How to Wear a Blue Suit: The Complete Style Guide for Every Occasion

When it comes to suit colors that you can dress up or down, it’s hard to beat a blue suit. You can slip into a stylish suit for date night, a business meeting, or a wedding. To really stand out, though, it's helpful to know how to wear a blue suit the right way.

Blue suits come in a variety of shades, from navy to royal, light, and midnight blue. With so many options, it's important to choose a tone that complements your skin tone. This guide will help you find the perfect shade for you!

Understanding Blue Suit Shades: Finding Your Perfect Match

As a general rule, those with darker skin tones can wear broader shades of blue, compared to lighter-skinned people, who can create a nice contrast by wearing darker shades, like a navy blue suit.

Several factors contribute to finding your perfect shade of blue, including the formality of the event, the season, and the shade that creates a nice contrast with your skin tone.

Navy Blue Suits

When it comes to versatility, nothing compares to a navy suit outfit. It can change shades, going from deep blue in bright light to appearing almost black when the lights are low. It’s the classic choice for a wide range of events. For example, you can wear a navy blue outfit to a formal event, a business meeting, an interview, or a wedding.

Royal Blue Suits

When you want to make a statement with your outfit, put on a royal blue suit. Royal blue is a vibrant, medium to bright shade of blue. This modern, yet classic suit color is best suited for weddings and cocktail parties.

Light Blue Suits

Light blue suits are less saturated than a royal, midnight, or navy blue suit. They’re pale and soft, projecting a modern and relaxed vibe. It’s a good choice for the summer season.

Midnight Blue Suits

Midnight Blue is the darkest shade of blue and is sometimes mistaken for black. It can project a very formal look.

Blue Suit Styling by Occasion

It’s essential to know how to wear a blue suit for various occasions. We’ll break down blue suit styling by events below.

Wedding Guest Attire

Navy blue: Timeless and versatile.

Light blue: Fresh and airy; ideal for spring or summer.

Royal blue: Sharp and elegant.

Business & Professional Settings

Navy blue: A power color.

Royal blue: A good choice for a creative professional.

Formal Events & Black-Tie Adjacent

Navy blue: A timeless classic ideal for any formal event.

Midnight blue: Sophisticated look. An ideal alternative to a black tuxedo.

Smart Casual & Date Night

For smart casual events and date nights, you can opt for any of the colors mentioned. However, a light blue suit may be too casual for an evening date night, so stick to a darker tone.

Shirt Pairings: What to Wear Under a Blue Suit

Knowing how to wear a blue suit means knowing what to pair it with. Selecting the right dress shirt pairing can set the tone of your look.

Navy blue: White, light blue, or pale pink shirt.

Royal blue: White or a light gray shirt.

Light blue: White or cream-colored shirts.

Midnight blue: A crisp white or lavender shirt.

Tie Selection: Completing Your Blue Suit Look

A tie completes your look and shows that you pay attention to details. Here’s what to wear with a blue suit:

Navy blue: Red, gold, or a green tie pairs well. A patterned tie will also look great.

Royal blue: Try a navy, silver, or burgundy-colored tie. If you want to wear a patterned tie, choose one with minimal patterns.

Light blue: A navy or white tie hits all the right marks. You can also pair it with pastel colors, especially for a spring or summer event.

Midnight blue: Silver, gray, or burgundy ties exude a classic and sophisticated look.

Shoes That Complement Blue Suits

Certain dress shoes complement blue suits better than others. Here are some color options:

Navy blue: Black, dark brown, or oxblood dress shoes.

Royal blue: Medium to dark brown. Tan or light brown pairs well, too.

Light blue: Tan, white, or light to medium brown.

Midnight blue: Black

Accessory Mastery: Elevating Your Blue Suit

When learning how to wear a blue suit well, you’ve got to master accessories. They add personality and style to your outfit.

Navy blue: White, blue-edge, or cream pocket squares. Black, dark brown, or burgundy belts.

Royal blue: White, tan, or patterned pocket squares. Medium to dark brown belts.

Light blue: White pocket square. Tan or cognac-colored belts.

Midnight blue: White pocket square. Wear a leather belt that matches your shoes.

Common Blue Suit Styling Mistakes to Avoid

If you want to pull off the look of a blue suit successfully, you don’t just need to learn how to wear a blue suit and what to wear with it. You also want to avoid these common styling mistakes.

• Wearing clashing or overly bright colors
• Mismatched shoes and belts
• Wearing the wrong shoes
• Wearing too many accessories at once
• Wearing a shirt without a collar
• Using a clip-on tie

Renting vs. Buying: Making the Right Choice

If you’re a professional working in an office environment, it makes sense to purchase a navy blue suit. Keep in mind that when you buy a suit, you need to learn how to care for it, which means trips to the dry cleaner.

However, if you only need to wear a suit for a one-time event, then renting is a cost-effective option. What if you want to experiment with a different color suit? If that’s the case, explore the diverse selection of suits at Generation Tux and try one on!