People tend to think a typical male’s wardrobe is limited to a pair of jeans, a few T-shirts, and some other essentials for ever-changing weather conditions. We are here to bust this misconception and prove that there are a lot more clothes to embrace a gent’s passion for fashion.
Aside from typical jeans, cargo, chinos, and dress pants, don’t hesitate to take a closer look at the beauty and variety of plaid pants mens outfits. They might not be as popular as alternatives, but they will surely help you stand out with your aesthetic preference. Just check it out!
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Start with the Basics: Colors that Match Plaid Pants
You won’t go wrong by pairing your plaid pants with neutral tones:
- Beige and brown are classic go-to options for any individual, leading to a smart and clean look. If you want to leave a lasting impression of a kind and open-minded person, this combo is worth it.
- White is a traditional choice that complements multiple shades and patterns, and this case isn’t an exception.
- Of course, grey is another example of how to establish a sophisticated and balanced look with plaid pants.
- To stay on the safe side but achieve an interesting look, consider a black and white plaid pants outfit. This way, you can effortlessly achieve a casual chic vibe and add a contrastive focal point to your look. For instance, you can complement the target ensemble with a black wool shirt, a hoodie, and a pair of white sneakers.
This selection doesn’t limit the list of what goes with plaid pants — here are a few more color palettes to consider:
- A pop of color like a colorful tie or scarf will be for the better.
- Denim and plaid patterns can go well together.
- Stick to one of the shades in the plaid pattern and create a monochrome-like outfit.
- Warm and pastel colors on the analogous side of the color wheel will assist in customizing the best scheme in your case.
- Complementary hues that guarantee the most contrast lead to retro-inspired and bold looks with a modern vibe.
Plaid Pants Outfit Ideas: 12+ Stylish Combinations
Are you ready to get a better understanding of how to create a plaid pants mens outfit? You’ve come to the right place. In the section below, we’ll discuss trending and statement looks to consider for daily wear and special occasions. Onwards!
Plaid Pants with Casual Staples
Even though mens plaid pants may be not your first choice, their versatility in establishing casual outfits is certainly outstanding. They go well with multiple designs, colors, and textures, which allows for custom fashions to be born. Just check it out!
T-Shirts
Long-sleeve, short-sleeve, polo, and other types of T-shirts are all enough to make a pair of plaid chinos aesthetically remarkable and tailored to your expectations. Plain designs are usually associated with casual and semi-formal styles, while graphic alternatives are perfect to recreate futurism, streetwear, and other creative fashions.
Of course, it doesn’t have to be that way only. You are welcome to experiment and realize your vision of neon orange raincoats on top of plain grey T-shirts or grey hoodies along with graphic crew necks.
Sweatshirts & Hoodies
This combo will conquer your heart once and forever. It is a perfect balance between fashionable style and comfort. Don’t get it wrong — the athletic vibes of such pieces can create a more refined image in the end than what you initially expect:
- This recipe will showcase your matching skills. Consider a monochromatic palette of colors for canvas high-top sneakers, plaid chinos, a grey hoodie and overcoat, and a white long-sleeve shirt.
- Casual outfits with sweatshirts nail the challenge. A tote bag and a beanie will accessorize a fusion of large-check plaid chinos with a black crew-neck T-shirt beneath an outer layer.
- While grey hoodies are easy to marry with plaid pants of any caliber, bright tie-dye designs shouldn’t be neglected either. A multi-colored fanny pack will be the icing on the cake.
Denim Jackets
If you don’t know how to style your plaid pants beautifully, this item will be a game-changer for you. It is a highway to effortless looks that aren’t boring at all. Here are a few ideas to inspire your creations in the future:
- Those who love casual and cool styles will benefit from matching dark plaid chinos, a burgundy turtleneck, and a blue denim jacket. White sneakers and silver accessories like earrings or bracelets will be an extra touch to breathe more exclusivity into the outfit.
- Take such a jacket off and tie it around the hips to refresh the look. A pair of tan loafers and black sunglasses are an amazing contribution to a white polo.
- Your image can be as close to all-denim vibes as possible. Opt for blueish accents throughout your style and accentuate it with white sneakers and a short-sleeve T-shirt beneath a loose-cut denim jacket and overcoat.
Dressier Plaid Looks
This piece of clothing is a perfect solution to encapsulate masculine charm and introduce retro-inspired vibes with a breeze of modernity. A lot depends on how you utilize your wardrobe and match its items together. With a shirt tied around your hips, you will turn a formal outfit into a more casual version in the twinkle of the eye.
One of the simplest tactics to find out what to wear with plaid dress pants is to put suspenders on. With a white long-sleeve shirt, your image will be complete as it is. Several accessories like bracelets, silk scarves, and sunglasses are fashionable essentials to diversify your outfits with dress plaid pants.
Button-Down Shirts
Lots of silhouettes will be truly helpful. Short- and long-sleeve options will let you adjust your image to ever-changing weather conditions, while slim-fit and loose-cut designs will establish individual impressions of your self-made branding.
Let’s dig into button-down shirts to complete multiple stylish looks:
- Solid — one-toned fabrics will let you present a consistent and balanced image.
- Chambray — although they are visually similar to denim, these shirts are more lightweight and faint-tinted in comparison. Made of cotton plain-weave material, it is a good silhouette to match with a T-shirt.
- Silk — with floral patterns, such pieces are stunning to create a fashionable harmony of textures and colors.
- Linen — cozy looks like these will be extremely comfortable thanks to the breathability of the fabric.
- Denim — more heavyweight versions can serve as an outer layer for colder weather conditions.
Striped shirts are more challenging pieces to work with. They can match plaid pants too, but you have to be careful about the size and color of patterns for a refined look.
Blazers and Sports Coats
These pieces of clothing are pretty simple to coordinate with accessories and a vast number of shirts at your disposal. The versatility of sports coats and blazers lies in how they elevate images with plaid pants, letting this pattern stand out. Whether you consider solid or striped versions, you will benefit from a distinctive flair added to your image:
- Black blazers aren’t the only option to create a gorgeous look. Your suit will be second to none with bright red, purple, or green jackets and distinctive plaid patterns on the chosen pair of pants.
- Sports coats are more casual but let your image remain sophisticated at the same time. A brown-striped sports coat or its navy or grey alternatives are premium-class solutions to begin with.
Sweaters
Both crewneck and turtleneck versions are the core of luxurious images with plaid pants for men. You don’t necessarily have to overwhelm your outfit with other elements — a pair of watches, a belt, and sneakers are something any man can find in his wardrobe.
For a more elevated impression, don’t hesitate to match a sweater with a shirt. Dress shirt collar styles like long button-down, straight point, or spread will be nice accents in the neck area.
Edgy & Trend-Driven
In the era of social media, it is easier to define what to wear with plaid pants and match your style and budget preferences. You don’t have to select simple approaches — contrastive patterns, attention-grabbing colors, and unique fabrics are absolutely worth it.
With the help of plaid pants, it is possible to recreate bad-boy, boss, edgy business, and other vibes:
- T-shirts with recognizable prints, showcasing popular metal music groups with sunglasses, wool hats, and Chukka boots;
- plaid pants with suspenders, white sneakers, and a button-up shirt with a turtleneck sweater beneath;
- street-style looks with puffer jackets and zip hoodies.
Leather Jackets
This piece of clothing is a multifunctional tool to master the science of how to wear plaid pants men’s formal and casual outfits. Given that both fashionable solutions come in a vast number of sizes, colors, and silhouettes, enthusiasts are free to pursue their individual goals in styling.
Here are a few illustrations of how a leather jacket can take your look with plaid pants to the next level:
- Just imagine how unforgettable the combo of brown Chukka boots, vintage pants with purple-red-and-white checks, a white button-up, a red tie, and a black leather jacket can be. With golden watches or silver bracelets to complement the image, the sky is the limit.
- You can go in the opposite direction and opt for grey, white, and black fusion in the image. Put on your favorite hoodie and multilayer it with a leather jacket.
Overcoats
One of the matching strategies to take advantage of is a pair of charcoal plaid pants and a grey overcoat. It creates an elevated look with an effortless chic. Personalize this image as you see it:
- A grey turtleneck and white canvas sneakers with a pair of sunglasses will ensure your magazine-like look. It won’t be lacking in terms of functionality and practical value either.
- A bright accent as a red, green, or blue hoodie or sweater will let you master multilayering and keep your body warm and comfy in any weather. Of course, it will add a fresh note to your grey monochromatic look.
- Overcoats are stunning essentials to bring more formal luxury to the image. If you consider straight-leg or slim-fit pants with minimal checks, a matching waistcoat will present you with total mainstays.
Black, navy blue, and dark brown overcoats will be no less effective from this perspective.
Unique Footwear Pairings
If you don’t want plaid pants to play a formal role in your ensemble, feel free to match them with non-traditional shoes:
- High-top sneakers are rarely seen in statement outfits for men wearing plaid chinos, but they are gorgeous tools to introduce an urban cultural vibe to your image.
- Skate shoes are analogous in function to the category above. With wide-leg or loose-fit pants, they will be a brilliant addition to consider.
- For those seeking adventurous looks with a refined touch, combat boots and driving moccasins will come in handy.
- Another solution for a sophisticated image with plaid pants will be possible thanks to monk strap shoes.
As you see, closed-toe designs are prevailing. Sandals, on the other hand, will be too contrastive and edgy to complete a mens plaid pants outfit.
Choosing Plaid Pants: Patterns & Styles
What image comes to your mind when you think about plaid pants? That unique charm might serve as a primary inspiration for your styling practice, but it is not less crucial to delve into a wide range of plaid patterns and aesthetics for more fashion control and personalization:
- Tartan — incorporating many shades of woven in a Scottish-classic crisscross ensemble with a unique appearance.
- Windowpane — known for its consistent rectangles of squares in the pattern with contrastive shades, which will establish an eye-catching image.
- Houndstooth — a classic motif with four-by-four threats in light and dark tones, which present elevated wardrobe choices for men.
- Gingham — a small-scale pattern with symmetric checks in a bright shade like blue contrasted with white, resulting in a playful and cheerful image.
- Buffalo Check — bold red and black checks, helping create a smooth and cozy fit.
In terms of fit, straight-leg pants are among the safest options to select. If you are a lucky owner of large thighs or waist, it is better to rely on a more relaxed fit. Slim-fit alternatives with cashmere cardigans and long sleeves are a nice match for more official images.
Footwear to Complete the Look
Monkstraps, espadrilles, deck shoes, Chukka boots, and sandals — the realm of male shoes is more vibrant and divergent than it might seem at first. Nonetheless, not every pair is created equally as a perfect match to plaid pants. While you can create personal fashion trends, traditional combos will be a nice tip for beginners and a change of pace for experienced users.
Sneakers
Without a doubt, it is a safe choice to make. Modern fashion trends allow for sneakers to be an exquisite part of casual and elegant ensembles at the same time. So your preference of favorite shoes with plaid pants will let you be up in arms on any occasion.
White, grey, beige, and black sneakers are the most common recommendations to style an image with plaid chinos or alternative types perfectly. To level up the compatibility value of the target pair of shoes, stick to athleisure styles. You don’t require high-performance footwear, but ordering something good for your foot health will be a good bonus.
Boots
On the edge of classic and casual menswear, images with plaid pants with boots like dress and Chelsea footwear are easy to recreate for any man:
- Brown boots, grey plaid chinos, a tan cotton blazer, and a button-up shirt in beige or light blue offer amazing stylish opportunities to diversify your wardrobe.
- Don’t be afraid of bright plaid pants with red and blue shades. They will work exclusively with navy colors and present a wonderfully polished silhouette with a contemporary twist.
- As a rule, brown and black Chelsea boots work with any plaid pant outfit, including those with green or red checks.
- If you consider multicolored dress boots with bespoke prints, take it easy with plaid pants with grey or dark-tinted patterns.
Loafers
This type of footwear will make things work in your favor, especially if you are interested in creating an effortless formal outfit. Depending on what accessories and pants you consider, loafers are exclusive tools for a preppy look within your budget:
- A pair of such shoes can help you create a modern style. Your task is to compensate for the formal vibe of clothes with colors. For instance, a red knit turtleneck is a wonderful solution.
- Black loafers and brown plaid pants are a foolproof solution for multiple occasions. For more climate control, pair it with a trenchcoat. On the other hand, it is a good idea to establish an elegant ensemble with a navy jacket and wide-leg pants with a silk scarf on the neck.
- Brown leather loafers shouldn’t be underestimated either. They are a complementary finish to an image with grey plaid pants and a double-breasted blazer.
Key Takeaways
A plaid pattern in pants opens numerous fashionable opportunities for men. It is a highway to multiple colors to suit individual preferences, year-round use, and a staple appearance. This tool to contribute to the outfit’s visual interest will work, regardless of your body type and age.
Opt for this unusual canvas to experiment with colors and textures for your style. Slim-fit, straight-leg, loose-cut, wide-leg, high-waist — what’s your preference for a smooth and clean silhouette? Let us know in the comments. Share your views on what fashionable combinations we should discuss next.