AdvertisementIf you cannot decide 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!!
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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.!!
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 a patterned shirts, 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.
Shirt with lining also goes well with solid pant.
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 denims. They would just never go wrong.
3. Right Fabrics
If you think that fabric has nothing to do with colour tones, you are wrong. Not every colour 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 woollens 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 colours. 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 Khakhis.
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 colours, 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 weather is pleasant. They make best combinations with Cotton-Silk blend pants, denims or polyester pants.
Pants on the other hand seldom are made in such fabrics.
4. Universal 5 Colours for No-Brainer Person
For those who really don’t want to fuss on 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 its versatility to match with any shirt. One can use khaki pant as formal and casual dress code.
Perfect Matching Shirt Colours for Khaki Pant: Blue, maroon, red, green, black, white, purple, aqua/teal, pink/magenta, contrast brown, peach and gray.
Recommended Read: Why Khaki Pant is essential for Men’s Capsule Wardrobe?
#2. Black Trouser
If you are going to wear black pant then you are free to select any colour of shirt.
Perfect Matching Shirt Colours for Black Pant: White, purple, blue, light pink, maroon, light gray, red, light yellow, turquoise green, light orange, etc.
#3. Cream Trouser
Like khaki and black, cream colour has wide matching colours i.e. navy blue, pink, purple, maroon, black and sea green.
Tip: While choosing cream pant for your dark shirt check the basic tone of your shirt. One can select Red, Green and Blue tones as per shirts’ colour.
#4. Gray Trouser
Gray is must for formal attire.
Perfect Matching Shirt Colours 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, gray, black, rust orange, crimson and sunny yellow.
Always go for the basic colours 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 rocks in black shirt and white pant. Black shirt with little shimmer is wise pick for party and wedding occasion.
White shirts always works well with any gray tone or light beige trouser.
Khaki pant and dark blue shirt is best casual and formal colour combination.
Checked blue shirt and dark gray trouser is wise section for your office.
Blue pant and 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 in formal pants as well. Not only do they look good but also its 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 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 minimising prints and checks.
7. Color Shades According to Skin Tones
A man’s complexion has a huge impact on how the colours he chooses to wear suit him or make him just blend in to 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 pastel look great on them.
- They can also experiment with white and grey choosing ties with bright colours 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 the chart:
|
Skin Tone |
Light-Dark Combos |
Dark-Light |
Avoid These |
|
Fair Complexion |
|
|
Avoid Too bright colours like yellow, Orange etc. |
|
Wheatish/Average Complexion |
|
|
Avoid too dark shades or too light ones |
|
Dark Complexion |
|
|
Avoid too bright or too dark shades. |
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
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Shaista Singh
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I really love this brief article for men’s formal and casual pant shirt combination. Nice combination. I really love the universal colour combination especially.