How To Wear Grey Blazers With Blue Shirts (Outfits, Tips)

Grey is a neutral color that’s generally easy to coordinate. But the question is, can you really wear a grey blazer over a blue shirt? 

Grey blazers can easily be worn over blue shirts in a variety of different settings. Dark grey blazers and light blue shirts are more appropriate in business-casual settings, while light grey blazers and dark blue shirts are better suited to smart-casual events. 

That may be the gist, but you’re likely going to need a whole lot more. 

You’ll first see a few outfit examples you can try out for yourself. Then, we’ll go through some essential tips for perfecting the combination each and every time. 

Let’s get to it. 

3 Grey Blazer And Blue Shirt Outfits To Inspire You

We’ll go from the dressiest way to wear the pairing to the most casual way. 

Enjoy. 

Dressy

Items: Charcoal Grey Blazer, Light Blue Dress Shirt, Navy Blue Dress Pants, Dark Brown Derby Shoes

The darker the shade of the grey blazer, the more formal and dressy it’ll look. Charcoal grey is a good example. 

It’s so dark that it’s perfectly suited to dressy smart-casual and even business-casual settings. 

When it comes to the blue shirt, the lighter the color, the more formal and “professional” it’s likely to look. 

So, in the example above, we’ve gone for a charcoal grey blazer and a light blue dress shirt. 

We’ve combined the two items with a pair of navy blue dress pants. 

The dark blue pants blend seamlessly into the light blue shirt, creating a great sense of balance. 

Round things up with a pair of dark brown dress shoes such as the Derby shoes we’ve gone for here. 

While you could go for black shoes, the brown adds a nice touch of contrast to the outfit and adds another color to the mix. 

More Casual

Items: Light Grey Blazer, Navy Blue Dress Shirt, Tan Chinos, Brown Suede Derby Shoes 

As you can see, going for a blazer in a lighter shade of grey will immediately make the combination look a whole lot more casual. 

In much the same way, a dark blue shirt such as the navy dress shirt we’ve gone for here, makes it look a notch more casual still. 

We’ve also gone for a more casual pants style and color. 

Instead of the dress pants you saw in the previous example, we’ve chosen a pair of tan chinos. 

You could easily go for chinos in a similarly light and near-neutral color such as khaki, cream, or light taupe instead. 

Ultimately, these chino colors are versatile and ideal for smart-casual settings where dress pants might be too much but jeans wouldn’t be enough. 

Finally, finish up the outfit by popping on a pair of brown suede Derby shoes. 

Most Casual

Items: Light Grey Blazer (Unstructured), Blue T-Shirt, Black Jeans, All-White Leather Low-Top Sneakers 

This light grey blazer looks even more casual than the one in the previous example, simply because it’s less structured and will most likely have a more relaxed fit and silhouette. 

Wearing one over a blue T-shirt is a good way to really embrace the casual aesthetic. As you’d expect, it looks way more casual than going for a button-up. 

But it works in the right setting. 

The rough and rugged texture of the black jeans makes it even more clear that you’re dressing down. 

What’s great about this combination is that you’ve gone for thoroughly neutral colors for your blazer and jeans (grey and black), but added a pop of color to the outfit in the form of the blue T-shirt. 

Round things up with a pair of all-white leather low-top sneakers. 

I like to call these “dress sneakers”, simply because they’re versatile enough to wear with relatively dressy items like blazers without looking awkward. 

5 Tips For Wearing A Grey Blazer With A Blue Shirt

Consider all of these tips before putting your outfit together. 

Make Sure It’s Appropriate For The Dress Code

Remember, a grey blazer and blue shirt combination should never be worn in truly formal settings where a full 2-piece suit would usually be required at a minimum. 

Instead, reserve it for business-casual and smart-casual events and occasions. 

As you saw from the outfit examples above, there are several different ways of wearing it, with some being dressier than others. 

But no matter how dressy the combination may come across, an unmatched blazer and pants pairing would never look dressy enough to wear in truly formal settings.

Consider The Style And Color Of The Blue Shirt

When wearing a grey blazer, a light blue shirt will always come across as dressier and more “formal” than a dark blue shirt. 

Light blue shirts are often considered acceptable in the workplace. 

As a result, they tend to come across as “professional” and dressy, although not quite as much as a white button-up shirt would. 

In contrast, dark blue shirts (eg. navy) have more of a casual and social look to them. 

If you feel as though there’s a risk of underdressing, the lighter the shade of your blue shirt, the better. 

It’s also worth considering the style of the blue shirt you’re wearing. 

Ultimately, you can wear a wide variety of different styles of blue shirt under your grey blazer, with some inevitably looking dressier and others more casual.

When attending a business-casual setting, blue dress shirts in 100% cotton, broadcloth, or poplin would be good options. 

In smart-casual settings, you’ve got a much wider range of shirt styles you could potentially choose from. 

In dressier smart-casual settings, you could consider wearing a blue OCBD, linen, or chambray shirt under the grey blazer. 

In more casual smart-casual settings, you could even wear a blue polo, Henley, or T-shirt under the grey blazer. 

Consider The Style And Fit Of The Grey Blazer

The dress code should also be considered when deciding what style of grey blazer you wear. The main factors to take into account would be the fit, the color, and the fabric. 

As mentioned earlier, the darker the shade of the grey blazer, the dressier it’ll look. Dark grey blazers are perfect in business-casual settings. 

Light grey blazers are better suited to smart-casual events and occasions. 

Grey blazers with a more structured appearance will also look dressier and more formal. These will generally have heavier shoulder padding, heavier shoulder padding, and a more tapered silhouette. 

More casual-looking blazers tend to have a more relaxed fit and less structure. They’ll typically have less shoulder padding and a lighter lining. 

The fabric of the grey blazer is also worth considering. 

Those made from a shinier and more wrinkle-resistant fabric such as worsted wool will generally look more formal. 

Those made from a more rough, rugged, or wrinkled fabric/weave such as tweed, serge, flannel, or linen will generally look more casual. 

Ultimately, any of these grey blazer styles could potentially be worn over your blue shirt. It’s just important to consider the dress code and the setting when choosing each of these items. 

Add Contrast With The Pants (If You Want To)

When it comes to choosing pants to wear with your grey blazer and blue shirt, you could choose to go for a high-contrast or a low-contrast combination. 

A high-contrast combination would be one where the brightness of the items you’re wearing up top is very different from your pants. 

High-contrast combos are more striking and eye-catching. 

An example would be a dark grey blazer, a blue shirt, and a pair of cream chinos. 

On the other hand, a low-contrast combination would be where the brightness levels between the two halves are more similar. 

For example, a light grey blazer, light blue shirt, and the same cream chinos. 

Consider how much contrast you want. 

If you’d prefer a more understated and subtle look, go for a low-contrast combination. 

Alternatively, if you’d prefer a bolder and more striking aesthetic, consider a high-contrast combination instead. 

It’s worth bearing in mind that high-contrast combinations tend to look more casual.

In business-professional settings, a dark, low-contrast combination (i.e a dark grey blazer + dark and neutral pants) would be ideal. 

Brown Dress Shoes Often Work Best

Both brown and black dress shoes work exceptionally well when wearing a grey blazer and a blue shirt. 

Note that black dress shoes will always look dressier and would be more appropriate if you feel as though there’s a risk of underdressing. 

However, dark brown dress shoes make for a good alternative to black ones and would be suitable for most business-casual settings. 

They also have the benefit of adding a bit of contrast and color to the outfit as a whole. 

Dress shoes in lighter shades of brown (eg. tan or caramel) are more suitable for smart-casual settings where there’s less of a risk of underdressing. 

They’ll always look more casual than darker alternatives. 

When you’re really dressing down with a grey blazer and blue T-shirt, for example, consider a pair of sneakers. 

However, avoid sneakers that simply look too casual to wear with a blazer. You don’t want a formality mismatch. 

Bulky and athletic-looking sneakers with heavy branding and bold colors often look awkward and out of place when wearing a relatively dressy grey blazer. 

Instead, consider a pair of “dress sneakers” – leather low-tops in either all-white or all-black. 

The sleek and minimalist silhouette gives these sneakers a more “formal” appearance and makes them look more appropriate when wearing a blazer of any variety.