Hat/suit color

[ccasada]

Good day!

I was wondering if I could get a comment or two on the subject of hat color and suit color.

Did a Man's hat always match his suit or his over/top coat?

Is there a set 'rule' on the wearing of a certain hat with suit?
Can you wear a brown hat with a black suit? and vice versa?

Thanks kindly in advance.

Chuck

 

[KeyGrip]

I don't think the hat needs to match the suit, in fact I've seen several cases where the hat color contrasted quite well with the suit color. From what I've read here, a gray hat tends to go well with most suits.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

It's not only OK to not "match", it's actually real classy. Of course, there's a limit - an obvious loud clash isn't the objective - but to contrast and complement the hat and the suit is very good form. I've often been impressed to see a grey hat with a brown suit for instance.

As an entertaining exercise, you might do searches for old/vintage Stetson ads on EB. Many times the illustrations depict men wearing a rust colored suit with a deep green hat, or a grey suit with a brown hat, etc.

 

[KY Gentleman]

I don't think the hat needs to match the suit, in fact I've seen several cases where the hat color contrasted quite well with the suit color. From what I've read here, a gray hat tends to go well with most suits.

I think whatever you like is ultimately going to be okay but a gray or black hat pretty much goes with anything. I have a caribou Stetson Chatham I would wear with everything!

 

[ccasada]

Thanks much

Gentlemen;

Thank you all very much for your comments. It is much appreciated.

Chuck

 

[avedwards]

I agree with the idea of contrasting but there are limits. For instance, be careful with black suits. I once wore one with a dark tan hat and while people liked both the suit and the hat, they said that the combination didn't go very well. A dinner jacket in my opinion should only ever be worn with a black or dark blue hat; never use a brown hat, regardless of how dressy it is (if brown is the only option with your tuxedo then make an exception and go hatless). However, items of clothing like a beige trench coat go with almost any colour hat. Also, I think that hats worn with a suit should have a grosgrain hat band with a bow, as a leather hat band or similar would be too informal.

 

[Slim Portly]

...For instance, be careful with black suits. I once wore one with a dark tan hat and while people liked both the suit and the hat, they said that the combination didn't go very well...

Do keep in mind, though, that sometimes people say such things thinking that they are helping to enforce a "rule." In other words, they are not actually stating that such a combination is displeasing to the eye so much as it is in violation of some timeworn rubric of etiquette that they do not fully comprehend.

 

[rrog]

Do keep in mind, though, that sometimes people say such things thinking that they are helping to enforce a "rule." In other words, they are not actually stating that such a combination is displeasing to the eye so much as it is in violation of some timeworn rubric of etiquette that they do not fully comprehend.

+1

And this applies to more things than just hats.


rrog

 

[trailrunner]

What Slim said. Many of the old 'rules' for matching don't really apply anymore, which is great as I never understood where some of them came from anyway. An excellent example that I learned growing up was: never wear black and brown together, or the one for women about never wearing white after Labor Day.

Daily lessons and critiques from my wife over the years have really paid off. I'm almost capable of dressing myself now!

 

[MisterGrey]

I think a light gray hat goes with everything.

 

[univibe88]

I think a light gray hat goes with everything.

I agree..light to medium gray is a great choice if you are to only have one hat.

 

[Jerekson]

I'm a big fan of of the brown hat with the navy suit. It's sort of "against the rules", per se, but I think it looks great.

 

[gtdean48]

I think a light gray hat goes with everything.

Silver belly, too. It seems to have tan & gray tones to me... gtd

 

[Hat Head]

Here's a helpful link

Deciding What Color of Hats to Wear

 

[avedwards]

This is by no means a rule, but simply a suggestion. If you are wearing a black or dark blue pinstripe suit, use a grey hat rather than a black hat (those are your only real options as brown is too informal for such a smart suit). While a black hat looks good and is perfectly acceptable with such a suit, a light grey hat looks much better in my opinion as it both contrasts and matches.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

It's an extremely interesting discussion, and very much dependent upon the the shade of the suit, the hat, the complexion, the hair etc. etc.


For example, see SlimPortly's avatar. I'd really like to see this picture in colour. In b/w tinted, the beard colour (to me) jars with the hat and suit colour.

Discuss.

bk

(p.s. No offence to SlimPortly, i'm just taking an example.)

 

[Widebrim]

Color of hats to wear

Deciding What Color of Hats to Wear

Some good information, but how is one to know if he has a "slightly pale olive complexion," or a "healthy olive complexion?":eusa_doh: My face seems to hover between light and slightly pale olive, but I have blue eyes and dark hair. A light or dark brown hat looks good on me, but so does a light gray. And women think that they have a lot of decisions to make...lol

 

[warbird]

I'm not sure of how rules today relate to the Golden Era when hats were so popular. I think matching and contrasting are both great. I think they probably were both used then too.

Remember today many of us have many many hats and still want a few more, and in different shades of colors. Back then I think the average man had one, maybe two hats. That was all they could afford and they probably made a lot of gray, and brown hats back then as I think these two colors go with just about everything.

The other colors were reserved for those who had the resources to buy several colors to match different outfits. I still contend if you can only buy two nice hats, get brown and gray. I could be wrong but that's my opinion. A really nice hat goes a long way to setting the tone, not so much the color but the appearance of quality. I wear brown with navy, green, tan and brown. I wear gray with Black (though presently I do not even own a black, but I do have a couple of black overcoats), blue, gray, and some browns. Most of my sportcoats also have several colors in them and you can wear a hat that really brings out a nice stripe or faint color line.

 

[bolthead]

Back then I think the average man had one, maybe two hats. That was all they could afford....

Poor buggers......:eusa_doh:

 

[Carlisle Blues]

It helps to look in the mirror. If your eyes start buggin that might be a clue that things are not right.

Generally contrast compliments the person and highlights those positive characteristics we all have.