Navy Suit, Brown Shoes

The reasoning

Why it works. Navy is a cool, dark neutral; chestnut brown is warm and mid-dark. The temperature contrast gives the outfit depth that black shoes cannot, while both colours stay muted enough to look serious. White keeps the centre of the look crisp.

Wear it to the office, daytime weddings, interviews and dinners. In summer swap the white shirt for sky blue and the oxfords for chestnut loafers.

Styling note. Chestnut complements navy. For conservative evening dress, darker polished shoes are a safer choice than light tan; there is no universal time-of-day colour cutoff.