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7 Shirt Colors To Wear With Grey Pants And Brown Shoes

December 22, 2022
7 Shirt Colors To Wear With Grey Pants And Brown Shoes

Grey pants can be worn with practically any shirt color you can think of, but what about when brown shoes are thrown into the mix? 

Here are some great shirt colors you could wear with grey pants and brown shoes: 

  • Black
  • White
  • Purple
  • Pink
  • Light blue
  • Red
  • Green

Ultimately, the combination of grey pants and brown shoes is still a pretty neutral one. This gives you the benefit of having a wide range of shirt colors to choose from. 

You’re about to see these combinations and learn about them in a little more detail. There’s a good chance that one or two of them would be more appropriate for the setting you’re dressing for. 

7 Shirt Colors For Grey Pants And Brown Shoes

You’ll notice how some of these shirt colors just look dressier and more formal, while others look more casual when wearing grey pants and brown shoes. 

white shirt grey pants and brown shoes
Image From Deposit Photos

Black Shirt

A black shirt can be worn with grey pants and brown shoes in smart-casual settings. 

slate grey pants + light brown cap toe Oxford shoes + black shirt
Images From Deposit Photos

While black shirts are dark, neutral, and often come across as quite “dressy”, it wouldn’t be appropriate to wear one in truly formal, business-professional, or even business-casual settings. 

The reason for this is that black shirts have quite a social and relaxed feel to them. 

They’re perfect for dressy smart-casual events, especially those that take place during the evening. 

Black shirts look great when worn with grey pants and brown shoes, with the black and grey forming a near-monochromatic aesthetic. 

The brown shoes add a nice touch of contrast and color to the outfit. 

You don’t need to worry about color coordination. A black, grey, and brown combination will always work. 

The style of black shirt you choose to wear depends on the dress code, as well as the type of pants and shoes you’ve gone for. 

If you’ve gone for a pair of dress pants and brown Oxfords/Derbys and want to dress up a little, consider a black dress shirt (eg. 100% cotton). 

If you’re dressing down with a pair of grey chinos/jeans and brown suede shoes, consider a more casual black shirt style – OCBDs, linen shirts, polos, etc. 

White Shirt

A white shirt can easily be worn with grey pants and brown shoes in formal, business-professional, business-casual, and smart-casual settings. 

slate grey pants + light brown cap toe Oxford shoes + white shirt
Images From Deposit Photos

The beauty of wearing a white shirt is that it gives you a huge amount of versatility. 

There wouldn’t ever be a risk of underdressing, as long as you chose the correct shirt style for the dress code. 

You can wear white shirts with both light grey and dark grey pants – it depends on how much contrast you want. 

If you want a low-contrast combination, wear a white shirt with a light grey pair of pants. If you’d prefer more contrast, go for a white shirt and dark grey pants combo. 

The contrast is eye-catching and attention-grabbing. 

Both options would look great when wearing brown shoes. In fact, the brown shoes would break up the outfit and add a hint of color to an otherwise neutral outfit. 

While brown is pretty neutral in itself, it does have noticeably warm undertones. 

If you’re dressing for a business-professional setting, consider a white dress shirt, dark grey dress pants, and dark brown Oxford or Derby shoes. 

Purple Shirt

A light purple shirt can be worn with a pair of grey pants and brown shoes in business-casual and smart-casual settings. 

slate grey pants + light brown cap toe Oxford shoes + purple shirt
Images From Deposit Photos

Dark purple shirts would only be appropriate in smart-casual settings and generally, work better with dark grey pairs of pants. 

The “cool” undertones of a purple shirt often make them look more casual than more neutral colors. However, in the right setting, it can look great with grey pants and brown shoes. 

Consider how much contrast you want. 

A light purple shirt would work well with a light grey pair of pants if you were dressing for a business-casual setting. 

It’s subtle, sophisticated, and won’t come across as too casual. 

If you were dressing down, you could consider a dark purple shirt with light grey pants. The contrast between the two items would be attention-grabbing. 

It’s a great way to turn some heads and make a statement. 

However, reserve your dark purple shirts for smart-casual settings and nothing more formal than that. 

Even light purple shirts shouldn’t really be worn in formal or business-professional settings. Stick to white or light blue shirts here instead. 

Pink Shirt

Pink shirts look great when worn with grey pants and brown shoes. Light and muted pink shirts could be worn in business-casual settings, while bright pink and dark pink shirts should really only be worn in smart-casual or casual settings. 

slate grey pants + light brown cap toe Oxford shoes + pink shirt + dark pink shirt
Images From Deposit Photos

As dressy as the grey pants and brown shoes may be, much like with purple shirts, be cautious about the dress code when wearing pink shirts. 

While it does depend on the shade, pink shirts generally come across as bold and vibrant due to the strong “warm” undertones. 

Having said that, no matter what shade of pink you go for, it’ll coordinate effortlessly with a pair of grey pants and brown shoes. 

Light and muted shades of pink may be appropriate in more relaxed “business-casual” workplaces and events. 

But brighter and darker shades will always come across as more casual. 

Once again, it’s worth considering how much contrast you want. 

If you want an in-your-face combination, consider a dark pink shirt worn with light grey pants. Alternatively, consider a light pink shirt with dark grey pants. 

Remember, contrast is eye-catching. 

Rounding things off with a pair of brown shoes will always work. The warm undertones of brown tend to blend very well with those of pink.

Light Blue Shirt

A light blue shirt would be a very versatile option when wearing grey pants and brown shoes. It has the benefit of looking professional enough to be worn in business-professional and business-casual settings. 

slate grey pants + light brown cap toe Oxford shoes + light blue shirt
Images From Deposit Photos

Light blue shirts are considered a more “exciting” alternative to white shirts in the workplace.

In these cases, the lighter the shade of blue, the better. 

If you ever feel as though a grey pants and brown shoe combo isn’t quite daring enough, pop on a light blue shirt instead of a white shirt next time you head to work. 

But it isn’t just restricted to professional settings. 

Of course, the color combination works perfectly well in more casual settings as well. 

For example, you could wear a light blue OCBD shirt or polo shirt with a pair of grey jeans/chinos. Round off the laid-back ensemble with some brown suede loafers and you’re good to go. 

Red Shirt

Red shirts can easily be worn with grey pants and brown shoes. Regardless of the shade of the brown shoes, light red shirts tend to look better with light grey pants, while dark red shirts often work best with dark grey pants. 

slate grey pants + light brown cap toe Oxford shoes + burgundy shirt
Images From Deposit Photos

Both light and dark red shirts should really only be worn in smart-casual settings. 

Red is too bold and in-your-face to be worn in more formal or professional settings. 

In more casual settings, it would work very well with grey pants and brown shoes. 

red shirt grey pants and brown shoes
Image From Deposit Photos

The warm undertones of red often look best during the warm spring and summer months, but this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule by any means. 

If you’re wearing dark grey pants and brown shoes, consider a shirt in a dark shade of red such as burgundy or maroon. 

If, on the other hand, you’re wearing light grey pants and brown shoes, consider a shirt in a light shade of red. 

It’s also worth considering whether you can complement the red, grey, and brown palette with additional items. 

Going for a bold and not-so-neutral shirt color does make it important that you stick to neutral colors for the rest of your outfit. Let the red shirt be the one pop of color in your ensemble.

For example, consider a charcoal grey blazer with a white pocket square if you want to dress up a little. 

Green Shirt

Green shirts look great when wearing grey pants and brown shoes, especially shirts in dark or muted shades of green. Examples would include olive green, sage green, forest green, and hunter green. 

slate grey pants + light brown cap toe Oxford shoes + green shirt
Images From Deposit Photos

It’s a great option during the winter and fall months when the “cool” undertones of green work especially well. 

Having said that, don’t feel restricted. It would look great regardless of the season. 

Once again, it’s worth considering how much contrast you want between the shirt and the pants. If you want a high-contrast combo, consider a dark green shirt (eg. forest green or hunter green) and a light grey pair of pants. 

Conclusion 

You’ve got a wide range of options available to you, including many that aren’t on this list. 

However, what’s great about the shirt colors presented to you here is that you’ve got a diverse range available. 

You’ve got the “cool” undertones of blue and green, the in-your-face and “warm” undertones of pink and red. 

You’ve also got the neutral options of black or white. 

Ultimately, any of them would look great with a pair of grey pants and brown shoes. It really depends on your preferences, the dress code, and maybe the season. 

Enjoy.