit more substantial like a field watch or an aviator watch. These watches have larger faces and more advanced time tracking capabilities.
Opt for versions with brown leather straps. They look professional at work and stylish outside of the office.
Choose Brown Oxford Shoes For The Win
The oxford is perhaps the most classic of all men’s shoe styles. It’s a lace-up with closed stitching that’s always sleek and clean. The silhouette is simple which makes the oxford a winning match for any look from denim to khakis to suits. Dark brown or cognac are beautiful color options that help play off your brown watch strap and add a small dash of color to your mostly monochromatic look.
For men with darker complexions, it’s important to use dark suits and bright accessories to your advantage to ensure you nail the classic aesthetic while allowing your melanin to shine through.