MATCH COLORS , MIX PATTERNS
Your shirt and tie should share a shade. But if you’re going to match patterns, “make sure they’re a different scale,” says Lynne Marks, president of Atlanta’s London Image Institute.“For example, choose a larger pattern for your tie while keeping the shirt reserved.”

GO LIGHT ON THE BLING
Just because you’re the king of accounting doesn’t mean you need to wear a diamond-studded tie clip. In addition to a dress watch and a stylish belt, “a nice signet ring or wedding ring is all you should wear,” says Marks.

AVOID PATTERN BLINDNESS
Your shirt and tie are the palette from which you paint the colors of your soul. Just keep the palette small. “A large pattern is far more casual than a small one, so if you work in a conservative office, stick to small checks and pinstripes,” says Marks.