Great or terrible? Light grey jacket with navy pants.

Hey Guys,

Looking at pairing this jacket (light grey) -

https://www.jcrew.com/browse/single...534374302080978&nav_type=PRMNAV&bmUID=klSfp76

With these pants (navy) -

https://www.jcrew.com/mens_category...e&isSaleItem=false&isNewSearch=true&hash=row1

In my mind, it looks great. Before I purchase, I want to poll the crowd. Thanks y'all.

Well, if you fancy the jacket in light gray, why not just get the matching trousers and wear the whole thing as a suit? It could easily be dressed down for casual situations where you would wish to pair the jacket with navy slacks.

As to pairing it with the navy pants, my judgement would be neither "great" nor "terrible" but just sort of "innocuous."

Be advised that there are no few individuals on this forum, who include some "heavy hitters," who are adamantly opposed to odd trousers in navy...for reasons that have always eluded me.

The cut of the suit jacket is not at all to my taste, but that's your call.

Just one old man's opinion.

I tend to dislike navy trousers worn with odd jackets, though perhaps not with the vehemence of some senior members here. It also appears that you are planning to pair a suit jacket with non-matching trousers, which creates an orphaned jacket issue (jacket that is obviously meant to be part of a suit worn without its matching trousers). So there are two issues with what you're proposing IMO.

I'd either get the suit or get light grey odd trousers and pair them with a navy blazer (not a navy suit jacket). IMO light grey on the bottom and navy on top looks 10x better than the opposite.

I don't like that combo, so I voted "terrible."

I don't like navy odd pants with any jacket.

Grey jackets are okay. I really only like that color in heavier wools/tweeds


Reading:

http://www.styleforum.net/t/355036/the-gray-odd-jacket-and-sometimes-monochromatic-combination/0_50

http://www.styleforum.net/t/349873/the-dreaded-odd-navy-pants-revisited

I don't hate a grey jacket with navy trousers, but the light grey with navy would look weird. Also, that jacket is a suit jacket, and I think it will look weird with odd trousers.

I'm wearing a light grey jacket and a pair of navy trousers today, but the jacket is in a herringbone weave with a little bit of fleck and texture, and the trousers are thin-wale corduroy, so there's contrasting texture there, too.

Although the opposite combination (navy jacket and grey trousers) is much more common, I do think that a lighter grey jacket and navy trousers can work well, but the jacket needs to have some texture or patterning, rather than being a smooth, plain fabric. Otherwise, it will look as though you're wearing a mis-matched suit, which would be rather odd.

I would say it depends. But the particular combination you listed won't work.

NO, not attractive at all.

Don't do it man- what Journeyman said

Combining suit separates, although hated by the traditionalists on this forum, is something that is very popular at the moment. I have a similar outfit that I wear, so I would have to say yes. I do not give a dam if some traditionalist thinks this looks stupid. Just as I am sure that the traditionalist do not give a dam if some people think that the way they dress is "stuffy".

I am not per se against navy trousers with grey jackets. E.g. grey tweed with dark blue jeans or navy corduroy works and I recently saw Patrick Chu of W.W. Chan sport a great combination of navy trousers and brown/cream sports coat.

This being said, I dislike your proposal because it screams "orphaned suit jacket" and looks like you accidentally forgot to put on the matching trousers in the morning.

Journeyman said:

I'm wearing a light grey jacket and a pair of navy trousers today, but the jacket is in a herringbone weave with a little bit of fleck and texture, and the trousers are thin-wale corduroy, so there's contrasting texture there, too.

Although the opposite combination (navy jacket and grey trousers) is much more common, I do think that a lighter grey jacket and navy trousers can work well, but the jacket needs to have some texture or patterning, rather than being a smooth, plain fabric. Otherwise, it will look as though you're wearing a mis-matched suit, which would be rather odd.

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+1. I wear light grey sport coats frequently (have them in cashmere, cashmere-wool, and cotton) and either wear them with darker grey trousers (not my preferred choice, but on occasion) or browns/khakis most often. However, I DO wear them with navy trousers - but only without a tie. There's some wisdom to that whole 'no navy odd trousers' thing, but I think the key is to avoid the tie with this look - for instance, what color tie are you likely wearing with a grey jacket? There's a good chance it's got some blue/navy in it. IMO navy tie with navy odd trousers looks very off. However, navy tie (darker than suit) with navy suit is very nice - the difference lies in the suit navy-on-navy having congruence, and the tie + trousers but grey jacket having none.

Second everything on not wearing worsted suiting fabric / suit separates together or with odd trousers. This never looks good, regardless of what is 'in vogue' or whatever.

I wouldn't have a problem if the pants weren't suit pants. If they were cords or chinos or whatever, it could look fine. I think the navy worsted wool pants will look very odd with a light grey worsted jacket (I know the jacket is linen-cotton).

You can do this but there are so many other better options.

-The jacket will look like an orphaned suit jacket.
-A brown or cream sportscoat will look better with navy trousers.
-This look will look much better inverted (navy sportscoat, light grey trousers.)



brokencycle said:

I wouldn't have a problem if the pants weren't suit pants. If they were cords or chinos or whatever, it could look fine. I think the navy worsted wool pants will look very odd with a light grey worsted jacket (I know the jacket is linen-cotton).

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Cords would be weird with a linen jacket IMO (F/W pants with a summer jacket), though I'd agree that chinos would be better than worsted wool and think linen pants would be an improvement. I'd still take issue with the overall look, but I've already said my piece on that one.