New Suit, But What Color?

[Zachary]

Dear Fellow Gentlemen,

My father is turning 70 this year. I would like to surprise him with a new suit. The question is: Which color should it be?

The core of the problem is that no system for matching hair- and suit color really works.

My father has almost no hair left, since he has a bald patch. The little hair remaining is almost completely gray. The prevailing color is a pinkish-olivine skin tone, and the eyes do have an absolutely ambiguous color: greyish-greenish-dirty blue.

His birthday is in late September, and he'll be in need for the suit mostly for Sundays. Which leads to the conclusion that it should be a dark suit. (He already owns one in light camelish-grey (do they say so?).) But what kind of? Dark grey or dark blue? Or medium blue? Straight, with twill, or herringbone, or Prince of Wales check, or pinstripe?

Any help regarding this problem will be hugely appreciated!

Dapper greetings
Zachary

 

[Fastuni]

Dark blue (but not too dark to be mistaken for black) with a fine pinstripe (not too densely striped but with ca. 2 cm distance) is my recommendation.

It is sombre and festive enough for Sunday or other serious occasions, but still more playful than black or charcoal.

As a frequent suit-wearer I most often go to my dark blue pinstripes. Blue also looks good with silvery hair.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Remember on older men, as skin changes its properties, dark colors can make them look older and washed out.

 

[Mathematicus]

I tend to agree that a blue colour would be optimal. Not a dark navy but a medium brighter shade. Pinstripes is up to you; since he does not seem to have a large suit rotation I would suggest against them as a blue solid can be paired with almost anything and can work on almost any situation nowadays.

Whatc

 

[Edward]

I'd go for a solid navy blue, myself, perhaps tone-on-tone herringbone.

 

[Mathematicus]

I'd go for a solid navy blue, myself, perhaps tone-on-tone herringbone.

Very good suggestion, indeed. I second this option as the most optimal, since it combines the versatility of a navy suit with the slight depth given by the pattern.