In our latest video, Chris and Austin go head-to-head choosing the perfect tie for three different jackets; a classic navy blue, a summer linen and an autumnal check jacket. Who do you think will pick the best combination?

 

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Chris' first look

I've decided to pair the Mid-Blue Herringbone Jacket with a striped shirt. Adding a barber stripe shirt gives us a bit of pattern-on-pattern, but I think because the jacket is quite subtle, it can take it and it gives you a nice background for a tie. 

For me, a great tie pairing is the Bordeaux & Pearl Houndstooth, I usually wear something like this for more formal looks, maybe with business attire or even a wedding look, but this printed tie lends itself so well to complementing this blazer. I love the pattern matching here. I like the stripes, checks, and herringbones, and I've tied it all together with another abstract pattern in the pocket square. I think it's very visually interesting because each pattern here is quite subtle; it's a small houndstooth, a subtle herringbone, and a clean stripe. It adds a lot of interest without being too overwhelming. It's a confident look, great for daytime or a smart look.

 

  

 

AUSTIN'S FIRST LOOK

So, the tie I chose for this round is the Chocolate Pindot Merino Wool Tie. I think it's perfect to complete this wintry, cool look. The brown and blue are so elegant together, and I'd finish this off with dark grey or charcoal flannel trousers. I've chosen a cheeky pocket square here because it brings in the colours of the other ties that I didn't choose, but I wanted to include them nonetheless.

 

 

 

CHRIS' SECOND LOOK

So, we have a light grey summer jacket, and I was given the challenge of how I would style it for a summer event. I've gone for a white shirt – a soft white shirt, so it's not too contrasting against the soft grey. 

Playing around with some texture; I think this ecru shantung tie is interesting, you've got the blue, which really complements the grey nicely, and the white really pops with the white shirt. To complement it, this sort of tonal pattern pocket square which just adds a bit of interest. And then with the trousers, you could just go for a mid-grey worsted or you could go for maybe an elephant grey flat linen. They also look very smart, but this would be a lovely jacket to wear to perhaps an informal summer wedding.

 

  

 

AUSTIN'S SECOND LOOK

So here, I have the same grey summer linen jacket that Chris previously styled, but I chose an elegant pale blue shirt to go with it, rather than the white shirt. 

The tie option I've chosen, which I love, is a navy blue wool tie. It's not just a plain navy blue tie; it has a Prince of Wales pattern, which makes it more interesting. I love the tonal look of the shirt and the tie; it helps the jacket pop off. I'd finish this look with a pair of light brown linen trousers, which would perfectly match the pocket square here, bringing all the elements together. You have some light brown in there, the same navy as the shirt, and the hand-rolled edge is more or less the same colour blue as the shirt; it's a finishing flourish that completes this perfect summer look.

  

 

CHRIS' THIRD LOOK

We've both selected the blue chambray shirt to complement the woollen sports jacket. To really pull out the red of this jacket, I've chosen a red shantung stripe tie. It's not an obvious choice for a sports jacket, but I like the way it slightly clashes and draws attention. It's quite a hard thing to do with such a busy jacket, but I like the contrast and the textures. I love the way the blue works with the jacket and then the tie that picks up a completely different colour. 

As far as the pocket square goes, I've picked something with reckless abandon and just threw it in there.

 

  

 

AUSTIN'S THIRD LOOK

Same as Chris, here we have the woollen check jacket and the chambray shirt, it's a great combination. My tie selection is focused on a tie that plays into the jacket, because it's such a strong pattern jacket I think it deserves a tie that's interesting but maybe a little more muted. 

And I also chose a shantung stripe tie, but in blue. Yours was in burgundy, but I think there's probably a reason we chose similar ties; great minds think alike. I think it's gorgeous with the chambray shirt. It pulls out the blue in the jacket and complements the burgundy. 

The last element was the pocket square. We have a lot going on with the jacket, and the tie is quite strong so I wanted to stay within the rule of three. I chose something that was interesting, it matches the jacket in terms of colour and does have a pattern, but it definitely steps into the background, because there's so much else going on.