Best Ties for African American Men

Dressing well means more than just having deep pockets to spend on designer items and brand name clothing. What is more important than the label you wear or the price you pay is the proper fit and knowing how to coordinate colors and patterns into one harmonious looking outfit. Finally, you need to know what colors, patterns, and cuts look good on you. This article is written for the African American man looking to decide on necktie colors and pattern. This article is part of our series titled "Matching Ties to Your Face" and discusses in greater length which colors and patterns are most flattering on men with dark complexion.

Colors
Since African American men typically have a dark complexion neckties in brighter colors are perfect. Ideal are neckties in yellow, amber, pink, red, tan, purple, white, silver, gray, and black. Slightly less suited are neckties in navy, blue, green, and dark brown. Chose lighter and brighter colors and pastel tones in the spring and summer months. Again, you want to mimic nature by choosing fresh hues during the spring, and more muted/less bright colors during the Fall and Winter.

Contrast
Typically African American men have a light color contrast, meaning that the light & dark contrast of hair color and skin tone is not too strong. You want to mimic this light contrast (called your color profile) on your suit, shirt and tie. What you want to avoid are strong contrasts that would distract away from your face. Instead choose lighter contrasts. The picture above is a perfect example. The tan suit has a light contrast to the shirt, and the orange tie adds color without placing the necktie center-stage. Again you want to create an outfit that draws attention to your face and not away from it.