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Let's try this again...

fonsh

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Permit me to more clearly ask my questions, guided by the belief that dark pants beg a light blazer & light colored pants need a dark colored blazer to present the best appearance (shirt/tie colors notwithstanding).


a) I've matched a brown dot-patterned tie to a cream shirt which I'd like to wear with dark brown slacks. What color blazer for this specific combo?
---(this is the one I'm having a problem with)---


b) Again, focusing specifically on a cream (or even ecru) shirt/brown tie combo - this time, wearing navy slacks......what color blazer?


c) Please confirm or correct my thinking that since grey is neutral and that brown/tan/cream/ecru go well with blue.....the aforementioned shirt/tie combo WOULD look nice with grey slacks & navy blazer.


Thank you, gents!

Don
 

mrchapel

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Originally Posted by fonsh
Permit me to more clearly ask my questions, guided by the belief that dark pants beg a light blazer & light colored pants need a dark colored blazer to present the best appearance (shirt/tie colors notwithstanding).


a) I've matched a brown dot-patterned tie to a cream shirt which I'd like to wear with dark brown slacks. What color blazer for this specific combo?
---(this is the one I'm having a problem with)---


b) Again, focusing specifically on a cream (or even ecru) shirt/brown tie combo - this time, wearing navy slacks......what color blazer?


c) Please confirm or correct my thinking that since grey is neutral and that brown/tan/cream/ecru go well with blue.....the aforementioned shirt/tie combo WOULD look nice with grey slacks & navy blazer.


Thank you, gents!

Don


Perhaps this is a daft reply on my part, but personally, I don't wear blazers that don't match the color of the trousers I am wearing (except with jeans where I stick to darker colored blazers).

I feel it looks out of place, and I am likely the only person you will encounter who does NOT like the navy blazer/khaki colored trousers look. Perhaps I have not acheived a level of sartorial style to pull that look off (and probably me being in the younger crowd). So, that said:

a) A dark brown velvet blazer would work well with this IMO. Also, a blazer that is made of the same fabric an the same color as your trousers would look smashing.

b) A navy colored blazer would work well. I really can't think of any color combos that would go well with this. In fact, I don't see Ecru/Cream being a good color to match with navy. Unless it's an unusally dark navy.

c) Completely navy yes, and completely grey yes. But I cannot see that color combo working well with grey trousers and a navy blazer. Not to my eye.

I am sure most will disagree with me, but I regress.
 

grimslade

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Originally Posted by mrchapel
Perhaps this is a daft reply on my part, but personally, I don't wear blazers that don't match the color of the trousers I am wearing (except with jeans where I stick to darker colored blazers).

I feel it looks out of place, and I am likely the only person you will encounter who does NOT like the navy blazer/khaki colored trousers look. Perhaps I have not acheived a level of sartorial style to pull that look off (and probably me being in the younger crowd). So, that said:

a) A dark brown velvet blazer would work well with this IMO. Also, a blazer that is made of the same fabric an the same color as your trousers would look smashing.

b) A navy colored blazer would work well. I really can't think of any color combos that would go well with this. In fact, I don't see Ecru/Cream being a good color to match with navy. Unless it's an unusally dark navy.

c) Completely navy yes, and completely grey yes. But I cannot see that color combo working well with grey trousers and a navy blazer. Not to my eye.

I am sure most will disagree with me, but I regress.



Mr. Chapel, fine man that he is, is steering down the garden path.

Do _not_ wear navy pants with navy blazers or brown pants with brown blazers. If you want matching jackets and pants, wear a suit. I think a navy blazer can still be worn with brown pants. As for the navy pants, a nice gray or brown tweed would do fine.
 

lakewolf

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Originally Posted by grimslade
Mr. Chapel, fine man that he is, is steering down the garden path.

Do _not_ wear navy pants with navy blazers or brown pants with brown blazers. If you want matching jackets and pants, wear a suit. I think a navy blazer can still be worn with brown pants. As for the navy pants, a nice gray or brown tweed would do fine.


I agree...

On the other side, I have some light colored sports coats but I can't wear them with darker pants... I have to wear them always with lighter colored pants
 

Despos

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A vicuna color jacket works with both trouser combinations.

There exists some midtone jackets that can be worn with both lighter and darker trousers. The vicuna shade for example, worn with dark charcoal grey the jacket is lighter. When worn with light tan or light grey, the jacket is darker.
 

fonsh

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Originally Posted by grimslade
Mr. Chapel, fine man that he is, is steering down the garden path.

Do _not_ wear navy pants with navy blazers or brown pants with brown blazers. If you want matching jackets and pants, wear a suit. I think a navy blazer can still be worn with brown pants. As for the navy pants, a nice gray or brown tweed would do fine.


I think that sums it up according to what I've always been led to believe (and personally agree with) - if ya want slax/jacket to match....do wear a suit (precisely what I'm trying to avoid).

A navy blazer with brown pants seems (to me) akin to someone who is mis-matching his blue suit jacket to his brown suit pants. I guess that explains why I've always felt that the two should not only be different colors....but different shades of colors, too.

For that reason, I felt a light blue blazer would be better - but only during spring/summer. Now I must ask, WOULD a light blue blazer indeed be better AND only during the warmer months? If so, then perhaps that's my only viable choice with my question "a)".

With regard to "b)", I like the suggestion of a gray or brown tweed - thank you.

Since "c)" brought no comment, I'll assume I'm correct on that one.

I appreciate all input & remain open to more. Thanks to everyone taking the time to respond.

Don
 

fonsh

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Originally Posted by Despos
A vicuna color jacket works with both trouser combinations.

There exists some midtone jackets that can be worn with both lighter and darker trousers. The vicuna shade for example, worn with dark charcoal grey the jacket is lighter. When worn with light tan or light grey, the jacket is darker.


Wow.....that sounds nifty. Time to express my ignorance - vicuna is sort of a light camel, no?

Thanks!
 

grimslade

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Originally Posted by fonsh
Since "c)" brought no comment, I'll assume I'm correct on that one.


I would not hesitate to wear a navy blazer (if I had one) with medium-gray pants, myself.
 

Tuerney1

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Personally, I think navy blazer looks its absolute best with medium to light gray trousers, even better than with a darker or charcoal gray.

I would never wear a navy blazer with navy (or almost any blue) pants, but that may just be me.

I wore a blazer with khaki/tan pants quite a bit in high school and college, but that was many years ago, a bit more of a youthful/collegiate look, and in two bastions of trad attire, Virginia and Cambridge.

To your specific questions:

a. In my own wardrobe, I have only one pair of solid brown odd pants that I rarely wear, so am certainly no expert. That said, I wouldn't wear a blazer (in the more proper sense of the word) with the ensemble you are suggesting but a slightly less formal odd jacket. A nice tan camelhair might work or, dressing it down a bit, a complementary tweed. I'd also note (again just my opinion) that I wouldn't try to wear pants in a similar fabric to my jacket. I feel odd matches should complement and contrast rather than try to match...which seems destined to fail, unless they do in fact match exactly, in which case you have on your hands a suit.
laugh.gif


b. This is a bit harder for me, as I tend to pick my odd jacket first and then pants, shoes, shirt, tie, pocket square, etc., rather than starting with a shirt/tie combination. That said, I'd be most likely to pick a brown-based pattern, tweed or a tweed-style plaid or windowpane in a less rough wool. A nice gray jacket might work well, too, or, again, camel hair...I like navy pants and a tan jacket with a white shirt and red or blue patterned tie, but it might work with off-white and brown, too.

c. It might work. To be honest, I find white more neutral shirting than many of the colors mentioned, so the ecru shirt is actually limiting the ensemble choices quite a bit (to my taste only, of course). Also a brown tie is constraining (blue or red or various patterns would give you more options, I think, and be more easily matched to a wider choice of pant/jacket combinations). So I wouldn't say it is definitely the case that what you mention would look good.

Hope that helps.
smile.gif
 

mrchapel

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Originally Posted by grimslade
Mr. Chapel, fine man that he is, is steering down the garden path.

Do _not_ wear navy pants with navy blazers or brown pants with brown blazers. If you want matching jackets and pants, wear a suit. I think a navy blazer can still be worn with brown pants. As for the navy pants, a nice gray or brown tweed would do fine.


Perhaps I should have been clearer: the blazer and trousers should be a suit. I do not wear anything beyond that when it comes to wearing blazers and trousers, except for when I wear jeans. I just feel anything less looks out of place. But I'm the kind of gentleman who prefers to my color to gleam through excellent shirt and tie colors/patterns.
 

fonsh

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Originally Posted by Tuerney1
Personally, I think navy blazer looks its absolute best with medium to light gray trousers, even better than with a darker or charcoal gray. <- I fully concur.

I would never wear a navy blazer with navy (or almost any blue) pants, but that may just be me. <- Absolutely agree.

I wore a blazer with khaki/tan pants quite a bit in high school and college, but that was many years ago, a bit more of a youthful/collegiate look, and in two bastions of trad attire, Virginia and Cambridge.

To your specific questions:

a. In my own wardrobe, I have only one pair of solid brown odd pants that I rarely wear, so am certainly no expert. That said, I wouldn't wear a blazer (in the more proper sense of the word) with the ensemble you are suggesting but a slightly less formal odd jacket. A nice tan camelhair might work or, dressing it down a bit, a complementary tweed. <- how 'bout a mustard plaid? I'd also note (again just my opinion) that I wouldn't try to wear pants in a similar fabric to my jacket. I feel odd matches should complement and contrast rather than try to match <- this is my feeling, as well...which seems destined to fail, unless they do in fact match exactly, in which case you have on your hands a suit.
laugh.gif


b. This is a bit harder for me, as I tend to pick my odd jacket first and then pants, shoes, shirt, tie, pocket square, etc., rather than starting with a shirt/tie combination. That said, I'd be most likely to pick a brown-based pattern, tweed or a tweed-style plaid or windowpane in a less rough wool. A nice gray jacket might work well, too, or, again, camel hair...I like navy pants and a tan jacket with a white shirt and red or blue patterned tie, but it might work with off-white and brown, too. <- I like that, too.

c. It might work. To be honest, I find white more neutral shirting than many of the colors mentioned, so the ecru shirt is actually limiting the ensemble choices quite a bit (to my taste only, of course). Also a brown tie is constraining (blue or red or various patterns would give you more options, I think, and be more easily matched to a wider choice of pant/jacket combinations). So I wouldn't say it is definitely the case that what you mention would look good. <- To clarify, I have white; light blue and other dress shirts - as well as red & blue patterned ties. I merely asked for help with this 'constraining' combination BECAUSE of the nature of it, with focus more on the cream than the slightly darker ecru/off-white.

Hope that helps.
smile.gif

<- Your response is quite comprehensive and I truly appreciate your taking the time to post it. I think I can handle the easier choices - I just wanted to know what others (more savvy than I) might do with this 'difficult' one.
 

Holdfast

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Personally I don't really think a blazer works with either combination you've outlined. An odd jacket would work better.

Originally Posted by fonsh
I've matched a brown dot-patterned tie to a cream shirt which I'd like to wear with dark brown slacks. What color blazer for this specific combo?

A dark burgundy blazer might work I suppose.

A dark grey odd jacket with brown horn buttons would be better. Maybe a light grey jacket too; difficult to tell without laying the garments out.

b) Again, focusing specifically on a cream (or even ecru) shirt/brown tie combo - this time, wearing navy slacks......what color blazer?
I definitely don't think a blazer is the right choice for this combo at all. A predominately dark brown tweed odd jacket, maybe with those leather covered buttons, would likely work better.

c) Please confirm or correct my thinking that since grey is neutral and that brown/tan/cream/ecru go well with blue.....the aforementioned shirt/tie combo WOULD look nice with grey slacks & navy blazer.
I have a bit of an prejudiced aversion to navy blazers, but I think it would work fine.

Difficult questions for me, because I really dislike brown ties so trying to match to them is very difficult!
smile.gif
 

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