7 Shirt Colors To Wear With Blue Pants And Brown Shoes

The range of colors you could potentially wear with this pants and shoe combination is very diverse.

Here’s a list of great shirt colors you could wear with blue pants and brown shoes: 

• White
• Black
• Grey
• Pink
• Blue
• Red
• Green

While any of these would work exceptionally well, the one you choose does depend on your preferences, the dress code, and maybe even the season. 

You’re about to learn about all of them in more detail. 

7 Shirt Colors For Blue Pants And Brown Shoes

When wearing blue pants and brown shoes, some of these shirt color options will look dressier than others. 

In general, the more neutral the shirt color, the “dressier” it’ll come across. 

Bear that in mind as we run through them. 

Enjoy. 

White Shirt

A white shirt can be worn with blue pants with brown shoes in a wide variety of settings. The combination would be appropriate for formal, business-casual, and smart-casual events.

The darker the shade of the blue pants, the dressier the combo would come across. Navy or midnight blue are the best options here. 

If you were dressing down, pants in light or medium blue would be just as appropriate. 

Regardless of the shade of the blue pants, however, a white shirt and pair of brown shoes would always look great. 

White shirts give you the benefit of versatility. 

As long as you choose the right shirt style, a white shirt, blue pants, and brown shoe combination can be worn for any dress code you can think of. 

Here’s a summary: 

• Formal – White dress shirt, navy blue dress pants, dark brown Oxford shoes
• Business-Professional – White dress shirt, navy blue dress pants, dark brown Oxford, Derby, or monk strap shoes
• Business-Casual – White OCBD shirt, medium blue chinos, tan brown Derby shoes 
• Smart-Casual – White linen or polo shirt, medium blue jeans, suede brown monk straps or loafers

Black Shirt

Black shirts can easily be worn with blue pants and brown shoes in smart-casual settings. The combination works especially well for dressy evening social events. 

Avoid the combination in formal or business-casual settings – a black shirt would usually come across as too casual. 

The same goes for business-professional settings – a black shirt and blue pants would rarely ever be welcome. 

Black shirts generally work best with dark blue pants such as navy. The dark tones of the shirt pair well with those of the pants. 

The same goes for the shoes. Dark brown shoes just tend to work better and sync well with the dark aesthetic as a whole. 

If you wanted a little more contrast, however, consider a pair of pants in a medium shade of blue instead (eg. cobalt or azure). 

Overall, wearing a black shirt, blue pants, and brown shoes will come across as pretty effortlessly sophisticated as long as it’s worn in the right setting. 

There’s plenty of misunderstanding out there surrounding pairing black with brown. To clear up any confusion, it’s absolutely fine to wear black items with brown items. 

However, it’s always worth bearing in mind that dark brown does tend to look better when coordinating brown with black. 

Grey Shirt

Both light and dark grey shirts can be worn with blue pants and brown shoes in a wide range of settings. This includes formal, business-casual, and smart-casual events. 

Light grey shirts tend to look more professional and “formal” when wearing blue pants and brown shoes, On the other hand, dark grey shirts generally work better in smart-casual settings. 

But whatever the shade and whatever the dress code, you can rest assured that any grey shirt will coordinate effortlessly with blue pants and brown shoes. 

Once again, consider how much contrast you want between the grey shirt and the blue pants. 

If you want a high-contrast combo, go for a light grey shirt with a dark blue pair of pants (eg. navy or midnight blue). 

If you want a low-contrast combo, consider a dark grey shirt with a light or medium blue pair of pants. This would definitely be the more casual option of the two. 

To dress either of these combinations up a little, you could consider a blazer or sport coat to really round things off. 

Grey blazers tend to work very well, as long as the blazer contrasts the shirt. 

For example, you could go for a light grey blazer with a dark grey shirt or a dark grey blazer with a light grey shirt. 

Pink Shirt

A pink shirt can be worn with blue pants and brown shoes in business-casual or smart-casual settings. Dark or bright shades of pink would look more casual, while light and muted shades would be appropriate to wear to business-casual events or workplaces. 

Pink is a bold and vibrant color. A pink shirt would always have clear “warm” undertones that would make it look more casual than a neutral grey or white would, for example. 

However, this doesn’t mean that pink shirts are restricted to casual dress codes. Light pink shirts are quite a popular choice in business-casual environments. 

They pair very well with blue pants (especially dark blue) and brown shoes. 

If you are dressing for a business-casual setting, consider traditional business-casual items such as:

• Light pink dress shirt or OCBD
• Navy blue chinos
• Tan brown semi-brogue Derby shoes

Blue Shirt

Blue shirts can be worn with blue pants and brown shoes to produce an eye-catching monochromatic aesthetic. 

However, it’s generally a good idea to aim for some contrast between the shade of the blue shirt and that of the blue pants. 

Try to ensure there’s a difference in shade. 

For example, if you’ve gone for a light blue shirt, go for dark blue pants. 

If you’re wearing a dark blue shirt, consider a light or medium blue pair of pants. This would be the more casual option of the two. 

Ultimately, the pants and the shirt don’t need to be completely different. They just need to be different enough for the two items to not blend into each other. 

In general, dark blue shirts are more appropriate for smart-casual settings, whereas light blue shirts are a lot more versatile and can even be worn in business-professional and business-casual settings. 

It’s often a good idea to break up a monochromatic combination with other items. You don’t want to look blue from head to toe. 

The brown shoes will do that for you. Add in a brown belt and you’ve broken up the monochromatic combination even further. 

If you want to go one step further, consider a black or grey blazer. 

Red Shirt

Red shirts can be worn with blue pants and brown shoes in smart-casual settings. Dark red shirts (eg. burgundy and maroon) often work best when wearing dark blue pants such as those in navy. 

Red is a very warm color and red shirts can be pretty in-your-face. It’ll most likely be the center of attention when it comes to your outfit. 

Let it be the one pop of color in your outfit and surround it with neutral items if you can. You don’t want to pile on even more bold and vibrant colors – it’ll be too much. 

Instead, consider a dark and muted pair of blue pants – navy or midnight blue would be ideal options. 

In addition, choose a dark brown pair of dress shoes. 

While you could go for a shirt in a light and bright shade of red such as scarlet, in general, it’s best to keep things dark and muted. Maroon and burgundy are common favorites. 

Whichever shade of red you choose, the combination would only ever be suited to smart-casual or casual settings. A red shirt should never be worn in formal, business-professional, or business-casual settings. 

It would simply look too casual. 

Red shirts often look best during the warm summer months, although this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule. The strong warm undertones just tend to look great during the summer. 

Green Shirt

A green shirt can confidently be worn with blue pants and brown shoes. The “cool” undertones of the green shirt and blue pants work especially well together during the winter and fall months. 

In general, the combination would really only be appropriate in smart-casual settings. 

Having said that, shirts in very light shades of green may be acceptable in business-casual settings as well. 

However, to play it safe, try to reserve the combo for smart-casual events. 

Muted shades of green are easy to pair with other items and avoid drawing too much attention. They blend seamlessly into the blue pants and brown shoe outfit without becoming a focus. 

Olive green and sage green are great examples. 

Conclusion 

The list of shirt color options you’ve just read through isn’t exhaustive. There are other options given how versatile and easy to combine a pair of blue pants and brown shoes really is. 

However, the shirt colors listed here are a fantastic place to start because you know they’ll always work. 

It’s just important to consider the dress code and maybe even the season when making your decision. 

Hopefully, you’re now several steps closer to picking the right shirt color for you and the setting you’re dressing for.