Best Shirt Colours for Men: The 5 That Matter
And the Order to Buy Them In
Five colours cover every occasion a man faces. The sixth is where wardrobes start going wrong.
The Best Shirt Colours for Men, Ranked
White, pale blue, cream, olive and a fine stripe. In that order. White handles anything formal, pale blue does the same with more warmth against skin, cream softens the whole outfit in summer, olive is your one accent, and a fine stripe adds pattern without adding colour. Five shirts in those shades work under every trouser and every knit you own.
The ranking is by versatility rather than preference. White goes under every suit colour. Pale blue does everything white does except black tie, and flatters more complexions. Cream and olive are seasonal and situational. The stripe is the only piece of pattern most men need.
What Each One Is For
- White: suits, formal occasions, black tie. Buy two, since it shows wear fastest
- Pale blue: the daily shirt, under navy and grey, warmer against most skin than white
- Cream: summer and linen, softer than white and hides creasing better
- Olive: the one accent, worn with stone or cream below, never with a second accent
- Fine stripe: blue or grey on white, narrow enough to read as texture at three paces
Buy two white before you buy anything else, because a white shirt in rotation lasts roughly half as long as a coloured one. Everything here is in our shirts.
The Colours to Skip
Black, pink at full saturation, and anything with a large check. A black shirt reads as either evening wear or nightclub and almost never as tailoring. Saturated pink dates quickly. Large checks compete with everything above and below them.
The general rule is that a shirt should be the quietest layer in the outfit, because it sits directly under the face and any strong colour there pulls attention from everything else. Pair the five above with neutral trousers and a fine knit, and the palette logic is set out in our old money colour palette and the complete guide to old money style for men.
FAQs
How many shirts does a man need?
Five, in the colours above, plus a second white. Six shirts cover a working week with one in the wash and one in reserve for formal occasions. Beyond that you are adding variety rather than capability, and most men wear the same two regardless of how many they own.
Is a black shirt ever correct?
Rarely, and never under a suit. Black sits flat against skin in daylight and reads as evening wear or uniform. If you want a dark shirt, navy or charcoal does the same job with far more warmth and works under a jacket where black does not.
Shop Shirts
White, blue, cream, olive and stripe, cut for a tucked fit. Free delivery on all UK orders, no minimum spend.
Five, and Two of Them White
The shirt drawer is where wardrobes quietly expand without getting better. Five colours, six shirts, replaced rather than added to. Everything else is a variation nobody but you will notice.
The shirt sits under the face.
It should be the quietest thing you wear.