It’s one of the most versatile items you could own, but color-matching it can sometimes be tricky. So, what color pants could you wear with a blue blazer?
A blue blazer can be worn with pants in a different shade of blue for a monochromatic look. Alternatively, it could be worn with black, grey, or white pants for a neutral combination. For more contrast, consider maroon or green pants instead.
That’s the short answer, but as always – there’s more to it.
First, we’ll go through the main points to consider when matching pants with blue blazers. Then, we’ll run through some great combos you could try out for yourself (with pics).
Let’s get to it.
Color Matching Pants With Blue Blazers: Guidelines
Sticking to these should help you get the best results every time.
1. Go For Some Contrast (Light Vs Dark)
Try to achieve some contrast between the blue blazer and the pants. If you’ve gone for a light blue blazer, consider pants in a dark color. In contrast, if you’ve gone for a dark blue blazer, consider pants in a light color.
It’s no secret that “blue” can refer to a variety of different shades ranging from very light (eg. sky blue) to very dark (eg. navy or indigo blue).
This is important because it might influence the color of the pants you wear with them.
Getting some contrast between light and dark is a great way to add balance to an outfit.
Examples:
A sky blue blazer with charcoal grey pants.
A navy blue blazer with light grey pants.
2. Choose Colors That Are Different Enough
Choosing pants in a similar color and shade to that of the blue blazer is a bad idea when the two haven’t come as part of a 2-piece suit.
In other words, a random blue blazer and a random blue pair of pants that haven’t been made from the same roll of fabric (eg. a suit) but happen to look a similar color.
This risks the outfit looking like a poorly-coordinated suit. Even though the shades might be similar, the different textures of the blazer and pants will make it clear that it isn’t a suit.
So, try to make sure that the blue blazer and pants are different enough in shade.
If you do go for a blue blazer and blue pants combo (as we’ll see later on), choose shades of blue that are clearly different.
3. Use The Color Wheel
The color wheel is a tool that comes in useful whenever you’re color-coordinating clothes.
It’s often overcomplicated, however. This is all you need to know:
- It shows the relationship between colors.
- It can be split into two halves – “cool” colors and “warm” colors.
- Cool colors include greens, purples, and blues.
- Warm colors include reds, yellows, and oranges.
- Pairing colors that are close to each other on the color wheel will lead to less contrast, while pairing those further away from each other will lead to more contrast.
Knowing that a blue blazer would usually be considered a “cool” color would help us color match it with pants.
Having said that, do remember that dark and muted shades of blue (eg. navy) are sometimes considered neutral.
4 Blue Blazer And Pants Combinations
Here are some great blue blazer and pants combos to consider. Notice how the first couple are more “formal” looking than the others.
Monochromatic and neutral color schemes generally look more formal, while incorporating mixes of cool and warm colors tends to look more casual.
Monochromatic
Example: Dark Blue Blazer With Light Blue Pants
A monochromatic color scheme could be one where the items are of different shades of the same color.
For example, a dark blue blazer (eg. navy, indigo, or admiral) paired with light blue pants (eg. baby blue or sky blue).
If you wanted to, you could go for the opposite instead – eg. a light blue blazer paired with dark blue pants.
Both combos would be considered monochromatic.
It’s great because it’s incredibly easy. You don’t really need to put much thought into coordinating a monochromatic blazer and pants outfit.
Just choose items in shades of the same color and you’re good to go.
Monochromatic combos tend to look more formal and could be a good option if you’re attending a business-casual event.
It wouldn’t ever be a substitute for a 2-piece suit, however. Just something to bear in mind.
Blue Blazer With Neutral Pants
Examples: Blue Blazer With Black, Grey, Cream, Or White Pants
“Neutral” colors don’t appear anywhere on the color wheel. They’re great because they blend into the background and can be worn with any other color.
The classic neutrals are black, white, and grey. However, the definition can be extended (loosely) to include cream, off-white, beige, some shades of brown, and navy blue.
The main point is that they’re muted, subtle, and easy to coordinate.
A blazer in any shade of blue could be easily combined with pants in a neutral color – the result is likely to be great.
It won’t look quite as dressy as a monochromatic color scheme, but would still look perfectly acceptable in a business-casual setting.
It shouldn’t be worn in truly formal settings in any case, as a 2-piece suit would be necessary.
Blue Blazer With Warm-Colored Pants
Example: Blue Blazer With Maroon Pants
Referring back to the color wheel you’ll notice how blue is a “cool” color. Now, take a look at the “warm” colors on the opposite half of the wheel.
You’ve got reds, oranges, and yellows to potentially pair with the blue blazer. The result would be high-contrast, eye-catching, and pretty casual-looking.
However, even the more fashion-forward adventurers would probably struggle in bright and bold shades of these colors.
Instead, consider pants in a dark and muted shade of one of these colors to make it easier to pair with the blue blazer.
You want it to be eye-catching, but not overbearing or too in-your-face.
Red is a warm color – maroon is a dark and muted shade that falls within the spectrum.
Yellow is a warm color – khaki is a yellowish shade of brown that would be easy to pair with any blue blazer you can think of.
Blue Blazer With Cool-Colored Pants
Example: Blue Blazer With Green Pants
Pairing “cool” colored items with other “cool” colored items is easier than pairing a cool item with a warm item.
It requires less thought because the colors are close to each other on the color wheel.
As you can see on the color wheel, cool colors include blues, greens, and purples.
Green pants work especially well with blue blazers, especially shades of green that are pretty muted, to begin with.
Olive green and sage green pants work especially well.
Pairing two cool colors like this looks great during those fall and winter months. They have a laid-back and relaxed feel to them, unlike warm colors which tend to look more vibrant.
However, it won’t ever look as formal as a monochromatic or neutral color scheme.
Reserve this combination for smart-casual settings and nothing more formal than that. In general, avoid it in business-casual and formal settings.
Blue Blazer With Complimentary Pants
Example: Blue Blazer With Orange Pants
This combination won’t be for everyone but would be an option if you were looking for a very high-contrast look.
“Complimentary” colors are directly opposite each other on the color wheel.
This means the pairing is about as high-contrast as it gets. But it works.
Blue lies opposite orange on the color wheel and the two colors are considered complimentary as a result.
Wearing a blue blazer with orange pants is going to be incredibly attention-grabbing and will look very casual because of this.
In fact, it’ll be the most casual combination on this list.
Overall, if you were looking for a combo that’ll turn some heads, this may be the one to do it.
If you wanted a more subtle aesthetic, however, go for one of the earlier blue blazer combinations on this list.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are plenty of pants colors that would work with a blue blazer. The one you choose really depends on the dress code and the amount of contrast you want.
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.
