Suit Colors for Men: Choosing the Best One for Your Wedding

What are Common Men’s Suit Colors?

Making up approximately 50% of all men’s suits, navy blue is without a doubt the most popular suit color. The second most popular is charcoal gray. These colors are favored for two main reasons. One, because they’re easy to match with shirts, shoes, and ties, and two because they’re appropriate for a variety of occasions. 

Medium and light gray are arguably the third and fourth most popular suit colors. Like navy and charcoal, lighter shades of gray also provide plenty of versatility. Still, they’re a bit less formal, a fact that keeps them from the top spots. 

Surprisingly, black suits take the fifth spot. They’re stunning, to be sure, but they tend to look formal, so they’re harder to style than lighter colors. What’s more, the shade is too harsh for many complexions. 

What is the Best Suit Color for Men?

There’s no single suit color that’s better than others. The best suit color depends on your existing wardrobe, your lifestyle, and your complexion. If you’re trying to narrow down color choices for your wedding suit, then consider factors like the season, the dress code, your wedding theme, and your partner’s outfit.  

All of that considered, you usually can’t go wrong with a navy blue or a charcoal gray suit. Not only are both colors universally flattering, but their subtlety makes matching with other parts of your outfit a cinch. On top of that, they’re appropriate for just about any occasion, something that will allow you to get more mileage out of them after saying “I do.” 

How to Choose the Best Color of Suit for Your Wedding

You may not realize it, but there are tons of factors to consider when choosing a suit for your big day. Below, we cover the most important things to think about before pulling out your credit card. 

Dress code

Knowing the level of formality at your wedding is crucial when shopping for a suit. Formal events are strict in regard to suit colors, while casual events leave plenty of room for flexibility. 

Let’s take a closer look at which suit colors are appropriate for each type of wedding. 

• White-tie – The most formal weddings call for a knee-length black tailcoat, black slacks, and a white shirt. Accessories like a white bow tie, black oxford shoes, and neutral-colored cuff links are also expected. 
• Black-tie – One step down on the formality ladder, black-tie weddings call for a black tuxedo, although you can also get away with a black or midnight blue suit as well. Finish off your look with a black bowtie or necktie and black leather shoes. 

• Formal – Also called black-tie optional, special occasion dark suit colors include midnight blue, navy blue, or charcoal gray. Pair with a matching tie and shoes for a pulled-together look. 

• Cocktail – A popular option for modern weddings, cocktail attire calls for a bit of unconventionality. Here, a light gray suit or tan suit both fit the bill, especially for summer or fall weddings. Brown suits and navy suits are appropriate, albeit not the most interesting choices. 

• Semi-formal – As with cocktail weddings, semi-formal weddings allow you plenty of flexibility. This is the perfect event to pull out a white suit in the summer or a dark brown suit in the fall or winter.  

• Beach wedding – Casual nuptials by the sea call for light-colored suits like tan, cream, light green, or pale blue. 

Skin color

You should always choose a suit based on what makes you feel confident. However, there are some general rules to follow when coordinating a suit color with your skin. Those with cool undertones look best in gray, brown, blue, green, and purple, while warmer skin tones shine in bright or light colors. If you’re right in the middle, opt for dramatic hues like black, blue, or maroon.  

Here are some more detailed color recommendations for each complexion:

• Pale skin – Wear gray, beige, and navy blue. Avoid pastels.
• Light skin – Wear a green, khaki, black, white, or brown suit. Avoid yellow, pastels, and nude hues. 
• Olive skin – Avoid yellow, green, and brown. Everything else looks flattering. 
• Dark skin – Wear pastels, white, pink, navy, or tropical colors but avoid brown and midnight blue. 

Season

In addition to dressing for the dress code and your skin tone, you’ll also want to pay attention to the season. While certain men’s suit color combinations look good year-round, some are best kept to certain seasons. 

For example, suit colors for winter weddings can range from white and cream to dark red and medium gray. In the spring, pastel hues like baby blue, light gray, mint green, and blush pink are right at home. Summer weddings call for white, yellow, royal blue, and bright red. Lastly, fall suits look best in brown, dark green, gray, and black. 

Statement-Making

The last element to consider when selecting suit colors for men is how much of a statement you want to make with your outfit. If you prefer to keep a low profile on your wedding day, then by all means select a classic navy blue suit. However, if your attitude is to go big or go home, then try an unconventional color like deep purple or forest green.  

Men’s Suit Color FAQs

What color should a man’s first suit be?

If you’re just starting to build up your suit collection, opt for a navy or charcoal gray suit first. Both are fairly neutral, making them easy to style with a variety of shirts, ties, and shoes. In addition to offering versatile styling, they’re appropriate for many different occasions.

How many suit colors should a man own?

In general, most men own at least three different colored suits. Navy, charcoal gray, and black are three suit colors every man should have. This trifecta will give your wardrobe plenty of variety and versatility. Once you own the basics, feel free to expand into bolder colors or patterns.  

Should every man own a black suit? 

While black might seem like an obvious suit color choice, it may not fit into your wardrobe, depending on your lifestyle. That’s because black suits are about as formal as you can get. They’re best left for weddings, funerals, black-tie events, and nightclubs. 

Is a navy suit okay for a wedding? 

A navy suit is usually a great color choice for a wedding, especially one in the late afternoon or evening. That said, make sure to pay attention to the dress code. If you’re attending a daytime summer wedding, navy might be too formal. On the other hand, navy isn’t dressy enough for a white- or black-tie event. 

Can you wear a gray suit to a formal event?

In most cases, a charcoal gray suit hits the right note for a variety of occasions, including formal events like weddings. Not only are they sophisticated, but they also transition between seasons effortlessly. Light gray suits can work for summer or fall weddings, but they’re definitely less formal, so keep that in mind.  

Use The Groom Club’s Resources to Look Your Best

Choosing the right color suit for your wedding is crucial, but it’s only part of your appearance. Here at The Groom Club, we believe looking your best comes from the inside out. That means staying hydrated, filling up on fruits and vegetables, getting enough sleep, and moving your body whenever possible. Head over to our complete Groom Survival Guide for more ways to put your best foot forward on your wedding day.