How to Pair Socks With a Black Wedding Tuxedo

It’s no secret that black suits are a wedding staple, but grey and navy suits are quickly finding their way back into the special day.

A classic neutral shade, grey has made a major comeback into the wedding scene, and you don’t have to be an expert fashionista to see why. It’s a delightfully versatile and trans-seasonal suit color that can seamlessly fit into any type of wedding, from a traditional church wedding to a Hawaii destination wedding.

With an equally universal appeal, navy suits are again back on the radar of grooms and groomsmen who want to look effortlessly dapper on the big day. A navy suit has proven to be just a touch more classic than trendy blue, and yet a little bit more stylish than timeless black.

Now that you’ve chosen to wear a grey or navy suit, what else do you need to complete your wedding ensemble?

In today’s installation, we are going to help you pair socks with a grey or navy suit, as well as other accessories to match your wedding outfit.

What to Wear With a Grey Suit

When it comes to choosing a suit for a wedding, whether for the groom, groomsmen, or other male guests, there’s nothing quite like the classics. And by classics, we mean grey, black, and navy.

It’s easy to accessorize black and navy suits because they tend to be quite adaptable to all personas and wedding types.

Grey suits, on the other hand, appeal more to younger couples as their versatility, clean look, and street style make for a fabulously cool and sophisticated outfit.

While grey is an increasingly popular choice for a wedding suit, it can be challenging to perfect, especially when it comes to pairing with a tie, shirt, and socks.

If done correctly, a grey suit says modern, youthful, and elegant. If done wrong, however, it’ll leave you with a wedding outfit that looks dated, plain, or shabby at best.

Let’s look at some things that go with a grey suit.

Blink right with metals

Generally, small hardware accessories like cufflinks, clips, etc. don’t go well with wedding suits, but grey is a clear exception. Obviously, your personal taste does count here, but it all depends on your shirt and tie.

Your grey suit’s rich metallic hue will go nicely with white gold or silver metals, which means you can complete your outfit with cufflinks, lapel pins, and tie clips in these metallic shades.

Classic gold cufflinks may offer a slight contrast, but it’s still okay. For a less conservative look, you can always go for some bolder shade.

For a daytime wedding, diamonds are a no-go because they are strictly designed to pair with evening menswear. If you’re one of those couples who’d like to ditch white shirts for light blue, then stick to contrasting colors like yellow, red or green when it comes to metals.

If you’ve been invited to a white-tie or black-tie wedding, be sure to match your shirt with black or gold inserts, such as hematite, onyx or abalone stone cufflinks.

Brighten up your grey suit with awesome socks

When it comes to wearing a grey suit for a wedding, the last thing you want is to treat socks as an afterthought. True, grey might seem like a serious hue, but if done right, this neutral color can blend easily with several sock shades, making a grey suit such a varied item to style.

The no-brainer choice is to go for grey socks. After all, the golden rule of pairing socks with suits is to match the color of the trouser or pants, which in this case is grey. A quality pair of grey socks rising at least halfway up the calf will lend a foolproof, professional look to your wedding garb.

Shades of blue marry well with neutrals like grey, and the navy is the just-perfect option to match with grey tailoring. Navy socks also go well with formal shoes, providing you with a sophisticated look without the gamble of going overboard.

Often understated, classic black socks, whether plain or patterned, will offer a bit of contrast to your grey suit. Nonetheless, they will do right by your outfit if your shoe choice is any shade other than grey. You will nail it if you're gunning for an elegant look.

If you’re looking to get lots of eyeballs on your outfit at your wedding, however, be sure to add a touch of color to your socks. Sounds like you? Bring a bright pop into your outfit with turquoise socks; they’ll spruce up your grey suit in the most elegant way so you can command more attention.

Create a subtle balance with your shirt and tie choice

Grey suits mix well with a variety of colored shirts, but there are a few rules to keep in mind lest you ruin the whole outfit. It’s always prudent to play safe with tried-and-true colors.

A white dress shirt worn with a grey suit is your safest bet because it’ll compliment your outfit without losing that winning charm. Don’t be afraid to experiment with colored socks, pocket squares, and ties to add a bold flair to the ensemble.

A grey suit with a blue shirt is another wedding combo that won't fail. Not all shades of blue will work with your suit, though. For instance, a light grey suit may be a tad too chic to coordinate a shirt in a deep shade of blue.

If you're after an easygoing wedding, it might be best to pair your suit with a neutral, powder blue which will give off that summery vibe. Dark grey suits can be paired with shirts in dark shades of blue, but contrast them with a tie in a light blue shade.

For a sleek wedding outlay, you can always pick a black shirt to pair with your grey suit. These hues create a heavy, elegant look, so you may not want to don these during the height of summer.

You can contrast this look with bright colored socks or stick with plain grey, tan, beige or black. In either look, this is a pleasantly clean aesthetic and chic ensemble that’s ideal for formal tie-friendly weddings.

Speaking of ties, choose one that’s one or two shades lighter than your black shirt. You may even pick a hue of grey that matches your suit’s shade.

Grooms who like fashion-forward looks and who are thinking of reinventing the wheel should consider wearing a grey suit with a red shirt. It’s a bold, powerful look that is hard to pull off especially if you don’t happen to find the right shade of red.

In any case, stay clear of shades of red that are way too bright. The low-key nature of a grey suit will make a red shirt look bolder and brighter than it actually is. So you don’t look like a 1970s business snob, consider pairing your suit with burgundies and deeper shades of red. A black or grey tie will certainly complement the outfit.

Match your shoes with the suit’s shade of grey

Generally, if you decide to go with a white shirt/grey suit combo, navy leather derby shoes will help pull together a dandy look.

A rustic outdoor wedding, like a farm or barn wedding, calls for an evergreen choice of a pair of light brown shoes and a light grey suit. Lighter shades of brown like butterscotch, cognac or tan will play off nicely with the metallic-esque tone of your suit. Picking a complementary sock, pocket square and tie will bring this ensemble together, as well.

Medium grey suits are somewhere in the middle of the wheel, so anything goes here. Choose any pair of brown or suede styles that best suit your wedding vibe. The secret might lie in your sock choice depending on what look you’re trying to pull off.

Not a big fan of brown shoes? You can still reach out for a light grey suede, burgundy leather or Derby shoes. If you’re a little fickle, any pair of loafers, Oxfords or even Chelsea shoes will do the trick.

Given its cool style, a grey suit looks best when teamed up with shoes in a richer, warmer shade of burgundy, brown, navy, and even oxblood. For summer weddings, shoes in pastel may work too.

However, for a more classic look, you can never go wrong with black. Black Chelsea boots, black loafers, black leather shoes or other brogue variants won’t disappoint when worn with either light or dark grey suits.

Accessorize generously

You can liven up your grey suit by wearing eye-catching accessories, like a patterned purple sock, pocket square, tie or suspender. It pays to be careful with the colors to avoid an unsightly clash.

The play-it-safe, rule of thumb is to make sure the accessories are the same color as your shirt. Equally important, you must go one or two shades darker than the shirt.

For example, if you wear a fail-safe shirt in pastel blue, make sure to round off your ensemble with a pair of navy socks, tie, and pocket square.

As a final note, don’t forget to bring in a flower lapel pin, pocket-handkerchief, dress watch, or some combo of these. Accessories and grey suits do go hand in hand.

The Case for Colorful Socks

Yes, socks in neutral colors like black, grey, navy, tan, or beige team up perfectly with grey tailoring, which is why they are a timeless wedding staple. However, if you want to add a pop of color to your outfit, there is a wide range of colorful socks that are certain to keep your ensemble fresh and trendy.

Lucky for you, grey is a pretty versatile color that comes with many shades, so you can virtually do no wrong with all kinds of solid or patterned colored socks as long as you don’t overdo it.

Just steer clear of orange pastels and neon yellows, and you should be on the right track.

In a strictly practical sense, however, a good grey suit will pair well with socks in shades of red, brown, turquoise, green or purple.

Red – The bold contrast that red socks bring to the outfit is powerful so avoid bright shades that are too bright. Lighter shades of red like burgundy offer a way to pull off a grey look without having to take lots of styling risks.

Brown – Not an imposing color per se, brown socks offer a subtle yet pleasing contrast when paired with grey suits. One thing to note is that your shoe choice should be in a different shade of brown.

Turquoise – Turquoise socks liven up a grey tailoring in the most authentic way. For an elegant look, dress down in black or brown leather shoes.

Purple – Grey suits and purples definitely go hand in hand. If your suit’s tone is warmer, pink or taupe shades of purple are a sure thing. Bright purple shades are an ideal choice for people who are looking to attract attention to their socks.

Green – Light green socks are often underrated but can add a pop of fun to an otherwise plain grey suit.

Should you wear solid or patterned colorful socks?

Solid colors – Wearing brightly colored solid socks is a great way to let your personality shine through your wedding getup. Darker solid colors should be reserved for winter weddings, though.

Argyle – This is a classic sock pattern that’s been a traditional style for smart grooms for the last half-century. And there’s a good reason why it works. You can start simple with grey/black plaid patterns then add greens, oranges, and other bright lines and diamonds. Argyle socks will work effortlessly in your ensemble as long as one of the colors is part of the spectrum.

Striped – A simple blend of colored stripes with an equal width can take your wedding vibe to a whole new level. Make sure the striped socks colors tie-up with the rest of your getup, though. For instance, if you’re wearing a light grey suit, the sock should reflect the shade of the pocket square or tie.

Polka dots – Another classic pattern for colored wedding socks, polka dots socks are easy to mash up into your ensemble. Play around with the size and color of the dots, making sure to match some shades of the pocket square and tie.

Conclusion

A grey suit is an evergreen choice that’s quickly replacing black suits when it comes to weddings. It’s easy to pair with socks, as long as you stay away from neon yellows and bright oranges.

While neutral socks in navy, grey, black, or beige team up best with grey suits, don’t be afraid to add a pop of color. Whether solids, argyles, striped or polka dots, bright-colored socks in purple, green, red, brown or turquoise are what your wedding attire needs to truly stand out.