Men’s Guide to Matching Pant Shirt Color Combination

If you cannot decide the difference between contrasts and colour combination, and end up putting up your mom or wife for your dressing codes every day at work, well you are not the only one.

Besides, the formal outfits have gone a plethora of changes and you must keep updated with them. We have other options than the boring monotonous suits now!!

In times of extreme confusion, we here get the best tips and combinations for you to go for and look your ultimate best at work and other occasions, even the day of your wedding!!

1. Matching and Contrast- Choose the right Colours

Saving you from the biggest blunders that you may be committing or commit, we provide you with these basic pairs that are always friendly and cool.

Always go for perfect contrasts and they must have a balance between light and a dark tone. Choose a lighter shade for your shirt and go for a darker tone for your pants. While wearing a tie, keep the shade in mind!!

Make it more casual. “Men’s casual shirts at Meadow” are the ultimate comfortable garment that doesn’t sacrifice style.

Light Shirts (White, Beige, Sky Blue, Baby Pinks) – Dark Trousers (Chocolate, navy, camel, Electric) and you will rarely go wrong!!

Dark Shirts (Maroon, Purple, Dark Blue, Black)- Light Tones (Beige, Blue, Cream, Khaki, Gray)

Avoid tonal outfits. Outfits with the same tone throughout or too close make you unnoticeable.

When going for a lighter check or patterned shirt, choose one dark shade from the shirt and match your outfit with that and vice versa.

2. Careful with Checks and Patterns

When going for the checks, use bigger checks if you are slim and need mass. The stout ones must go for stripes and avoid checks. Also, choose a single shade for both your pants and tie and never mess it up with anything else.

Follow these basic Pattern combos:

Checked shirts match well with plain pants

Checked shirt with solid pant.

A shirt with a lining (stripes) also goes well with solid pant.

The checked white shirt goes well with black trouser.

Checked pants pair well with plain or smaller checked or smaller printed (polka dots) shirts

Some combos work forever like Blue-Beige, Blue-Black and White-Beige.

When going for stripes, match the pants with the shade of the stripes or go with the palette at the background. When going for checked trousers, choose a contrast plain shirt.

Tips:  While going for Prints, choose subtle colours and try wearing a dark tone to avoid looking too cheeky!!

Checks and Stripes are always welcomed with almost all plain contrast trousers or denim. They would just never go wrong.

3. Right Fabrics

If you think that fabric has nothing to do with color tones, you are wrong. Not every color will be reflected the same way when you choose different fabrics.

1. Khakis and Chinos

With khakis and chinos, Denim shirts are an all-rounder. You can also wear check woolens or plain cotton shirts.

2. Linen

Pure cotton or linen is most popular in men’s shirts.  Linen shirts are comfortable and come in subtle colors. When going for plain shirts, linen fabric is the best.

Linen shirts go well with linen trousers/Pants. High-quality denim pants are also one of the best picks with linen shirts.

3. Woollens

Corduroy and Fleece do not give very stark light shades and hence go for dark earthy shades. These are usually used for pants. Check shirts look exquisite in such fabrics. You can choose such shirts with denim pants or plain Khakis.

Linen Chinos are also well matched with check corduroy or cashmilon shirts.

While going for checked woollen pants, choose plain corduroy or linen shirts.

4. Silk and Synthetics

For very bright shades in shirts, or if you like sparkling colors, choose nylon, silk, or rayon. These give bright shiny hues so they are best for party wear selection. But such fabrics are less comfortable and good when the weather is pleasant. They make the best combinations with Cotton-Silk blend pants, denim, or polyester pants.

Pants on the other hand seldom are made in such fabrics.

4. Universal 5 Colors for No-Brainer Person

For those who really don’t want to fuss about what to wear and do not have the time to think before going for something, we are the problem solvers.

Khaki, Black, Cream, Gray, and Navy are a must-have for your wardrobe as they would befriend almost every shirt of yours.

#1. Khaki Trouser

Khaki pant is recently in trend because of their versatility to match with any shirt. One can use khaki pants as a formal and casual dress code.

Perfect Matching Shirt Colors for Khaki Pant: Blue, maroon, red, green, black, white, purple, aqua/teal, pink/magenta, contrast brown, peach, and grey.

Recommended Read: Why Khaki Pant is essential for Men’s Capsule Wardrobe?

#2. Black Trouser

If you are going to wear black pants then you are free to select any color of the shirt.

Perfect Matching Shirt Colors for Black Pant: White, purple, blue, light pink, maroon, light grey, red, light yellow, turquoise green, light orange, etc.

#3. Cream Trouser

Like khaki and black, cream color has wide matching colors i.e. navy blue, pink, purple, maroon, black, and sea green.

Tip: While choosing cream pants for your dark shirt check the basic tone of your shirt. One can select Red, Green, and Blue tones as per the shirts’ color.

#4. Gray Trouser

Gray is a must for formal attire.

Perfect Matching Shirt Colors for Gray Pant: light pink, blue, purple, black, white, spring bloom, aqua, green, cherry, and red shirt.

#5. Navy

Perfect Matching Shirt Colours for Gray Pant: white, yellow, pink, peach, light green, purple, royal blue, brown, maroon, magenta, aqua, cream, khaki, red, grey, black, rust orange, crimson, and sunny yellow.

Always go for the basic colors while buying your pants- Brown and Beige usually go best with the Red and Blue shades.

Almost all of us have a white shirt which keeps finding its way almost every third day. Try Blue, Beige, or Grey if you want to break the normal white black routine.

If you own white pants, Pink and Beige tones are simply awesome!!!

5. Ever Green Pairs

Men with fair skin always rock in a black shirt and white pants. A black shirt with a little shimmer is wise to pick for a party and wedding occasion.

White shirts always work well with any grey tone or light beige trousers.

Khaki pants and dark blue shirts are the best casuals and formal color combinations.

Checked blue shirt and dark grey trouser is a wise section for your office.

Blue pant and a white shirt complete your formal attire.

6. Going with Pastels

Pastels are finally paving their way into the world of men as well. We now have a vast collection of beautiful pastels formal pants as well. Not only do they look good but also it’s a boon to the men who had nothing but blues and blacks in their basket!

Choose your pastel pants carefully and make sure they suit you! They can go really wrong.

Choose the contrast very wisely. Reds must go with Blue or Beige tones. While Pastel greens will be easy with Blue tones. Try minimizing prints and checks.

7. Color Shades According to Skin Tones

A man’s complexion has a huge impact on how the colors he chooses to wear suit him or make him just blend into the crowd.

Usually, men fall into the following category of their complexion-

1. High Contrast Men

Men with very spectacular contrast in their skin (usually fair) and dark hair fall into this category.

They must:

• Wear shirts and suits with direct contrast to their skin like Navy Blue or Beige with a white shirt or fairer shades. Pinks and pastels look great on them.
• They can also experiment with white and grey choosing ties with bright colors to bring out their fair skins.

2. Low Contrast Men

Men with darker skin tones and very low contrast between hair and skin fall under this. They must go for:

• Dark and gloomy shades like Brown and Earthy shades.
• They should try to go for a monochromatic look rather than trying on different contrasts.

3. Medium Contrast Men

Not falling into any of the other two, they must:

• Try on dark suits with lighter Shirts and dark pants.
• Try not to go with very light shades or very dark tones.

Or simply refer to the chart:

Recommended Read:

• 10 Best Formal Shirts Brands for Men to Freshen Up Office Look
• Searching for Best Formal Trouser? Top 10 Brands to look Gentleman
• 6 Essential Coloured Pants Every Man Should Own
• How to pick the right groom pants according to your body type?
• Best Formal Shirts Just below Rs 500 We Absolutely Love!
• 11 Collar Types you need to know for Men’s Shirt
• An Idiot’s Guide to Tuck, Roll & Cuff Shirts and Jeans Easily
• 20 Best Casual Shirts for Men below Rs.500
• 7 Cool Styles to wear Blazer for Men

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: