tie for a dark navy dress shirt

i have to wear collard navy blue shirts at work, and if i want to add a tie what color would work with it. i always hear the tie should be darker than the shirt. so i was thinking black. now could i go the other way. white tie?. or color wheel option like orange to contrast. or yellow

I'm feeling the orange.

I feel sorry for you, having to wear that colour shirt.

Yes, you should go for a darker tie. Black is going to be your best bet. Charcoal, midnight blue, a really really dark green ... those could all work too.

Darker colored to be safe.
But heck - it is approaching the Fall season - Why not a dark Orange.

Orange might clash a lot, and risk looking like a clown depending on his complexion. If you absolutely must wear a tie, black, charcoal (best option IMO), dark purple, or dark green might work better. Striped patterns with darker blues in it would be ok. However, the general idea of a tie on such a shirt without a jacket is treading on dangerous ground. If you MUST wear a navy shirt, they're obviously going for some kind of uniform-ish look. What is making you look for a tie in the first place? If these are twill shirts or other work-ish shirts then I would highly recommend nixing the tie.

I think it also depends on the type of work you do and how "formal" it is. If it's some type of office work, maybe they are slightly relaxed but just require blue shirts then an off beat color might work.
If it's a retail setting then I can't imagine them being super strict about a color of tie.

I'm all for keeping things lively and exciting.

A big No to the the rule the tie should be darker than the shirt! Also you say a navy blue shirt. Is it truly a navy blue or is it a few shades lighter and more a royal blue? One last question. What color slacks do you wear and do you wear a sport coat ( if so what color ? )
More info will help

Fashion 'rules' are guidelines which should be considered as "proceed with caution" rather that "never do this". (The one exception is sock with sandals - never to that.)
You can go lighter with a complementary colour or different tones. Stripe ties would be ok; dots maybe, a shade darker or lighter with a light blue or a complementary depending or the environment.
If you want to go with black I would suggest well spaced thin lemon-yellow or pink stripes if it was a business setting, I have a couple like that that look good.
Another option is to vary the texture rather than the colour, a knit tie in navy would work, and it's a bit less formal if you are not wearing a jacket.
I would avoid white unless 40's film noir is the look you're going for.

I have never been able to look at a tie lighter than the shirt the same way after reading the excerpt on clothes from How to Archer (from the FX show):

How to Archer said:

Hi. Look down. What do you see?

I am hoping—against all hope—that you see a necktie. If you do not,please put this book down and get back to work: that drainage ditch isn’t going to dig itself. If you do see a necktie, but its color is lighter than—or, God forbid, the same as—the color of your shirt, please put this book down and get back to work: you’re probably late to a Mafia staff meeting.

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Slightly patterned neckties where the prominent color is darker or similar to the shirt are excluded from this.

A Black/Dark red almost burgundy tie might go quite nicely there too.

LarryDarrell said:

Fashion 'rules' are guidelines which should be considered as "proceed with caution" rather that "never do this". (The one exception is sock with sandals - never to that.)...

Another option is to vary the texture rather than the colour, a knit tie in navy would work, and it's a bit less formal if you are not wearing a jacket.

Click to expand...

I've always liked the look of the same color family as the shirt in just a slightly different shade, or a patterned tie with the same base color but differently textured (like a silk tie on a flat colored cotton shirt).

I was not aware that such a thing as a dark navy dress shirt existed.

gwsmallwood said:

I've always liked the look of the same color family as the shirt in just a slightly different shade ...

Click to expand...

Is that your "final answer"?

i work at walmart. i dont have to wear a tie. but i am the cell phone salesman. so i thaught it would look good. i wear black pants with it. and the color is true navy blue. i can wear a white shirt but i have the ties for that. just trying to see what i could wear with the blue

I'm thinking bow tie. Dark main color with a lighter contrast dots or stripes.

Maybe you could wear some yellow (slightly orange??) tie that matches the corporate color scheme. It might look too much like a uniform, but in some sense that might be appropriate. That said, I think you will be more than fine wearing clothes that fit and having a professional/polite/helpful attitude.

A bow tie might be nice. A pink tie might also work pretty well, if you can pull off pink.

I'd probably go with a medium to dark blue tie just a bit lighter than the shirt (not starkly lighter). Just be careful they are similar enough not to clash (as different blues can). A plum or purple in a medium to dark shade might work as well.

Some people have said black, but I'd go for midnight blue over that.

The dress shirt and tie with no jacket look as a salesperson is a dicey move because it makes a lot of people think of slimey car salespeople (no offense to non-slimey car salespeople). No tie might be your best move.