Accessories, colors overrule jacket shades

Q. I just bought a great light brown tweed sport jacket. I thought it would be a good change since my suits and other sport jackets are all blues and grays, but my girlfriend complains that I don’t look good in brown. I have dark hair and what she calls “Mediterranean coloring.” Is she right that this was a bad choice and/or is there something that will make the new jacket better?

A. I agree that a beige tweed jacket is a welcome addition to a closet full of blues and grays. While it’s true that brown is often problematic and not flattering for your type of coloring, by adjusting the colors you wear with it, you can definitely make the jacket work for you. Choosing flattering colors for items that are close to your face can do the trick. Here are some suggestions.

SHIRTS

Blue shirts are an excellent answer. Light blue shirts look terrific with everything in the brown color family: Beiges, tans, khakis, even the greenish-brown shade called olive. Not only do blue shirts look good with every brown jacket, but they also flatter almost every man’s coloring.

Because blue shirts are so enormously popular, stores stock many shades of blue, lots of patterns (from small checks to varying stripes), and different textures (from smooth broadcloth to nubby Oxford cloth). Blue shirts range in formality from dressy fabrics (broadcloth and pinpoint Oxford cloth) through slightly casual (end-on-end weaves and tattersalls) to the most informal of all (plaids and knit polos). Which blue shirt you choose depends on your preference, the occasion, and the degree of dressiness you are aiming for.

In addition to blue, you may want to try a soft yellow and an off-white ivory or cream. To look good with your coloring, they really should be clear, crisp shades, not unflattering mustard golds or muddy beiges. Also flattering for your complexion is a pink shirt; it can be a solid pink, a pink stripe or a small red-and white check, which creates an optical pink effect. Should you want to wear your jacket for a dressier occasion, don’t overlook a traditional white cotton button-down shirt. It is a handsome answer to what to wear with a quality beige jacket (or a tan-colored suit). It steps up the formality of your jacket and works especially well when paired with dark-colored pants.

TIES (AND OTHER ACCESSORIES)

Adding one more color-coordinated item supports the look - either a tie or a sweater. A good tie choice might include some blue in the pattern (especially if your shirt is blue) or some yellow (to echo and somewhat repeat the “brown family” of the jacket). A traditional red tie (especially one with a small yellow pattern that gives an overall orange cast) is a great look with brown tweeds.

With or without a tie, consider layering a sweater over your shirt and under your jacket. Try a smooth flat-knit in fine merino wool, cashmere or cotton - perhaps in white or yellow.

TROUSERS

While pants obviously are not near your face in terms of flattering your complexion, overall color coordination is always important. You have several acceptable (but not great) trouser color choices: Chocolate brown (never the most elegant look), navy (if you are a regular reader, you know that I don’t think navy pants are a very versatile choice), and a grayish-brown mushroom shade known as taupe (some shades of taupe might not contrast enough and some might be too gray). Khakis and chinos are too similar to your beige jacket to work well. A smarter color is deep charcoal gray. But the most sophisticated combo would be your new jacket and well-cut black dress pants.

With a tweed jacket and dark gray or black pants, a dressed-up addition that is a very nice look is one that may not be so easy to find - a black silk necktie (not in a shiny, smooth texture, but in a heavy woven fabric, or a solid knit, or a black-background print with a small beige or yellow design). This sort of tie is worth hunting for because it will add sophistication to a lot of other looks in your closet, from a warm-weather tan suit to a holiday-season suede vest.

If you don’t trust your color sense, ask someone with “a good eye for color” (perhaps your girlfriend). My guess is that if you put the rest of your combination together well, she will come ’round to liking the new look on you.

Send your men’s fashion questions to Lois Fenton: lois.fenton@prodigy.net