What Color Shirt Goes With Navy Pants? (Outfit Ideas)

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Navy pants are a wardrobe staple, versatile for almost any occasion. Finding the perfect shirt color can be challenging without a solid understanding of men’s style color basics. So what color shirt goes with navy pants?

The navy color pairs well with various shades. To simplify your decision, I’ve selected nine shades that, in my opinion, complement navy trousers beautifully.

What Color Shirt Goes With Navy Pants?

The shirt colors that best complement navy pants are grey, blue, navy, white, burgundy, pink, green, purple, and orange.

Whether your navy pants are darker or lighter, they still pair well with a wide range of shirt colors. Let’s take a closer look at each shirt color individually and find out what color shirt goes with navy pants.

Navy Pants With Grey Shirt

Although pairing a grey shirt with navy pants is deemed conservative by many, I find it to be a stylish and safe choice. The combination, particularly with a light grey shirt, can look exceptionally good.

Read: What Color Shoes With A Navy Suit?

While a dark grey shirt pairs well with navy trousers, a light grey one offers a nice contrast, especially when worn with a navy blazer. This versatile combination is suitable for any occasion, ensuring you’re never out of place.

I love the concept of enhancing this ensemble with grey dress shoes, a watch, and a belt. Adding a burgundy tie brings a touch of boldness. A grey shirt complements medium, olive, or black skin tones.

Navy Pants With Blue Shirt

The classic and obvious choice for pairing with navy pants is a light blue shirt. Their similar color orientation creates a balanced contrast between the shirt and the slacks. If you prefer, you can also pair a light blue shirt with grey pants, so you have options here.

Shades of blue, whether royal or darker tones complement navy pants beautifully. However, a light blue shirt is the most popular choice for various occasions, from business professional to smart casual, although it might not be my first pick for formal gatherings.

Enhance your navy pants and blue shirt ensemble by incorporating a navy-patterned tie, matching the shades of blue. This detail adds a sophisticated touch to the entire outfit. One of the best options with navy pants is dark brown shoes and add a belt for refinement.

Navy Pants With Navy Shirt

For a slimming effect, consider a monochromatic look with a navy shirt and slacks. My advice is for you to opt for a slightly different shade of navy to introduce subtle contrast even if barely noticeable. Check other color pants that look well with a navy shirt.

A complete monochromatic look isn’t my preference. The beauty of a monochromatic outfit lies in the opportunity to infuse color through footwear and accessories. Opt for dark brown or burgundy dress shoes and belts to add a touch of sophistication. Consider a burgundy tie with your navy shirt to make a stylish statement.

Navy is universally flattering for various skin tones and suitable for a wide range of events, making it a safe choice when pairing navy shirts with navy pants.

Navy Pants With White Shirt

A timeless combination in men’s fashion is pairing navy pants with a white shirt. It’s foolproof, as white complements any shade of navy, creating a sharp contrast that always looks good.

A white shirt with navy pants is versatile for any event, from super formal to super casual. You can embrace a full monochromatic look with navy shoes and accessories. A navy tie complements the navy suit and white shirt ensemble, while brown shoes and a belt are also a great choice.

Avoid a white shirt if you have a pale or fair skin tone, as it can be too light for optimal contrast. However, if you have a brown or black skin tone, a white shirt is an excellent choice with your navy slacks.

Navy Pants With Burgundy Shirt

A burgundy shirt is one of my favorite choices for pairing with navy pants, benefitting from the complementary nature of red and blue. Within the red family, burgundy offers a perfect match, delivering a sophisticated and polished look.

I tend to wear this combination more during fall and winter, as both burgundy and navy are dark colors. While I wouldn’t dismiss a red shirt with navy pants for a super casual occasion, I find burgundy to be a better fit. Pair it with burgundy dress shoes and a belt, or opt for a grey or navy tie.

Navy Pants With Pink Shirt

Although some may have considered pink a feminine color in the past, those days are long gone. A pink shirt is now recognized as one of the best colors to pair with navy pants, and different shades of pink can complement your navy trousers beautifully.

As navy is a dark color, a light pink shirt offers better contrast, but you can also opt for a more vivid pink and still look your best. Consider the occasion when deciding the shade of pink to wear with your navy pants. A light pink shirt with navy trousers can be great for a business casual meeting, but a vivid pink shirt is not (more casual).

Pink complements all skin tones when you choose the right shade. Opt for light pink if you have dark skin tones, and darker shades if you have lighter skin tones. A light pink shirt with navy pants looks great, especially for those with brown skin.

Navy Pants With Green Shirt

Green, being an analogous color to blue, makes pairing a green shirt with navy pants an excellent choice. The shade of green matters less, as they all complement the navy well. For added contrast, consider opting for a light green shirt in your navy trousers.

I also enjoy pairing green shades such as olive, sage, forest, or army green with navy pants, with a particular fondness for the elegant look of a forest green shirt. Opt for darker greens in winter and lighter greens in summer to suit the season.

I’d maintain the entire outfit monochromatic with a navy tie, belt, and dress shoes, although brown shoes and a belt are also an option. Keep in mind that the darker your green shirt, the less monochromatic you may want your overall outfit to be.

Navy Pants With Purple Shirt

Purple, being another analogous color to blue, offers an elegant pairing with navy pants, regardless of the shade. While all shades work well, opting for a light purple shirt with navy pants enhances the contrast for a polished look.

A darker purple shirt pairs well with royal navy pants, while a lighter purple shade complements dark navy. Other shades such as lilac, lavender, and violet also make excellent choices for pairing with navy pants.

Navy Pants With Orange Shirt

While not the most common choice in a men’s wardrobe, an orange shirt can be a standout option. Orange, being the complementary color of blue, pairs exceptionally well with navy pants.

Although any shades of orange complement navy well, a light orange shirt is a preferred choice over a vivid one unless you’re aiming to make a bold statement and draw all the attention to yourself.

I’d reserve wearing an orange shirt with navy pants for super casual events, such as a close friend’s summer night birthday. For a wedding, it’s best to consult with the bride, as this bold choice could potentially steal the spotlight.

How To Match A Shirt With Navy Pants?

When picking a shirt to pair with your navy pants, it’s important to consider factors like color coordination, contrast, the use of patterns, how the shirt complements your skin tone, and dressing appropriately for the specific occasion.

Colors

When deciding on the ideal shirt color to complement your navy slacks, it’s helpful to consider the analogous colors of navy, which are the colors adjacent to blue on the color wheel and share similar undertones, creating a harmonious effect, making green or purple shirts great options in this context.

Orange is the complementary color of blue, providing the highest level of contrast as they sit opposite each other on the color wheel. You can also create a monochromatic look with different shades of navy in your shirt and pants.

Contrast And Patterns

Many men, myself included, often seek contrast by pairing navy pants with a shirt of either light or dark color, choosing a dark color shirt for light navy pants and a light color shirt for dark navy pants, creating a visually striking and balanced ensemble.

When opting for a patterned shirt with your navy pants, it’s essential to pair it with plain pants, and vice versa, if you’re wearing patterned navy pants, opt for a non-patterned shirt to maintain a balanced ensemble. Also, if your navy patterned pants include a shade like green, a plain green dress shirt would emphasize the color connection within your outfit.

Skin Tone

When selecting a shirt to pair with your navy trousers, it’s crucial to consider not only the best color combinations for your overall look but also how the chosen colors harmonize with your skin tone, as the right colors can accentuate your natural features and complement your undertone, ultimately enhancing your appearance.

No need to worry if your skin tone doesn’t precisely match the ones in the image. You can simply choose the skin tone that you feel is most compatible with yours and select the colors that you believe look best (ensure that those colors look good with your navy pants).

Dress For The Occasion

Navy pants are versatile and suitable for any occasion, from formal events to casual gatherings. The key is to choose the right color shirt that complements the navy pants for the specific event.

Common Questions

Can I Wear A Black Shirt With Navy Pants?

Wearing navy pants with a black shirt can be a personal choice, with some finding it appealing and others disagreeing. Personally, I’m not a fan of this combination due to the minimal contrast, especially when both the navy pants and black shirt are dark.

What Color Shoes With Navy Pants?

The top four shoe colors to pair with navy pants are brown, navy, burgundy, and grey. Personally, I find the combination of navy pants with dark brown shoes to be my favorite as they complement each other exceptionally well.