Best Ties for Plaid Jackets

Pairing ties with shirts and jackets can be a bit of a headache, as you have to juggle color coordination on top of pattern mixing, and plaid is one of the trickiest. If you're one of the many men who is a bit stumped on pairing ties with a plaid jacket, look no further than this brief guide!

For the short answer, check out this 20-second instagram reel!

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Here are the 3 best ties to pair with a plaid jacket! (Normal pattern mixing rules apply.) #menswear #mensstyle #mensstyleguide #mensstyletips #ties #patternmix

A post shared by Kin Moy | Boston Men’s Stylist (@dapperdangerousllc) on Sep 29, 2020 at 6:01am PDT

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While these are undoubtedly the best types of ties to pair with a plaid jacket (in the order listed, no less), there's only so much detail that can be crammed into a 20-second video. So if you were hoping to have some information accompany inspiration, here's a more fleshed out breakdown of the top 3 ties for plaid jackets.

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1) Textured

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Textured ties are a foolproof accompaniment to a plaid jacket; they manage to be imbue the look with greater visual depth, yet never pose the risk of clashing with other patterns. Coordinating the color of your tie with a pattern accent of the jacket will always keep the outfit cohesive. In this case,  the navy knit tie picks up navy from the checks on my jacket. 

Whether you go with a knit tie like this one, a dressier grenadine, an autumnal donegal tweed, or another texture entirely, this combination will be both safe and pleasing. And that's why textured ties are the top choice to accompany a plaid jacket!

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2) Dotted

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Dotted ties are another great option -- whether those are proper dots, medallion prints, or paisley specks -- these shapes naturally contrast with plaid. That can go a long way in preventing the patterns from blurring together. Even so, it's still (and always) important to make sure that your patterns are of different boldness and sizing. When you hit that balance a dotted tie compliments a plaid jacket nicely. 

Because most plaids are rather densely packed, choosing a tie with sparse dots will generally make your life easier. 

Furthermore, the same color coordination tips from the last category still apply! Echo the color of a pattern on your tie to a pattern on your jacket and the outfit will seem more deftly composed. 

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3) Striped

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And finally, we've got stripes! When orchestrated well, these are a killer accompaniment to a plaid jacket. When done poorly -- especially in regard to boldness and sizing -- they can create visual chaos.  

And again, color coordinate your pattern accents! The striped tie in the video echoed navy from the jackets check and white from the pocket square; that's a two-for! 

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Bonus Tip!

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Bonus tip! While this video and article deals mostly in what ties you *should* strive to mix with your plaid jackets, it would be negligent as a stylist not to warn you about a classic newbie pitfall. That's right, we're talking plaid ties. 

Not only are these often a poor choice of neckwear in general, they are especially heinous when paired with plaid jackets. I make it a point to ONLY allow the most versatile and not-ugly plaid ties into my collection, but even they look terrible next to a plaid jacket. 

This is crash and burn territory, but with some skill and effort, you may be able to elevate the look from "god awful" to "not very good."