three men wearing black suit with floral shirt

how to wear black suit with a floral shirt

by Dylan Baker
Updated on

every man has a black suit in his wardrobe. It is one of the most basic yet elegant pieces of clothing a man can own. you just can’t go wrong with a black suit, be it a formal event or a casual gathering you can wear your black suit everywhere. 

whether you are going to a business meeting, a social event, or a wedding, a black suit will always make you look sharp and presentable.

black suits paired with a simple white or black shirt are a “safe” choice for almost any event. they’re never going to make you stand out. but… that’s the whole idea. if you’re going to a wedding or some other black-tie event you don’t want to stand out like a sore thumb and this is a great outfit for such occasions.

But what if you are going to an event where you want to stand out while still looking sharp and classy? That’s where statement pieces come into the picture. A statement piece can be anything from a colorful shirt to a tacky tie, something that makes you stand apart.

In this article, we will be talking about one such statement piece, a floral shirt.

Why floral? Simply because it’s one of those items which adds a dash of color without making you look like you are trying too hard. It instantly brings some life into your otherwise boring outfit. And most importantly it looks great with a black suit. 

can you wear a floral shirt with black suit?

yes, you can definitely wear a floral shirt with a black suit and if you wear it right, then it will look absolutely stunning. but it is also one of the easiest outfits to mess up and can easily be ruined if aren’t careful.

Not every floral shirt would work with formal attire especially a black suit and you should also pay attention to the accessories you pair with it

How to pick floral shirt to pair with black shirt?

three men wearing floral print shirts with suit

it is extremely important to pick the right shirt to pair with a black suit in order to pull off this look right. 

so firstly, the basics remain the same. your shirt should be a long-sleeved one with button downed collar or spread collar. So avoid half-sleeves and mandarin collars. 

Color

It is probably the most important factor in this outfit. the color of the floral shirt should be picked very carefully.

The basic rule is that you should avoid colors that are too bright or vibrant as they don’t go well with a black suit. 

You should avoid bright yellow, orange, and other such colors, those are meant for the beach and not to be worn with a suit.

Instead, you should go for darker and muted shades as they work better in formal attire.

Another thing you should be careful of is that there shouldn’t be too many colors in your floral shirt. It should have only 2-3 colors and not more than that.

Pattern

Now for pattern, since our goal is to use a floral shirt as a statement piece and to use it to stand out, you really can’t go wrong with any pattern type.

But picking a shirt with a smaller minimal pattern would definitely be a better option. Shirts with small patterns are easier to dress up and would work better with a black suit.

Larger patterns are more suited for casual outfits and are a bit difficult to style with formal outfits. That is not to say that you can’t wear a floral shirt with large patterns but it would be more difficult to pair them with a black suit as compared to small patterned shirts.

What tie and pocket square to wear with floral shirt and black suit?

Tie :

Floral shirt and black suit as you might have guessed already is no black-tie outfit, so it is not necessary for it to be worn with a tie.

But if you want to add a tie to this outfit then I would recommend going for a solid black tie. It would make your outfit more classy. If you think your shirt looks a little too tacky for a suit then also adding a black tie might make it work.

Though I would still recommend going for a no-tie look as that is more suited for this outfit.

pocket square :

Again I would say it’s an outfit that would look good without a pocket square but if you do plan to add one to the outfit then don’t use one with a pattern on it especially floral patterns.

You can use a pocket square of solid color which is present in your shirt or you can go for a simple one like black or white.

the bottom line:

A floral shirt paired with a black suit is an unorthodox outfit that makes you stand out and look more stylish.

It is definitely an outfit that is a little difficult to pull off but if done right can make you the best-dressed man in any room.

Photo of author

About the author

Dylan Baker

Dylan is a Men's fashion and image consultant, He is also the man behind Dapperclan. He is extremely passionate about fashion and wants to help men style and look better.

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