It might not be as tricky as pulling of fall’s loose-fit pants, or as bold as wearingtwo jackets at the same time, but understanding how to match your shirt and tie is an important styling skill nonetheless. Especially when the tie you want to wear isn’t a classic solid color or simple striped pattern. Last night in London, actor Armie Hammer demonstrated the worthiness of this skill, when he stepped out in a loud wallpaper-floral tie styled in an elegant modern way.

Hammer’s nicely cut, deep gray Burberry suit certainly helped him look young and cool but his choice of shirt—a crisp optic white—sealed the deal on the whole thing. When you’re wearing a bold tie, choosing a neutral-color shirt that matches a neutral color in the tie pattern is the best and easiest way to look great. If Hammer (or his stylist, Ilaria Urbinati) had gone with dark green, or black, or some contrast-color shirt, the whole thing would have been a little too heavy, and downright crazy, for its own good. In other words, the tie already checks the crazy box, so it was wise to stop there.

Here, a few other examples of shirts that pick up on a neutral tone in the tie pattern—and look great as a result.