Guide
What goes with what – in two small matrices and a few rules. Distilled from 630 individually rated pairs in the catalog: colors of top and pants, plus the shoes.
Top color × trousers color
Which trousers go with which top?
Rows are the colors of the tops, columns those of the trousers. Jeans stand on their own, because denim reads more like a fabric of its own than like a color.
Top: Navy · Pants: Ecru, sand & beige
safe20 pairs: 14 safe, 6 work
- Navy on top is the safest choice: safe with light, gray, earth-toned and brown trousers. Navy with navy or with jeans only works with a clearly different fabric.
- White is safe with light trousers, navy, jeans, taupe and olive. With gray and brown it works, but looks flatter; a top with texture helps there.
- Light blue goes with almost any trousers: beige, sand, taupe, olive, gray and navy are safe. With jeans and brown it works, but is not the first choice.
- A gray sweater on top is safe with brown and with jeans. With gray, navy and light trousers it quickly becomes tone on tone.
- Black on top is the hardest color: safe only with jeans, with everything else at best “works”, and with navy trousers we avoid it.
- Earth tones such as camel, light brown and sage need contrast: safe with gray and jeans, with beige, taupe or brown it becomes tone on tone.
Pants × shoes
Which shoes go with which trousers?
Rows are the trousers by color, columns the shoes by family. Black shoes are found mainly in the smooth leather loafer column and with the Oxford.
Pants: Ecru, sand & beige · Shoe: Suede loafers
safe20 pairs: 16 safe, 4 work
- Brown suede loafers are the most versatile shoes: safe with light, gray, navy, taupe and olive trousers.
- White sneakers belong with light trousers, taupe, olive and jeans. With gray wool trousers or navy trousers they work, but look deliberately casual.
- Black smooth leather loafers want gray trousers. With beige, sand and brown we avoid them; with navy and jeans they only work.
- Boots need trousers with weight: safe with jeans, taupe, olive and brown. With light summer trousers they are too heavy.
- Derby, Oxford and Budapester are safe with gray, navy, jeans, taupe and olive. With light chinos or linen trousers they are mostly too severe.
- Brown trousers are the pickiest: safe only with boots. Sneakers, suede loafers and lace-ups work, black smooth leather we avoid.
Which shoes go with gray trousers?
- Brown suede loafers, black smooth leather loafers and lace-ups are safe with gray trousers.
- With flannel trousers in winter, suede penny and tassel loafers go well; Belgian loafers and driving moccasins are too summery for that.
- White sneakers and boots work, but make the wool trousers more casual: good on the weekend, less so at the office.
- On top, navy, light blue and earth tones such as camel are safe. White and black work, but look cooler and flatter with gray.
Examples from the catalog
What goes with navy trousers?
- With navy trousers, white and light blue are the safest choice. Gray and earth tones work; navy with navy only with a clearly different fabric.
- We avoid a black top with navy trousers.
- On the feet, brown suede loafers and lace-ups are safe; sneakers, boots and black smooth leather loafers work.
Examples from the catalog
Which shoes and tops go with jeans?
- With jeans, white sneakers, boots and lace-ups are safe; suede and smooth leather loafers work.
- On top, white, gray, black and earth tones are safe. Navy and light blue are close to indigo and only work.
Examples from the catalog
Which shoes go with beige chinos?
- With light trousers (chinos in beige or sand, linen in ecru), white sneakers and brown suede loafers are the safest.
- Black smooth leather loafers and most lace-ups look harsh with beige.
- Boots suit chinos in fall, not linen trousers in summer.
- On top, navy, white and light blue are safe. Gray, black and earth tones work, but look paler.
Examples from the catalog
Do black and navy go together?
- We avoid a black top with navy trousers: both tones are dark and too similar, so the difference looks like a mistake.
- With jeans, on the other hand, black is safe, because denim has enough structure of its own.
- Black smooth leather loafers with navy trousers work, but are not safe.
Examples from the catalog
How the dots are worked out
- Groups
- Tops and pants by color family, derived from the color name in the catalog; jeans stand on their own. Shoes by family: sneakers, suede or smooth-leather loafers, boots and lace-ups.
- Dots
- Each cell shows the median of all rated pairs from both groups. With an even number, the mean of the two middle pairs counts, rounded down – so when in doubt, the weaker level.●●● mostly safe · ●●○ works or mixed · ●○○ mostly avoid.
- Limits
- A cell tells you what usually holds, not what always holds. Exceptions often have to do with season or fabric – a linen shirt with flannel pants works in no color. Every pair on its own, with its reason, is under Pairings; the terms are explained in the Glossary.