Matching a hat shade to a suit

[David Ward]

I'm just curious what everyone thinks about coordinating a suit with a hat. Do you buy hats to match your suits? I'm quite tempted by a Fed IV in Moonstone, but all my grey suits are darker, towards a Carbon Grey, and I'm worried it might look odd. Thoughts?

 

[rmrdaddy]

David,
The world is your oyster. Trying to accomplish tone on tone is maddeningly difficult, and frankly it's not as much fun. The idea is to have accent and complementary colors that accomplish a harmonious whole.

 

[The Good]

Mr. Ward, I would say that the Moonstone Fed IV would actually look nice, even with a darker grey suit. At least in my opinion, it doesn't necessarily have to match the suit color. Of course, not everyone could pull off the color brown, but that wouldn't even be that bad either, come to think of it.

 

[Mahagonny Bill]

I think the moonstone would look fine with a dark gray suit. If you get a dark gray hat and it doesn't match your suit exactly, it will look like you tried to match and failed. Even if the hat and suit are the exact same shade, it would look strange. IMHO the hat should compliment the suit, not match it.

 

[funneman]

Matching Hat and Suit

Here's my two-cents worth:

I try to match the hat color to either my suit or tie.

I try to match my belt and shoes with the ribbon.

(ex: Blue suit and blue/gray tie=blue or gray hat. Black ribbon=black shoes and belt, brown ribbon=brown shoes and belt.)

I actually feel funny wearing a hat with a black ribbon and brown shoes!

Is this some self-imposed fashion exile or do others follow this rule?

 

[bbshriver]

You're not that far off of me. Except that I don't have enough hats to have much "resolution" to this. I have an olive colored hat with a black ribbon, and a brown hat with a brown ribbon.

I usually break this out as matching the ribbon OR the hat to something I'm wearing. If I wear a grey suit I typically stick to shades of white or black, black shoes and belt, ergo the green hat. It actually works out well because the only overcoat I have is also an olive color. The Olive color coat goes OK with a grey suit because the black/green hat ties it together. Olive goes well with a Navy suit and that would probably get my brown hat.
Only difference being I consider my brown hat a little less formal (it's sort of an Indy style for lack of a better term.. wider brim and open crown).

A grey hat is on my list as well, as I feel a grey hat with black band would match things nicely, and be more flexible than adding a black hat.

Here's my two-cents worth:

I try to match the hat color to either my suit or tie.

I try to match my belt and shoes with the ribbon.

(ex: Blue suit and blue/gray tie=blue or gray hat. Black ribbon=black shoes and belt, brown ribbon=brown shoes and belt.)

I actually feel funny wearing a hat with a black ribbon and brown shoes!

Is this some self-imposed fashion exile or do others follow this rule?

 

[avedwards]

A moonstone Federation would go nicely with a dark grey suit as it is a contrasting shade, but not mismatched as a brown suit with a grey hat may look.

I wear my moonstone Federation with everything. I don't bother with ribbon-belt matching as that would require me to own another hat. It goes perfectly with a navy suit (as in I couldn't think of a better combination), nicely with a black suit and it works alright with beige. I own no grey suits yet, but I'm quite sure moonstone would work well with most shades of grey.

I personally never try to perfectly match things. I like combining colours which work together nicely (for example a grey hat, black suit and red tie) and I make sure nothing clashes.

 

[bbshriver]

Not to contradict my earlier post, but I think you've hit on my main fashion sense... try to 'not clash'.

If I had an unlimited budget to get every possible combination of hat and suit then sure, match everything. But for those of us who can only afford a couple of hats, we've got to make do!

A moonstone Federation would go nicely with a dark grey suit as it is a contrasting shade, but not mismatched as a brown suit with a grey hat may look.

I wear my moonstone Federation with everything. I don't bother with ribbon-belt matching as that would require me to own another hat. It goes perfectly with a navy suit (as in I couldn't think of a better combination), nicely with a black suit and it works alright with beige. I own no grey suits yet, but I'm quite sure moonstone would work well with most shades of grey.

I personally never try to perfectly match things. I like combining colours which work together nicely (for example a grey hat, black suit and red tie) and I make sure nothing clashes.

 

[Feraud]

David,
The world is your oyster. Trying to accomplish tone on tone is maddeningly difficult, and frankly it's not as much fun. The idea is to have accent and complementary colors that accomplish a harmonious whole.

Well said.

 

[David Ward]

Thank you all for your consideration and advice. The collective wisdom tells me I'm being too literal in trying to copy and not compliment my hat to my suit.

 

[Lincsong]

fftopic: Just a bit off-topic, but funny nonetheless. I know a Mr.-Know-it-all who adamently insists that if a hat is not the exact same color as the suit there is no match. lol lol lol He has no concept of semantics.