Today, we’re going to give you some tips on men’s outfits with black pants. Whether you want the pants to look neutral or bold, there’s a lot you can do!
Received wisdom tells us that black goes with everything. In a way, it does. It’s a neutral shade, after all. However, you must be mindful about pairing it with brown pieces. Moreover, it’s always easy to go the all-black route now. At least, it isn’t for everyone. So, we here at TMM want to guide you on what to wear with black pants for men.
I find many men don’t consider their pants as deeply as they consider their shirts. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s because shirts are closer to your face. Maybe it’s the fact you don’t have to wash jeans or chinos as often as a T-shirt. Therefore, it’s not an everyday consideration for everyone. Still, pants take up a lot of real estate on your person.
With some effort and easy tactics, you can really optimize your dark trousers.
What Goes With Black Pants for Men?
The overall approach is one of thoughtful balance. Since many associate black with dressiness, black pants can elevate a casual outfit or ground a formal one. Let’s discuss best practices, starting with the most formal and ending with the most casual.
Of course, if you’re wearing a full black suit, the best thing to wear with it is a white or light blue shirt and a tie of your choice. Go for black or navy dress socks and either black leather dress shoes or cool brown ones. If you’re in a cocktail dress code situation, you can match your socks to your tie. Perhaps you pick a red-and-green tie with red-and-green socks if you’re going to a Christmas party.
You can also opt for a broken suit, which I’ll discuss in more detail in the dress pants section.
Let’s talk smart casual. You can pair slim or classic-fit black jeans with a suit jacket or blazer. Finish it off with a tieless dress shirt, a button-down, or even a turtleneck. You can also wear black dress pants or trousers with a long-sleeved polo shirt.
Believe it or not, black trousers (or dress pants) can add a sleekness to genuinely casual outfits. Pair your pants with a well-structured T-shirt tucked in, a nice leather belt, and
If you like workwear or outdoorsy fashion, you might think black jeans or cargo pants aren’t your style. Of course, blue jeans are far more Americana-looking. However, black jeans are an excellent way to level up your more utilitarian preferences without compromising that personal style.
Imagine black jeans with a plaid flannel or utility shirt. It’s neat enough for a restaurant or lounge but practical for camping.
What To Wear With Black Cargo Pants for Men
Believe it or not, black cargo pants are more versatile than brown, olive, and khaki ones. This is likely because we associate the color with formal fashion. Since cargo pants are inherently utilitarian, black adds a sleekness without undoing the workwear aesthetic. It’s similar to how lighter-hued dress pants are more versatile than black ones. It’s the balance of dressiness with casualness.
Of course, you can always pair relaxed-fit or slim-fit cargos with flannels, work shirts, and overshirts. However, unlike camo cargos, you can finish off black cargos with work boots (like Timberlands) or loafers. Loafers with lugged soles have been perfectly on-trend since the dawn of the 2020s.
Are you more into outdoorsy or workwear looks? Is smart casual even too dressed up for you? Well, you can even wear a slimmer cargo pant with an unstructured blazer and a button-down. This outfit is excellent for a casual date or drinks with friends at a lounge. The suit-adjacent silhouette is cleaned up enough, but every garment still has a ruggedness to it.
Fit is everything regarding which black cargo pants to wear and in what situation. Slimmer pants are better in smarter dress codes, while relaxed cuts are best for casual situations. Yes, looser fits have made a comeback, even when it comes to suits and tailoring. However, cargo pants are so casual. You need both the formality of its black hue and the clean silhouette working in combination.
Of course, if you love a cool street-style look, you can always wear black cargo pants with a well-structured T-shirt. Feel free to make it your own by choosing your favorite pair of boots, a watch, and even a hat or slim chain.
What To Wear With Black Dress Pants for Men
Black dress pants are a natural choice. However, as mentioned, they aren’t always the most versatile. Of course, an all-black suit is perfect for a highly formal office and other traditional business situations.
In that case, again, you want a classic fit (meaning not too tight or too loose), a white or light blue shirt, and a solid tie. Finish it off with black or cool brown dress shoes. The more traditional the situation, the more you want to stick with a solid tie. These days, you can also go for simple, understated patterns too. I’m not saying you can go for bright pink polka-dots here. Think thick, solid stripes with non-contrasting colors, like navy and dark forest green.
If you want to do a broken suit, black pants can provide excellent adaptability. For example, consider a medium charcoal jacket and a white dress shirt. With a tie, it’s formal enough for most offices. After work, you can take the tie off, and you’ve got a slick, off-duty James Bond look. This is especially so if you go for a nice, textured jacket.
Can You Wear Black Dress Pants Casually?
The answer is yes but with conditions. If you’re going for a high-low look, wearing black dress pants, a white T-shirt, and loafers is bold but intentional. Just be mindful about when and where you’re wearing this combo. It might be too cool for school at an office party (depending on your company culture). But it toes the line between trendy and classic so you can wear it to no-dress-code gallery openings or a house party.
You want to balance your dress pants for everyday casual events without making them look too out-of-context. Perhaps a suit jacket and t-shirt with low-profile leather
And if you want something elegant but not overly dressy, you can always style slacks like dress pants.
What To Wear With Black Corduroy Pants for Men
Black corduroy pants are a bit of a style hack, and they’re perfect for guys who think they’re not into wearing black. The texture adds depth and an unstuffy aesthetic that doesn’t compromise black’s natural classiness.
You can definitely wear black corduroys with a blazer and button-down for a smart casual approach. In fact, like cargos, it’s a great way to incorporate ruggedness into an outfit. Unlike cargos, though, corduroys have an elegance to them. This makes them a lot more versatile. After all, you can’t really wear cargos with a suit jacket or structured blazer.
Still, corduroys sit naturally in a utilitarian context (with a ranch jacket and button-downs) and a classy, academic situation (Fair Isle sweater and loafers). Black cords are perfect for late fall and early winter. In November, you can wear them with a pullover or a dark mustard jacket. Then, you can pair them with other deep hues or even winter whites in December. Consider a dark maroon shirt for the former or a white shirt and dove grey piece of outerwear for the latter.
Black corduroys also have a major cool factor. Imagine white socks with black loafers, cuffed black pants, a knit polo or T-shirt, and a bomber jacket. It’s just Elvis enough without looking like you’re heading to a costume party.
If you want an outerwear piece or accessory to be a statement piece, pair your black cords with a black top. Then, find a contrast-color accessory or outerwear piece with texture, like a suede jacket or cuff. The contrasting color allows it to be the star of the show. But the texture sits naturally with the corduroy pants, too.
Of course, black corduroys go well with most smart casual classics: Polos, button-downs, loafers, white
What To Wear With Black Linen Pants for Men
If you live in a very hot climate, like the Caribbean, you can wear black linen pants in 99% of dress codes. In fact, I’d say this is even the case if you live in a place with seasons, but the summer is downright tropical-feeling. So think more Charleston, South Carolina, or Florida, and less Baltimore.
Linens are resort-chic. They have an off-duty vibe and are conducive to warm weather, which is why they usually come in creams and beiges. However, in darker colors, they look more formal but still have the breezy comfort factor (both aesthetically and functionally).
If you’re going to a black-tie event on a boat or in Rio de Janeiro, you can often wear a white dinner jacket, bowtie, and black linen pants. Finish it off with shiny black leather shoes.
Outside these extra hot climates, you can wear black linens formally. You can’t wear them to a black-tie situation, but most professional networking events are fair game. Just wear them with a matching linen suit jacket and dress shirt. Owning a summer suit is paramount if you work in a suit-and-tie industry like me. Most summer suits are linen or bamboo.
Black linen pants are also great for sophisticated but unstuffy casual wear. Pair your pants with a cream linen button-down or knit polo. Finish the combination off with leather sandals. If it’s sunny, feel free to put on a straw hat.
In the spring, you can wear black linen pants with a sky-blue top, a light chore coat, and white
Men’s Outfits With Black Pants
Now that we know how to style each pant type, we’ll discuss some suggested combinations you can use as inspiration. But wait, you may be asking — what about jeans and chinos?
You can style chinos and jeans the same way you’d style any of the above. Just remember that chinos are less casual than jeans. As such, if you’re styling a suit jacket, go for the chinos if you’re with work colleagues and jeans if you’re pub-hopping.
Alright, now onto the suggested looks. Feel free to copy these combinations completely or make them your own by adding or swapping pieces!
Black Polo Shirts With Black Pants
Polo shirts look great with black pants because they’re a perfect balance of dressed-up and casual. So whether you’re wearing a black long-sleeve polo with jeans or a short-sleeve polo with slacks, the balance remains. Moreover, it’s a great way to wear all black without looking like you’re attending a funeral.
Green Striped Button-Down Shirts
Men need to wear more green. Whether it’s olive suits or mint button-downs, many are surprised at how unique yet classic they look. A green-striped button-down goes well with black pants because of the different greens available. You can do thick green stripes or a white shirt with thinner, vivid green stripes for a bold, year-round look. Otherwise, you can’t go wrong with dark forest green stripes for fall and winter.
Black Shirt Under a White Blazer
There’s nothing more classy (yet always cool) than a layered color block. It’s one of the few things the trendy and traditional sets can agree on. When the contrast on the outer layer is as bold as white, you get a sophisticated yet easy combination. It’s a color block that gives dimension. And you can do it with a t-shirt, jeans, and a chore coat, or a button-down, slacks, and peacoat.
Formal Black Pants With a Black Shirt
Going for an all-black formal outfit can look vampiric. However, your accessories can add a visual pop if you go for a black button-up without a suit jacket. You can wear a bold or patterned tie with a tie clip, an elegant leather belt, or your favorite cufflinks. Going to a nice bar or high-end restaurant that doesn’t require a dinner jacket? You can also wear dress pants with an open black button-down and a different-colored shirt underneath.
Blue Denim Shirt
One way to pull off denim-on-denim is to wear two different colors of denim. A blue denim shirt worn with black denim pants is very urban cowboy. It’s down-home but still chic. You can even wear black chinos for a slightly dressy but utilitarian look. If you want to pull this look off during warmer seasons, wear a blue chambray shirt over true denim. Chambray looks like denim but is more delicate, both in looks and feel.
White Shirt With Suspenders
Pairing a white shirt with suspenders allows you to choose between a geek-chic and vintage working-class aesthetic. For the former, wear a white polo, cuffed chinos, and your favorite color suspenders. Finish it off with white socks and loafers or even some Converse Chucks. For the latter, wear a white T-shirt or henley, jeans or slim cargo pants, and a nice pair of leather boots.
Black Pants and a T-shirt
You really can’t go wrong with black pants and a T-shirt. Whether it’s an oversized scoop neck with jeans or a well-structured tee and chinos, it’s an evergreen combination. I think people are initially hesitant about it because they consider black to be formal. Now you know that it doesn’t have to be.
FAQs About What To Wear With Black Pants for Men
Do you still have questions about styling black pants? No problem. Here are the most commonly asked questions, along with some straightforward answers.
What Color Sport Coat Goes With Black Pants?
Any color sport coat goes with black pants. Black goes with any hue since it’s neutral. While conventional wisdom may say to avoid brown sport coats, I’ll say cool medium browns are okay. If you’re going to do black-on-black, make sure that your sport coat and pants are the same material and shade. Or, make sure they’re different enough that it looks intentional.
What Shoes To Wear With Black Pants for Men?
You can wear any shoes with black pants, but paying attention to the dress code is more important. For example, you can wear black jeans and
Can Men Wear Brown Shoes With Black Pants?
Yes, you can wear cool brown tones with black. You can also choose warmer tones, as long as there’s enough red, like dark oxblood or burgundy.
Conclusion: Black Is the New Black
Now you know what to wear with black pants for men! Again, it’s not just for formal situations or goths. Black really does go with most things. When wearing black pants, you can take your style into many dress codes.
Do you hate formal attire but have to dress up a little? Similarly, do you prefer to dress up and have a casual event to attend? Black jeans are casual and slick at the same time. Truly, there’s a lot you can do with black pants.
Questions? Comments? Let us know in the comments below.
