If you’ve ever found yourself standing in front of your closet gazing from left to right trying to figure out “what goes together,” don’t worry, you’re not alone. We’ve all been there. I have some simple guidelines to help you coordinate your clothing so you can get on with your day and look sharp.

Let’s start with suit colours. The three basic suit colours that you should have in your closet are blue, grey and black. However, reserve black for more formal occasions and not for 9 to 5. With blue and grey you should also consider various shades from light to dark as this will give you more options to wear throughout the year – lighter shades for spring/summer and darker shades for fall/winter. If you’re wearing a suit a general rule that will help you better coordinate an outfit is for one of the three basic pieces (suit, shirt and tie) to be plain or solid.

For dress shirts (my personal favourite), let’s start with solid colours. The staple colours you should own are white and light blue. I would also include light pink and light grey. Solid colour shirts are ideal because you can easily wear solid or patterned ties. Just remember that ties should be darker than your dress shirts.

Patterned dress shirts open you up to more variety in your wardrobe. The most common patterns for shirts are: stripe, gingham (check), plaid, dot, paisley, houndstooth and herringbone. There are a few things to remember when working with patterns. If you’re matching a patterned shirt with a patterned tie make sure the patterns are not the same type or size. If your shirt has a large scale pattern choose a tie with a small scale print. When matching colours make sure the most dominant colour in your shirt is also in the tie.

A simple guide to follow for shirt and tie combinations is: a solid shirt with a solid tie, a patterned shirt with a solid tie, a solid shirt with a patterned tie or a patterned shirt with a patterned tie.

For dress shoes, you should own black and brown dress shoes. Always wear black shoes with a black suit. With blue and grey suits you have the option of wearing either black or brown shoes. Remember to match your belt colour to your dress shoes.

To complete your look you should also consider adding accessories whether it’s a colourful pocket square or fun socks. Learn how to accessorize. And don’t forget about wearing jewellery – a leather bracelet or tie clip can help you look stylish.

Lastly, at Gentil Uomo we offer a closet cleanup service where we help you evaluate what you currently have in your closet, advise on how to mix and match, and offer recommendations on additional pieces to add to your wardrobe. You can contact us at 416-214-0008 or ciao@gentiluomo.ca to book your private appointment.

Alla prossima – until next time. Arrivederci.