The navy suit is perhaps the most hard-working item of clothing you will ever own. Most men will wear it for business, where it is classic and formal, but less severe than black or dark grey and less tricky to style than a light grey. It also works well for formal social occasions and can be dressed down for a more casual look.
To decide what shirts to buy to go with your navy suit it is easiest to say first what not to buy: black and dark blue are obviously a terrible idea, but so too are dark shades of most colours, including burgundy or dark grey. Most lighter shades will look great. However, good shirts are not cheap, so which shirts will give you the most versatility?
Plain colours
Not surprisingly, your first choice should be a classic white shirt. The crisp, clean contrast with the navy is always stylish, but without the harshness of black/white. The other advantage of white is that it works with every colour tie in every pattern – it’s pretty much foolproof. However, nobody wants to wear a white shirt every day, so you should definitely try a light pink. One of the most flattering shades for every skin tone, the navy suit undercuts any pastel sugariness to make this a winning combination. Light blue gives a fresh, contemporary style to a navy suit, but make sure it’s light enough. Pale yellow can look wonderful, but not for everyone, so try before you buy.
Don’t skimp
Unfortunately, sometimes men make the mistake of thinking that it won’t matter if their shirt is poor quality or a poor fit because no one will see it under their jacket. Avoid this by choosing a brand with a good reputation, for instance, mens Farah shirts https://www.ejmenswear.com/men/farah
Patterns
Stripes, checks, plaid, any of these can go well with a navy suit. These can include darker colours too, although you should probably still try to make sure that overall the shirt is a pale shade.
Informal shirts
A navy suit can look great with a collarless shirt or a t-shirt, for non-work wear. Esquire magazine has some interesting looks here http://www.esquire.co.uk/style/fashion/advice/a12880/5-ways-to-style-out-your-navy-suit/.
Finally, remember the shirts you choose will also work with other items in your wardrobe, so don’t think they’re just for work!
