Lewis also cautions that not all shirt and tie combinations work, and you should swerve ‘holiday cheer’ at all costs. “Avoid any pairings that invoke thoughts of a specific holiday: red and green, black and orange, red, white and blue and so on and so forth. While it is possible to pull off such combos, it’s a delicate balancing act that can come across costumey as opposed to polished.”

Outfit Inspiration

Pocket Square + Suit + Tie

From Pitti peacocks to corporate careerists, a pocket square has become an essential component of a suit. A finer detail for sure, but one that’s still subject to the rules.

“A strong match between a pocket square, shirt and tie is mainly based on the color,” says Danny O’Neill, sales manager at Moss Bros. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be the same print or texture as long as the shades work together.” In fact, something too samey can look a bit too perfect – a bit wedding starter pack. And of course, some color combinations work far better than others.

Feel free to experiment with material and print, too. “There isn’t an ideal fabric or one to be avoided – with pocket squares you can be as adventurous with the fabrics and prints as you like,” says O’Neill. “However, it is important that the color should complement either the shirt or tie.”

The safest option is to pair a white shirt with a white pocket square. For a more advanced approach, look for a patterned pocket square where the secondary color matches the tie, or go tonal with a subtle change of shade between the shirt, tie and square.

Outfit Inspiration

Socks + Suit

Justin Trudeau may bask in soaring approval rates, but, sock horror, he doesn’t always put his best foot forward when matching his hosiery with his tailoring. Canada’s leading man has punctured many a strong look with an ill-advised, novelty sock, and every guy should eschew the Chewbacca feet for something more appropriate.