A Simple Question About Color

[Bowtieguy]

I just bought a 3/4 length wool coat in a color the store called "camel," but which I think is a little darker than standard camel and maybe a bit toward tan. My question is, what color fedora would I wear with it? I'm afraid that if I try to match the color exactly it won't quite work and will look jarring. Would a dark brown hat go? Olive green, maybe? Medium brown? Gray?! Any and all suggestions will be appreciated enormously.

 

[univibe88]

I think a bit of contrast would look great - brown, olive,grey - all great choices.

My raincoat is khaki and I always wear my grey hat with it. I think it looks great.

 

[BobC]

I would wear a brown or olive hat with that coat. I think a black hat would probably be ok with it too.

 

[Jauntyone]

I think black would look fine, too:

Or brown:

Or blue:

Some other possibilities:
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg264/Jauntyone_2008/overcoats.jpg
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg264/Jauntyone_2008/topcoatsspring2vt7.jpg
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg264/Jauntyone_2008/1930sEsquire063.jpg

 

[Wolfmanjack]

Congratulations, Bowtieguy! You have a very versatile coat.

I have a full-length camel hair DB "polo" coat that I wear with a wide variety of hat styles and colors. Most formal, when I wear it over a tux, I put on my black homburg. A bit less formal, over a 3-piece, I wear a gray homburg. For business, any fedora that coordinates with the suit I am wearing (black, brown, olive, loden, navy, steel blue, gray, taupe, silver belly) will look just fine with this coat. Over sports coats in the country or on campus, you can wear either a fedora, a tweed trilby or a tweed flat cap.

IMHO, one combination that just pops is camel over gray flannel with a kitten-finish gray fedora or homburg and gray suede gloves. It just sings with understated richness and quality.

You are right; the only color that doesn't work with a camel coat is a camel hat...unless it is an exact match in color and texture.

Addendum: I missed on first reading that your coat is 3/4 length. IMHO, this pushes your choices toward the more informal occasions. Probably not the best choice with a tux or more dressy business wear. On the positive side, this means the coat will go well with cashmere sweaters and cords, or even with jeans.

 

[Imahomer]

They say black goes with everything, however brown would also be cool.