When it comes to adding a touch of sophistication to an outfit, the blue blazer often becomes a go-to item. The question is, however, can you wear a blue blazer with grey pants?
A blue blazer can be worn with grey pants in business-casual and smart-casual settings. Navy blue blazers and charcoal grey dress pants work especially well for dressy events, while lighter shades are appropriate in more casual settings.
As always, there’s more to it.
After going through a few classic outfit ideas for this combination, we’ll go through some tips for making it look fantastic, each and every time.
Let’s get to it.
3 Blue Blazer And Grey Pants Outfits
We’re going from most dressy to most casual so you can see just how versatile this combo really is.
Dressy
Items – Navy Blue Blazer, Charcoal Dress Pants, White Dress Shirt, Burgundy Necktie, Dark Brown Derby Shoes
This is about as dressy as you can get with a blue blazer and grey pants.
Ultimately, you’ll want to choose dark shades to really up the formality level. Navy/midnight blue and charcoal grey work wonders.
The darker the items, the dressier they’ll come across.
A white dress shirt would be your best option here, especially when there’s any risk of underdressing.
If you were wearing a necktie, use this as an opportunity to add a splash of color to your outfit.
Having said that, keeping the tie color dark and muted is a good idea.
Consider a burgundy or forest green necktie.
Finally, while you could go for a pair of black Oxford shoes here, they’re often a little too formal for a blazer and pants combo. Reserve them for 2-piece suits instead.
A better option would be a pair of dark brown Derby shoes. They’re dressy but not ultra-dressy.
More Casual
Items – Blue Blazer, White Chambray Shirt/Turtleneck Sweater, Medium Grey Dress Pants Or Chinos, Dark Blue Suede Derby Shoes
Here, you’re letting loose a little.
This doesn’t necessarily have to be done by choosing different color combinations.
Instead, simply go for more casual items.
For example, instead of a white dress shirt, go for a white OCBD, linen, or chambray shirt.
During the colder months, consider a turtleneck sweater instead. It often looks great worn under blazers.
When it comes to the shoes, suede looks great when it comes to smart-casual dress codes.
While you could go for a traditional brown, consider a more lively and vibrant pair of blue suede shoes if you felt like making more of a statement.
Most Casual
Items – Light Blue Blazer, White T-Shirt, Grey Chinos/Jeans, White Sneakers
Here’s an example of how you can dress down a blazer and pants combination by choosing lighter colors and more casual blazer/pants styles.
Lighter colors (i.e light blue and light grey) will always look more casual than darker ones. Here we’ve gone for a teal blue blazer.
Consider a casual blazer fabric such as linen, tweed, or serge.
The blazer over T-shirt look is extremely popular and with good reason. Even a light blue blazer can really up the formality level of a casual outfit.
When it comes to the grey pants, go for a pair of chinos or jeans. Cargo pants would usually be a notch too casual and would lead to a formality mismatch with the blazer.
Blazers and cargo pants just don’t go well together.
Finally, a minimalist pair of leather all-white low-top sneakers would be a great way to round things off.
5 Tips For Wearing A Blue Blazer And Grey Pants
Here are some essential tips to consider before putting your outfit together.
Make Sure It’s Appropriate
A blue blazer and grey pants combination should only be worn in business-casual and smart-casual settings. Don’t wear it in formal settings where a 2-piece suit would be required.
As you can see from the outfit examples above, it’s possible to dress up a blazer and pants combo and make it look pretty sophisticated.
However, it won’t ever be as formal as a 2-piece suit no matter how dark the shades of blue and grey were.
If a dress code is clearly “formal” avoid this combo and go for a suit instead.
If, on the other hand, the dress code was business-casual or smart-casual, this may be the perfect pair of items.
Blue and grey work incredibly well together.
Consider The Shade Of Grey Pants
When wearing a blue blazer, dark grey pants would be a better option if you were looking to dress up. They’re ideal for dressy settings. In contrast, light grey pants have a more casual vibe and aesthetic to them.
Having said that, a pair of light grey pants would still be considered acceptable in the more casual of business-casual environments.
It really depends on how much of a risk of underdressing there is. Ultimately, grey is a very neutral color that’s easy to wear in most dressy environments regardless of the shade.
But if you wanted to be cautious, go for a pair of dark grey pants (eg. charcoal).
When dressing more casually, you’ve got the option of going for a more casual style of grey pants such as jeans or chinos.
When dressing up, however, go for a pair of grey dress pants with your blue blazer.
Consider The Fabrics And Weaves
A blue blazer can look very different depending on what fabric it’s made from or how it’s woven. The same goes for the grey pants.
Put simply, the shinier and more wrinkle-resistant the blazer fabric is, the more formal it’ll look.
A blue worsted wool blazer will have a noticeable sheen and will also not wrinkle very easily at all.
These are formal features and would be beneficial when you were looking to wear a dressy blazer and pants combination.
But if you were dressing down and wearing your blue blazer over a white T-shirt, for example, consider going for a more casual blazer fabric.
After all, a shiny blue worsted wool blazer worn over a T-shirt is likely to look a little awkward due to the formality mismatch.
Instead, go for a more rugged/wrinkly fabric such as linen, tweed, chino cloth, serge, or flannel.
Neutral Vs Non-Neutral Shirt Colors
White, blue, pink, and black shirts look great when wearing a blue blazer with grey pants. The one you choose should be determined by the dress code.
As mentioned earlier, white shirts are the easiest to wear here, simply because they’ll always be dressy enough for the occasion.
There’s absolutely no risk of underdressing.
In more “business-casual” environments, a light blue or even light pink dress shirt could be a reasonable alternative.
When dressing your blazer combo down, you’ve got plenty of other options when it comes to the shirt color (and style).
Black shirts look great, simply because a blue, grey, and black combination often looks so effortlessly sophisticated.
It’s a great option when attending a dressy evening social setting.
Black Or Brown Shoes
Black or brown shoes would be the best option when wearing a blue blazer and grey pants, simply because they’re so easy to coordinate.
If you were looking to make more of a statement, however, consider a pair of navy or burgundy suede shoes instead.
This would really only be appropriate in casual or smart-casual settings, but it can be a great way to stand out.
A pair of sneakers would work well if the setting was casual enough to allow for it. In addition, the style of the blue blazer needs to be casual enough for the sneakers to make sense.
A worsted wool blue blazer worn with a pair of sneakers would rarely ever look good – the formality mismatch would be obvious.
On the other hand, a blue linen blazer with its laid-back wrinkles would often look great with a pair of sneakers.
But try to choose sneakers that look relatively dressy. All-white leather sneakers are always a good option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s finish up with a couple of FAQs.
Can You Wear A Blue Blazer And Grey Pants To A Wedding?
A blue blazer and grey pants can be worn to weddings with smart-casual dress codes. The combination shouldn’t be worn to formal weddings where a 2-piece suit should be worn instead.
It’s important not to underdress. If you feel as though there’s even a slight chance a blazer and pants combination wouldn’t be appropriate, wear a suit instead.
But for weddings with a clearly specified casual or smart-casual dress code, a blue blazer and grey pants outfit can look great.
Be sure to wear a white dress shirt and consider wearing a subtle, yet colorful pocket square for the celebratory occasion.
Can You Wear A Grey Blazer And Black Pants With A Sweater
A sweater can be worn under a grey blazer when wearing black pants. Turtleneck sweaters, in particular, work very effectively here.
No matter what style of sweater you choose, try to stick to neutral colors such as white, beige, or tan.
Conclusion
It’s a combination that’s easy to pull off, but sometimes tricky to make stand out. Hopefully, you’ve now seen several ways of doing just that.
Consider the dress code when deciding what style of blue blazer and grey pants would work best, in addition to what other items to wear them with.
Enjoy.
Ready Sleek founder. Obsessed with casual style and the minimalist approach to building a highly functional wardrobe. Also a fan of classic, vintage hairstyles.
