I’ve heard that pants should always be darker than the shirt. Is this true?
Community Answers
282
3-30-12
Geoffrey says:
It’s good general advice but not a hard-and-fast rule. You usually want your shirt to be lighter than your trousers because that encourages people’s eyes to go naturally from your lower body upward, and that makes their gaze move easily up to your face (where you want it).
That said, there’s plenty of reasons you might wear a shirt darker than your trousers. The most common example would probably be a light-colored suit with a darker shirt, or a pair of khakis with a light blazer and a dark shirt. A tie that stands out against the dark background is usually a good idea in these cases, since it helps pull that viewer’s gaze on upward.
So while you want to avoid outfits like light trousers with a black shirt and no other items/accessories, it isn’t necessarily a fixed rule that the shirt has to be lighter than the trousers.
Tan pants with a darker shirt and a blue blazer is a very standard look for me.
I’m seeing that white pants are making a big appearance this spring as we head into Easter. There’s nothing lighter than that! They go especially nice with pastel shirts.
It’s good general advice but not a hard-and-fast rule. You usually want your shirt to be lighter than your trousers because that encourages people’s eyes to go naturally from your lower body upward, and that makes their gaze move easily up to your face (where you want it).
That said, there’s plenty of reasons you might wear a shirt darker than your trousers. The most common example would probably be a light-colored suit with a darker shirt, or a pair of khakis with a light blazer and a dark shirt. A tie that stands out against the dark background is usually a good idea in these cases, since it helps pull that viewer’s gaze on upward.
So while you want to avoid outfits like light trousers with a black shirt and no other items/accessories, it isn’t necessarily a fixed rule that the shirt has to be lighter than the trousers.
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LikeDislikeTan pants with a darker shirt and a blue blazer is a very standard look for me.
I’m seeing that white pants are making a big appearance this spring as we head into Easter. There’s nothing lighter than that! They go especially nice with pastel shirts.
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