Men's Outfit Color Combinations: 12 Outfits That Work

The men's outfit colour combinations that work most often are navy with grey, white with blue denim, olive with indigo or cream, khaki with light blue, and brown with cream, finished with shoes in brown leather, black or white. Two main colours plus a leather colour covers nearly any day, and the twelve outfits below show that in casual, smart casual and tailored versions.

Each names the top, the trousers and the shoes. If you lack the exact piece, use its nearest neighbour: charcoal for grey, stone for khaki.

The colour sitting under your chin matters more than the colour of the trousers. Wdrobe is a styling app that reads your colouring from a selfie, which helps you see which shirt colours flatter your face.

Lighter on top, darker below, and when to flip it

The easiest men's outfits put the lighter colour above the waist: a light blue shirt over navy chinos, a white tee over indigo jeans. Flipping it, a navy knit over stone chinos, looks more deliberate and suits summer. What looks weak is a top and trousers of the same depth in different colours, such as a mid-grey sweatshirt with mid-blue jeans, where nothing separates the two halves.

Casual combinations

1. White tee, mid-wash jeans, white trainers

The plainest summer outfit there is, and it holds together because the shoes repeat the top.

Outfit formula: white crew-neck T-shirt + mid-blue straight-leg jeans + white leather trainers + tan canvas belt.

2. Olive overshirt, ecru tee, dark indigo jeans

Olive and indigo are both muted, so neither takes over, and the ecru tee breaks them up at the neck. Brown suede boots make it an autumn outfit.

Outfit formula: ecru T-shirt + olive cotton overshirt + dark indigo jeans + brown suede chukka boots.

3. Grey sweatshirt, black jeans, black boots

A low-contrast, cold-weather outfit for men who prefer dark clothes. Boots that match the jeans keep the lower half in one piece.

Outfit formula: grey marl sweatshirt + black slim jeans + black leather Chelsea boots + charcoal wool overcoat.

4. Breton top, stone chinos, navy plimsolls

Navy-and-white stripes count as one colour plus a neutral, so stone chinos add warmth without crowding them. Navy canvas shoes repeat the stripe.

Outfit formula: navy-and-white striped Breton top + stone cotton chinos + navy canvas plimsolls + brown leather belt.

Most men already own the pieces for several of these and have never worn them together. Finding out usually means trying three shirts on before work. See the shirts on your own photo before the morning rush. Treat it as a styling preview; fit still needs a mirror.

Smart casual combinations

5. Light blue oxford shirt, khaki chinos, brown loafers

The default for offices without a dress code: cool blue against warm khaki. Keep the loafers darker than the chinos. The colours that go with khaki clothes cover other shirt options.

Outfit formula: light blue oxford shirt + khaki chinos + dark brown suede loafers + dark brown leather belt.

6. Burgundy jumper, charcoal trousers, black loafers

A winter office outfit with colour in it, and a white collar under the jumper brightens it near the face. Charcoal takes almost any colour, as what colours go with charcoal grey clothes shows.

Outfit formula: burgundy merino crew-neck jumper + white oxford shirt + charcoal wool trousers + black leather loafers.

7. Cream cable knit, olive chinos, dark brown boots

An autumn weekend outfit where cream keeps olive from looking military. For more partners, see colours that go with olive green.

Outfit formula: olive chinos + cream cable-knit sweater + dark brown leather lace-up boots + brown leather belt.

8. Brown knit polo, cream linen trousers, tan loafers

A summer evening outfit that flips the dark-below default, with tan suede sitting between the two shades.

Outfit formula: chocolate brown knit polo + cream linen trousers + tan suede loafers + no-show socks.

Tailored combinations

9. Navy suit, white shirt, dark brown oxfords

The suit outfit that covers business, interviews and most weddings. Our guide to what shoes go with a navy suit goes through every option.

Outfit formula: navy two-piece suit + white poplin shirt + dark brown cap-toe oxfords + navy silk tie.

10. Charcoal suit, light blue shirt, black oxfords

Charcoal is the more formal everyday suit colour, and black shoes sit with it more naturally than with navy. The light blue shirt keeps it daytime.

Outfit formula: charcoal wool suit + light blue shirt + black oxfords + burgundy patterned tie.

11. Navy blazer, grey trousers, burgundy loafers

The standard odd-jacket outfit. Navy over mid-grey needs no thought, and the loafers add the only warm note. What colours go with grey clothes has more trouser partners.

Outfit formula: navy hopsack blazer + white oxford shirt + mid-grey wool trousers + burgundy penny loafers.

12. Grey suit, black roll-neck, black boots

For evening, or a creative office where a tie looks too much. Grey and black alone read sharp in low light.

Outfit formula: mid-grey suit + black merino roll-neck + black suede Chelsea boots + black leather belt.

A working week only needs five of these. The trick is rotating them so the same shirt does not turn up twice in three days. Map out Monday to Friday from what you own.

Belts and shoes

Keep the belt in the same colour and finish as the shoes: polished dark brown with polished dark brown, suede with suede or matt leather. A black belt with brown shoes splits the outfit at the waist. With trainers, a canvas belt in the trouser colour is fine.

Shoe colour also sets formality, from black at the top through dark brown, burgundy, mid-brown and tan to suede and white trainers.

Socks

Match socks to the trousers, navy with navy and charcoal with grey, so the leg reads as one line when you sit. Wear no-show socks under loafers or trainers with summer chinos. Keep white sports socks for trainers.

How many colours to wear

Count what you can see: top, trousers and any jacket. Shoes and belt count together as one leather colour, and white, grey, navy, denim and stone count as neutrals. Two main colours plus leather is a safe limit, with a third only if it is a neutral. A burgundy jumper, olive trousers and a mustard jacket leave nothing in charge, so swap the loudest piece for a neutral. If you would rather have combinations suggested from your own clothes, there is a roundup of the best AI stylist apps that do it.

Frequently asked questions

What colour shirt goes with navy trousers?

White, light blue, pale pink and grey shirts are the easiest with navy trousers. For knitwear, cream and burgundy work well, and brown shoes suit all of them.

What colour shoes go with grey trousers for men?

Black, dark brown and burgundy all work with grey trousers. Black suits charcoal and formal settings, brown makes mid and light grey more relaxed, and white trainers suit light grey chinos at the weekend.

Can men wear black and brown together?

Yes, when the two are clearly different shades, such as a black knit with tan chinos. The full rules are in can you wear black and brown together.

For the colour logic behind these outfits, outfit colour combinations explains the structures, while what colours go with navy clothes is where to begin if navy is your main colour.

Most men wear the same five pieces every week and forget the rest. Once you photograph them, Wdrobe lays out shirts, knits, trousers and shoes together, which shows how many of these combinations are already hanging in your wardrobe. Find out which of the twelve you can build tonight.