What colors can make brown tweed fashionable looking?

October 4, 2006 3:49 PM

I just bought a vintage brown tweed jacket that fits me very well. Is it possible to rehabilitate the professor/literary critic look, i.e. not wear it with a black turtleneck while smoking a pipe or Turkish cigarettes? Are there any colors of shirt that would go with brown tweed other than white? (I was thinking salmon or light orange with a dark tie, but I've been criticized on my color schemes before.) I'm an extremely slender, somewhat dark-skinned Asian male, so I usually don't wear olive or related green earth tones. Or should I consider it a loss, one of many chalked up to the impulsive excitement that a store actually had something my size?
posted by ObeyScient to clothing, beauty, & fashion (16 comments total)

Navy blue shirts are great with that.
posted by nasreddin at 3:50 PM on October 4, 2006

wear something black with it. I don't care what it is, a shirt, scarf or pair of slacks, but wear something black with it.
posted by krautland at 3:56 PM on October 4, 2006

Pink. Even teenage boys wear pink now. Has to be the right pink, though.
Pink and brown is a cool combination.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 3:56 PM on October 4, 2006

What shade of brown is the jacket? What shade of "dark" is your skin? It's hard to figure out what'll look nice without knowing the exact color scheme here.

Oh, also: Nothing will make brown tweed fashionable. One does not wear tweed to look fashionable. One wears tweed to look AWESOME.
posted by Greg Nog at 3:57 PM on October 4, 2006 [3 favorites]

Check out the skater shops--the shirts will be fashionable and likely fit you.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 4:00 PM on October 4, 2006

Olive green would be look great with vintage brown tweed, why fight it? Plenty of dark skinned Asians look great in earth tones (e.g., the Dalai Lama? Ghandi? I mean, what did Asian people use as dye up til about 100 years ago!) Trust your instincts on the salmon and light orange - in fact, don't be afraid to do dark orange, rusty. You could layer a dark browns against it - brown tie on brown shirt, - playing subtly with patterns. A gold shirt (dark yellow, almost that 70s fridge color, harvest gold) could look awesome, but it depends on the brown and your skin. A gold tie (with a sheen) could look great against almost any color. Finally, if you get it just right, a pale, minty green could be fabulous - or it could be disasterous. You can have fun playing with texture and pattern, too - tweed's relaxed enough to take another texture against it. No, it sounds classic - have fun! (but if you ADD elbow patches, you've probably crossed the line.)
posted by DenOfSizer at 4:02 PM on October 4, 2006

Oh yeah, weapons grade is spot on there with the pink.
posted by DenOfSizer at 4:03 PM on October 4, 2006

As is GregNog with the life tips.
posted by DenOfSizer at 4:03 PM on October 4, 2006

The jacket is a little darker than, say, the outside of a Milky Way bar. It does have what look like might be olive fibers, mixed in with the occasional rust-colored fiber, so it might actually do well with the mint that DenOfSizer suggested, especially with a black tie. I'm thinking lighter colors of shirt in general, just to have some contrast.

Now that I noticed, my skin is somewhat lighter than mocha, so the jacket is a lot darker than I am. Perhaps I exaggerated the "dark" part, especially as the days are getting shorter again. :)
posted by ObeyScient at 4:19 PM on October 4, 2006

Salmon and light orange (apricot or peach) are also usually warm tones, or "earth tones". Does salmon and light orange look good on you? If you are dark skinned and lean toward a cool skin tone, pick cool colors to go with your cool skin tone. If your skin is warm, then salmon and orange might be nice because they suit warm skin tones.

I love blue with brown, but the blue you pair it with it depends on the brown. Try chambray blue, medium blues, and periwinkle. Lilac, lavendar and other light purples look good with brown, and so does red. Camels and lighter browns will look nice and blend well. Also, don't forget shirts with checks or stripes. Most importantly choose colors that suit your skin tone. Here are some pairing ideas:

Brooks Brothers Tweed

Nordstrom Tweed

Neiman Marcus Tweed

Ralph Lauren Tweed
posted by LoriFLA at 4:28 PM on October 4, 2006

Yeah, pink, salmon, mint green, baby blue (and, of course, classic white) sound like they'd all be lovely. Basically anything light-colored yet not-too-muted. I suggest crisp Oxford shirts, untucked, for a slightly rumpled-yet-semiformal look.
posted by Greg Nog at 4:30 PM on October 4, 2006

What about lavender? I have a brown tweed skirt that I often wear with a light purple sweater. Pink and light blue are also great in combination with brown.
posted by phoenixc at 5:27 PM on October 4, 2006

I am a dark skinned Asian.

Your first concern is what colour shirt looks good against your skin. Warm tones aren't a good idea. Cool tones -- i.e. anything in the white, grey, blue, purple, black range -- are a safe bet.

You then compliment your shirt colour against your brown jacket. All of the above should work except for the purples. You'll have to experiment in front of the mirror to get it right.
posted by randomstriker at 5:27 PM on October 4, 2006

Steve McQueen often wore tweed jackets with turtlenecks, and he never looked like a college professor. Throw on some sunglasses and a wear them with blue jeans and you'll look like a 60s actions movie star. Wear a bowler derby and a pair of slacks and you'll look like a Bond villain.
posted by Astro Zombie at 6:24 PM on October 4, 2006

I've always thought pairing them with T-shirts works quite well - something with a cool or obscure logo offsets the don-factor.
posted by greycap at 11:25 PM on October 4, 2006

wear a hoodie under the jacket, its a good look and is not too serious.
posted by Kifer85 at 1:20 AM on October 5, 2006