Purple university stripe, green check sport coat, mid-light blue knit tie - cool colors. I don't mean cool in the "nice, hip" way. I mean cool in the hue. It can be nice to spread the colors in your outfit, covering lots of corners from light to dark and warm to cool, I do this often. It can also be nice to close in a little bit, close a ring around the color scheme, sliding everything in one direction. The pants, wide wale brown corduroys, are not a cool hue. These are warmer. Nevertheless, the general thrust of the outfit is all orbiting a cool core.
For an outfit like this, a key to the colors comes down to seeking out a little space that is open and then putting something there. I knew I wanted to wear this green coat and this purple university stripe. Next, I chose the tie. I knew I couldn't go with green, that is obvious. Black is off the table as well. Purple, no way. The only other cool option was a blue. I knew I wanted a plain knit. With a university stripe and a patterned sport coat, I knew I didn't want any more action. For what I was going for, dark blue felt too close to the sport coat so I went with this mid-light blue. Paired together (dark green, purple, mid-light blue), these colors spread into the various corner of cool territory. Everything is still cool and centered in hue, but the stretches of the territory are represented. There is no unnecessary friction or rubbing occurring in the interplay of the colors, due to being too close to each other.
I am happy this purple university stripe works in autumn and winter. It is on the lighter side, while not being violet. If it is too bright and too vibrant it can feel like something only suitable for spring and summer. This however isn't too vibrant. It is light but a bit faded and dusty. It works now. The cords of course are a heavy neutral, they simply hold the rest up. They are like the dark soil of the earth, supporting the flowering life above.
As I repeat myself often, stay simple. And even if the outfit isn't entirely simple, like the photo above (we have two bold pieces), keep something simple in the outfit in order to anchor it and bring down the intensity and energy. In this case it is the knit tie, and the corduroys, of course. Imagine some other tie, as opposed to a simple knit. You can't really. Nothing would work. Rep, micro-pattern, motif, ancient madder... they would all look clownish. This one error, staying bold with the tie, would practically spoil the outfit. Even when bold, stay simple. This is a key that can be applied day in, day out.