Wearer of chinos is blue concerning color choices
Q. Now that jeans are no longer the major part of my wardrobe, my wife has been buying me tan or “beige” pants. I own khaki chinos that I like, but I’m only comfortable wearing them with a blue shirt and my one tie that pulls the colors together. Can you suggest any other combinations?
A. For most young men, and for many decades, bluejeans have played an essential role in their wardrobes. Certainly, as a teenager becomes an adult, he shifts to a new crucial item — cotton khaki pants (what many think of as the only variety of chinos). These days, versatile khakis in a man’s wardrobe are suitable for even more occasions. They’re useful in casual work environments and for relaxed weekend dressing. And, of course, well-pressed chinos with a navy blazer remains the must-have uniform for many dressier situations.
Basically all tan, beige and khaki pants (even those in very light ivory shades) are in the overall “brown” family. That explains why blue shirts come to mind since a blue shirt with a khaki suit is a favorite and flattering spring/summer duo.
Even so, one reason that khaki pants are so enormously popular is that they go with just about every color — in clothing as well as personal coloring.
Some of my favorite shirt combinations with khaki pants are:
Solid pastel colors (sometimes known as “ice cream colors”) — ivory, pink, yellow, lavender and light blue — as well as crisp white.
Contrasting darker and brighter solid colors work, too — royal blue or taxicab yellow.
Patterned shirts in stripes, mini-gingham checks, tattersalls and plaids of all sizes. An especially handsome shirt to be on the lookout for is a large plaid in soft tones, where one of the colors in the plaid is some shade of beige or khaki. This sort of combination (which repeats the color of the pants) almost always marks a knowledgeable dresser.
When you mentioned a tie that pulls the colors together, I assume you mean a blue and brown pattern. Certainly, this is a handsome combination with a blue shirt, but it is not your only option. Besides the expected blues with khakis, I especially like ties in shades of yellow, orangey-yellows or orangey-reds. These are always sophisticated choices with anything in the brown family.
You can pair khaki pants with all manner of casual tops: Oxford cloth buttondown shirts, knit polo shirts, T-shirts, sweaters, sport jackets and blazers. With any of these, again those soft ice cream colors work nicely, especially now, when we’re tired of winter’s darker tones. And moving into warmer times, continue to wear your light-colored pants, but segue into adding summerlike tops in linen or cotton seersucker. I noticed the new L.L. Bean catalog has a great assortment of pastel linen shirts.
Few styles offer so much leeway. Not only do khakis coordinate well with most colors and look great on just about any frame, but they also mix well with the other clothes in your closet. Tan pants can be dressed down with a lightweight sweater worn against the skin, or up with a jacket and shirt worn either with or without a tie. Incidentally, the only neckties to avoid with khaki pants are very dressy, heavy woven silks, which call for darker, dressier looks and cooler weather. Here’s another advantage of khaki pants: They go with black or brown shoes.
Because khakis work with such classics as knit polos, Oxford-cloth shirts, and blazers as well as with more stylish designer clothes, you can adapt them comfortably to your own personality and taste preferences. Happy hunting!