We appreciate the work you do for yourself. That doesn't get said enough. You've learned all about male grooming. You've mastered some signature dishes in the kitchen. You may not live at the gym, but you're there enough that you aren't in the worst shape ever. You've done all of this while juggling a busy life. You're making progress. Go ahead and enjoy a little praise.
The self-improvement you're pursuing never ends, but some steps are easier to take than others. While men's fashion can be tricky, we have a hot tip that will help you master the trends for 2020. It's all about the blazer. When you learn these nine color combinations, you'll gain a deeper understanding of how the blazer can and should work. You can master a major facet of fashion just by spending a few minutes reading this post. Consider it an easy win.
How to Wear a Blazer
Before we get into your epic style recommendations, we should probably cover some basics. Most guys own a blazer. Most guys also don't really know how to wear it. When you were a growing lad, you probably received some advice on wearing a sports coat, and you probably overvalued it as a piece of formal wear. Let's correct a few notions.
A blazer is great for casual clothing. It's not gym shorts and a stained undershirt level of casual, but the idea is for you to look effortlessly stylish and attractive. Your blazer doesn't have to be part of a business suit. It can be more fun.
We'll give you plenty of ideas to help you achieve that effortless look, but there are a few tips that will help you beyond color combinations. First, your blazer shouldn't be a long coat. The idea is to stop around your thumb knuckle (referring to the hem of the jacket).
Unless you're cold, you can leave it unbuttoned. The casual blazer look should reveal some style underneath the jacket layer. Your shirts, sweaters, vests, ties, and other choices will be visible. It's part of the look, and it helps you portray whatever it is you're after.
Epic Combos to Show Off Your Style
That's enough preamble. Let's get into the style lesson. There are countless combos of blazers and pants that you can try. We can't even begin to list them all, but everything below is a sure knockout outfit. If you have any desire to appear sophisticated and stylish, these combos will show that you have taste and aren't just mindlessly following trends.
Blue on the Top, Party on the Bottom
We might be having a little too much fun with this. It's not a party on the bottom unless you think bold, white pants make for a party. The navy/white combo is a classic. Derived from military dress uniforms, it creates a clean look that is simultaneously masculine and semi-formal but without being over the top in either regard. If you're not ready to explore the many unique blazer styles out there, this is a great way to break into the look. It's great on everyone; you really can't go wrong, especially if you're going to be on a boat.
Khaki and Navy
Khaki and navy aren't the classic look that navy and white are known to create, but this variation is a modern style that's still pretty universal. You can go in either direction (as in the top or bottom can be navy and vice versa), but we favor the khaki blazer with navy pants. Maybe it's from wearing khaki pants for so many years that we just like the deviation.
There is a lot of solid color in this outfit. That makes it inferior for the beach (and you really shouldn't be wearing a blazer to the beach) but versatile for pretty much anywhere else. You can wear navy shorts with your blazer when you sail the seas. You can go for chino-style pants when you hit the club. The only limit is your creativity, and no matter how you do it, you're still rocking a classic.
Gray Wool and Navy
Gray wool and navy is similar to the khaki look, but it leans even heavier into the fall/winter aesthetic. As the days get darker, this is an excellent combo to transition into. As the colors get more muted, the aesthetic starts to gain formality. While this isn't sufficient for a black-tie affair, it is adequately business casual for anything shy of a Fortune 500 merger negotiation. It also looks great with a manicured beard.
You can trade the slacks for blue jeans for a bonus variation, but make sure they're dark. And the formality goes out the window with this move. If you are going to work jeans into your blazer ensembles, you might benefit from spending a few minutes learning about styling sneakers.
All Gray
We're stepping away from tradition here. The all-gray blazer combo is not a suit. You must understand this concept. All of these combos are about color contrast, and considering how grays work, you can get a poppin' contrast out of a light and dark gray.
While you can try this in both directions, we recommend starting with a light blazer and dark pants.
This look screams business casual. It's ideal for a lunch meeting with a client — that kind of thing.
All Blue
Like the gray look, you want a contrast with your blues, but the cool thing about the blue variation is that you don't need nearly as strong a contrast between your colors. The blues should be distinct enough that they don't clash, but the idea is to switch the focus from the blazer and pants to your shirt. It's going to provide a stark contrast. While it should still be in the blue family, you want it to stand out from the rest of the ensemble. If you wear a tie (and know-how a tie should look), it needs to match the blazer.
Gray and Brown
A light blazer with dark pants will always turn heads and catch eyes. You can wear this to a dinner party (that isn't entirely formal). Any classy situation is served with this look. When you need to be ultra snazzy, you can match it with a vest and a tie.
You might not think that gray and brown are essential for a refined look, but the combo just works. Seeing someone in this combo would probably give you the impression that they graduated from Harvard business school or something.
Brown Wool With Navy
Brown wool with navy is a casual take on the blazer and pants, but it still looks sleek despite being casual. This look favors jeans over slacks (but navy-colored jeans, not acid washed). The outfit will make you look smart and intellectual, and it seems incredibly appropriate in cold weather. You can picture leaves falling around you when you see yourself in the mirror.
For anyone feeling truly experimental, this is not one of the combos that work in both directions. You know what? Go ahead and try on some wool pants. If you have the grit to keep them on, you feel free to wear whatever you want. We bet that even your anti-chafing boxers won't be enough to save you.
The Matched Suit
Suits are common, and that's not what we're focusing on today. We're looking for epic combinations. So, in this case, you're going to match your blazer and pants, but you're going to pick an expressive color. Forest green, baby blue, purple, and anything else that gets out of the standard colors and will catch attention is your goal. You can work on the vest, tie, and accessories to really have fun with your show-stopping blazer combo.
Keep in mind that this isn't a tailored suit. You're not using your blazer to make a formal suit combo. Instead, you're taking the idea of matching your pants and jacket to take a different tactic on blazer fashion. The fit should still be blazer casual — which mostly means you have room for a sweater under the coat if you need it.
Gray and Black
In concept, this isn't all that different from your gray-on-gray combination. In application, it will feel completely different. The reason is that you're dialing the contrast up to 11. You're going to get a gray jacket with black slacks. They don't have to be pitch black. Something in the charcoal range will work well, but your gray will be in the lighter half of options. You're going to match the tie to the pants, so you get two points of contrast. Naturally, this will require a light shirt — and the shirt should be even lighter than the jacket (white is acceptable).
This is an ultra-modern look. Think about a brand-new million-dollar kitchen in a New York skyrise. It's the men's blazer version of that same look.
That's all nine of our epic combinations. You can certainly deviate from these recommendations and come up with some amazing combos of your own. Still, until you're comfortable doing so, there's enough variety in here to keep your clothing from ever going stale.
10.28.20
Share
Related Articles
