A Man's Guide to Combining Colors: Mix and Match

2019-08-30

To pull together a fashionable look, you should pay attention to colors. In this clothes color matching guide, let’s talk about some great color combos, general rules for mixing and matching colors, and more tips to make your outfit interesting.

Color is an important element of fashion. It’s the first thing we notice on someone’s outfit and it’s also the last thing we forget. What’s more – color can evoke emotions. It’s easy to express how we feel just by wearing a specific color. For instance, we know that wearing red suggests energy, power, and strength while blue suggests a more relaxed and calming vibe.

When it comes to outfit color matching, most men tend to be on the monochromatic side. Among their favorite colors are blue, black, and green, according to studies. But here’s the thing – you can wear just any color or combination of colors you want. But there are certain rules to follow to make your look stand out.

On this clothes color matching guide, learn the basics of how to match clothes and shoes for guys and what colors to wear together to look great and feel confident.

Let’s start with the men’s color combinations.

men's outfit

Monochromatic Look

The monochromatic look has been popular for many seasons now. It’s also a great choice for men who are not into loud color combinations. Traditionally, monochromatic is known as the “All black everything” look. But now, it can be any color you want. What’s great about this look is that even if you’re dressed down, you can look stylish, cool, and effortless.

Check out these tips to look good on a monochromatic outfit:

Try something new! Consider new neutral colors like burgundy and olive green aside from the traditional black or white.

Spice it up. Incorporate different tones or shades of your chosen color. You can also add textures and patterns to give more depth to your look.

Make sure to layer! The more layers your outfit have, the more you can make your look interesting. You can layer different lengths and styles of shirts. For example, a t-shirt underneath a button-down.

Base Colors

You can bring in different colors with the accessories you choose. However, your suit, pants, and shirt should serve as the basis of your color combinations. Many men have the same questions: What color shirt with blue pants? What color shirt with navy pants?

When it comes to shirt and pants color combinations, here are some important guidelines to consider:

Light shirts for dark pants. If you’re wearing a light color for your shirt, such as beige, baby pink, sky blue or white, choose a pair of pants that have a darker tone, such as chocolate, navy, camel, or electric.

Have the staples in your wardrobe. Khaki, black, cream, grey, and navy blue are versatile colors that pair well with different colors of shirts.

Dark shirts for lighter-toned pants. A purple shirt goes well with beige pants. So as a maroon shirt. You will also never go wrong with navy blue and white (ex. White jeans and dark denim shirt or navy button-down). This classic combo is sure to make you look gorgeous.

Color Combos that Won’t Disappoint

If you’re still learning how to mix and match colors in clothing, several combos will not fail you.

Classic color combos

Grey and black – the contrast and the complementary nature of this color combination is a winner.

Green and Khaki – these military colors have since flooded the fashion industry. It’s one of the best color combinations a man can rock.

Grey and Pink – this modern color combination will make you look edgy and stylish.

Black and White – the all-time classic. You can’t go wrong with this combo. Black and white are highly contrasting colors that make your look clean, sharp, and elegant.

Neutral colors

Combining colors is without a doubt, a little more complex now than it was decades ago. With so many color variations, shades and tones to choose from – learning how to match colors will overwhelm you. For a smooth start, you should make sure that your wardrobe contains neutral colors.

Navy blue and Brown

Does brown and navy blue match? Yes. It’s actually an excellent color combination. Wearing a belt especially a dark blue one and shoes will put this outfit together. Other colors that match with dark blue are solid red, grey, white, light blues, pine green, army green, and even neon colors. Soft pink also makes a wonderful match for navy blue while lighter shades of blue provide a gentle blend of similar tones.

color matching

Consider the Color Wheel

If you’re in doubt as to what colors to wear together, using the men’s fashion color wheel should help you decide. It’s comprised of basic colors – red, blue, and yellow – which are the basis for every other color you could imagine. To pull together an interesting look, here are some things you should know:

Associated colors

Associated colors are those that are adjacent to each other in the color wheel. Use them if you’re looking to achieve a monochromatic look.

Complementary colors

These colors are directly opposite each other in the wheel. Examples are: blue-green and red-orange, blue and orange, and green and red. Choose them if you want an attention-grabbing look.

Triadic colors

These are three colors apart from each other. Use them as a guide if you want to incorporate multiple colors in your look without going off balance.

men's shoes

Accessories

Choosing the right colors for your accessories should also help you pull together an amazing look.

Shoes

Let's choose men's best shoes for the situation. Black shoes match perfectly with grey, navy, or black pants. Tan shoes look great with clothes in lighter earth tones, as well as blue, beige, tan, and white. Burgundy shoes pair nicely with light brown, khaki, blue and grey. Your socks don’t have to match the color of your shoes but your belt has to.

Mixing and matching colors doesn’t have to be a pain. With these tips, you can make your look interesting.

Neckties

Choose the color similar to that of your shirt (lavender tie over a light blue shirt) or a complementary color for contrast (orange tie over a blue shirt).

Jewelry

Keep all the metals matching. If you’re wearing gold cuff links, don’t wear a silver watch. The only exception is if you’re wearing a wedding band. If you’re wearing colored jewelry, be sure that the colored stone matches the colors of the larger outfit.

Mariam Simmons

Mariam Simmons is a fashion enthusiast and Content Manager at Alpine Swiss. She loves traveling to the world’s top stylish destinations and gets inspired to create helpful fashion and lifestyle guides. With over a decade of writing experience, her main goal in creating content is to ensure readers learn something useful and provide value instead of noise.