[Winhes2]

The classic jackets: Dark navy blue blazer and dark brown donegal tweed shown below:

The classic mistake: Acquiring them because I liked them as nice articles of clothing without considering whether they make me, with my spring complexion and low contrast (I assume I have low contrast because of I get classified as a spring Best third business suit color, generally?, although I do have darker blue eyes, a ruddy complexion, and darker blond/light brown hair with some goldish red in it - my wife used to call it tawny before the grey appeared Best third business suit color, generally?) look my best.

Salvaging dilemma: Both jackets are dark. If I wear a pale blue shirt with the dark navy blazer, or a cream or off white shirt with the donegal, would I not be creating too much contrast because, although the pale shirts would go well with my coloring, they and my coloring would be high contrast against the darkness of the jackets and ties I would wear with them.

So what to do?

1. send the jackets to thrift and acquire ones in a marine blue and mid-brown to better go with the pale shirts and my coloring?

2. Wear slightly darker blue and tan shirts to try to reduce the contrast between the shirts, jackets, and ties, ideally without looking like I'm involved in organized crime, although, by so doing, increasing the contrast between myself and the clothes?

 

[SG_67]

I’m not sure about others, but I have an incredibly hard time at visualizing someone’s complexion and how certain colors look on a person, without a pic.

In general, I cannot imagine anyone with any given complexion not being able to wear navy.

As for the donegal, it’s such a casual fabric that I would avoid wearing white. I’m not a big ecru fan either but someone else may urge you otherwise.

I think pale blue would work or also consider a tattersall. Donegal is a country pattern and tattersall too.

 

[FLMike]

Think of the number of brain cells you’ve expended on that one thrifted jacket before even wearing it one time. There’ve been at least six or seven posts about it. Just wear the dang thing or donate it.

 

[SG_67]

Think of the number of brain cells you've expended on that one thrifted jacket before even wearing it one time. There've been at least six or seven posts about it. Just wear the dang thing or donate it.

So this has been the subject of much angst already? I missed that one.

 

[Hebrew Barrister]

I'd have to see the tweed on you, but a navy blazer works on EVERYONE from an albino to the darkest skinned gentleman. You made no mistake buying the navy.

I also think this whole "contrast" thing is a little overblown. Just keep it in mind when selecting what shirts to wear with what suits / sport coats. Get the shirts and coats a bit closer in color if you're "low". I don't think it really dictates what suits you can wear.

 

[FLMike]

So this has been the subject of much angst already? I missed that one.

Seriously? It seems like every time I open up AAAC, I see a picture of that jacket.

 

[smmrfld]

OP, you need to spend less time worrying about your clothes and more time enjoying them. Your posts are becoming increasingly odd.

 

[Charles Dana]

I also think this whole "contrast" thing is a little overblown.

I agree. In real life, you don't need to obsess about your complexion as long as the individual pieces of your total outfit complement each other and fit properly. The stuff you are worrying about would only matter if you were an actor being filmed or videoed. And even then, the costume department would tell you exactly what to wear.

So relax. Life's not a movie. (It's more like a leaky sailboat in iffy weather.) Take this particular worry of yours and toss it overboard. Lighten your load.

 

[Winhes2]

Ok, ok. :lol: Enough of the donegal jacket.

Although, in my own defiance, er, defence, although I acquired it because it caught my eye, for this novice with a nascent eye for color coordination, its unusual nature has meant figuring out how to wear it, and what to wear it with, has been an evolving process.

Considering this jacket's start on this forum, I should probably post a new question about it every six months, as a running gag. :beer:

Although, if I do so in the wrong shade of shirt, there may be gags

 

[momsdoc]

I'm not sure about others, but I have an incredibly hard time at visualizing someone's complexion and how certain colors look on a person, without a pic.

In general, I cannot imagine anyone with any given complexion not being able to wear navy.

As for the donegal, it's such a casual fabric that I would avoid wearing white. I'm not a big ecru fan either but someone else may urge you otherwise.

I think pale blue would work or also consider a tattersall. Donegal is a country pattern and tattersall too.

OK SG you asked for it, you've got it.

Except for looking formal in a dark suit, I find Ecru one of my favorite colors for a solid shirt. It's softer tones allow it to blend in with every color, and gives the option of wearing a tie that has high contrast to the jacket without being jarring. Or conversely wearing a more muted color tie that warmly coordinates with the ensemble.

My problem is finding ecru OCBD shirts. I have a few from JAB that I wish were available still. I have searched the internet in vain for more since JAB no longer makes them. I would buy a dozen in a heartbeat. My style of dress is more casual than a banker or lawyer. Ecru provides that softer sweet spot. Of being a blank tableau without the jarring brightness of white. It coordinates with every color as does white.

For the OP, forget this nonsense about contrast with your skin/hair/eye color. It's the outfit that has to be coordinated. I agree that this whole idea of skin contrast is a result of movie/TV/photo shoots. IRL the outfit stands alone. Make it work and no one cares if you're a ruddy red haired Scott, an Icelanding blond Albino, A black haired Chinese, or. a dark skinned Nigerian. The clothes have to work together. NO ONE looks bad in a navy blazer that's well put together, and that Donnegal jacket has a color spectrum that spans the natural world. You could wear it in a myriad of combinations. If You truly think it's a mistake, and its a 40R or 40S send it to me. I have the "complexion" for it, it's termed Human. I have no idea what my complexion is classified as except "Old White Guy of Semitic/Eastern European/Baltic Sea" mix. I still think I have brown eyes, and brown hair, except for the grey that falls out onto the apron during haircuts. I have a barber with magical scissors who only cuts out the grey and leaves all the brown behind.

Learn to coordinate your clothes and forget this nonsense about complexion. If you find yourself on a Hollywood set, they have professional color balance coordinators to take care of that. The human eye is much more versatile and forgiving than the camera.

 

[SG_67]

It’s not really a complexion thing with me. I just don’t like ecru or yellow.

 

[winghus]

It's not really a complexion thing with me. I just don't like ecru or yellow.

Everyone sometimes forgets personal likes and dislikes matter more than most of "the rules" we argue about here (I'm NOT saying momsdoc did anything wrong). Brass buttons on a navy blazer for example, I like them, most younger people hate them. I love Norwegian Split Toed shoes and probably half the people here hate them. I like the idea of a button boot but would probably never actually wear one in public.

As far as the OP, I agree with most here that skin tone matters mostly on TV/film with a few exceptions. If someone asks if you're sick whenever you wear a green or yellow shirt, maybe you should put those away. but otherwise I seldom see anything in public that goes really badly due to the skin and hair color, it's usually just a clashing within the pieces of the outfit itself that cause visual jarring.

 

[ran23]

My only Ecru BD is Eagle Shirt Makers. First time I tried on on, I liked the tailored fit. Still find them NWT on the bay.

 

[derum]

OK SG you asked for it, you've got it.

Except for looking formal in a dark suit, I find Ecru one of my favorite colors for a solid shirt. It's softer tones allow it to blend in with every color, and gives the option of wearing a tie that has high contrast to the jacket without being jarring. Or conversely wearing a more muted color tie that warmly coordinates with the ensemble.

My problem is finding ecru OCBD shirts. I have a few from JAB that I wish were available still. I have searched the internet in vain for more since JAB no longer makes them. I would buy a dozen in a heartbeat. My style of dress is more casual than a banker or lawyer. Ecru provides that softer sweet spot. Of being a blank tableau without the jarring brightness of white. It coordinates with every color as does white.

For the OP, forget this nonsense about contrast with your skin/hair/eye color. It's the outfit that has to be coordinated. I agree that this whole idea of skin contrast is a result of movie/TV/photo shoots. IRL the outfit stands alone. Make it work and no one cares if you're a ruddy red haired Scott, an Icelanding blond Albino, A black haired Chinese, or. a dark skinned Nigerian. The clothes have to work together. NO ONE looks bad in a navy blazer that's well put together, and that Donnegal jacket has a color spectrum that spans the natural world. You could wear it in a myriad of combinations. If You truly think it's a mistake, and its a 40R or 40S send it to me. I have the "complexion" for it, it's termed Human. I have no idea what my complexion is classified as except "Old White Guy of Semitic/Eastern European/Baltic Sea" mix. I still think I have brown eyes, and brown hair, except for the grey that falls out onto the apron during haircuts. I have a barber with magical scissors who only cuts out the grey and leaves all the brown behind.

Learn to coordinate your clothes and forget this nonsense about complexion. If you find yourself on a Hollywood set, they have professional color balance coordinators to take care of that. The human eye is much more versatile and forgiving than the camera.

Brooks Brothers has ecru OCBD on sale right now.

 

[zzdocxx]

Hey he used the word "nascent", I think we should cut him some slack just for that.