Contents
- 1 How to style navy/blue pants
- 2 18 modern navy/blue pants outfits for men
- 2.1 Loose-fit and cropped navy pants
- 2.2 Navy cargo pants
- 2.3 Blue pleated pants
- 2.4 Tonal blue
- 2.5 Tonal understatement
- 2.6 Navy pant tuck
- 2.7 Navy pants and white T-shirt
- 2.8 Navy chinos with denim
- 2.9 Tailored navy pants
- 2.10 Navy sports luxe
- 2.11 Make chinos interesting
- 2.12 Rugged and refined
- 2.13 Slim-fit navy chinos
- 2.14 Off-duty navy suit trousers
- 2.15 Wide-leg navy pants
- 2.16 Navy and green
- 2.17 Navy on navy
- 2.18 Cropped navy pants
Navy and blue pants are the cornerstones for many a cool look, so we’ll show you exactly how to use them to create effortless fits no matter what your personal style.
Navy and blue trousers are some of the most common styles of pants in menswear. Virtually everyone owns a pair of blue pants, whether in the form of denim jeans, cotton chinos or smart worsted wool trousers, so it makes sense then that you should know how to style them in myriad ways to get the most out of your wardrobe.
The great thing about blue trousers is their versatility, being easy to dress up or down to suit the occasion and your mood. They are the glue that will bind together so many different aspects of your wardrobe, so it’s crucial you know exactly what to look for to maximize their potential.
Play with the silhouette
Buck Mason
Perhaps the most important feature when it comes to determining the ‘character’ of your blue trousers is the cut or silhouette. The shape is critical in defining the look and can completely change your entire aesthetic.
For example, a pair of gradually tapered navy wool trousers are going to have much more of a traditional look than, say, a pair of navy cropped carrot pants, which are just leagues more contemporary. Wide-leg chinos have a more modern and casual appeal than slim tapered versions, but will be practically useless to you if you have a classic sartorial wardrobe.
Understand your preferred aesthetic and hone in on the pant silhouettes that give you the most styling options within that remit.
Use texture to your advantage
Luca Faloni
Understanding how the texture and tactility of fabrics can elevate your look is crucial when trying to pull together great outfits, and is especially important if you prefer to stick to a tight, dark color palette.
Texture – be it in the form of corduroy, wool or slubby linen – can really elevate your fits, bringing a wonderful sense of depth and tactility. Texture creates interest and contrast, and can be the difference between a good look and a great one.
When creating your own looks, try to contrast smooth textures with tactile ones, shiny ones with matte ones, and rich dense piles with thin barely-there fabrics. In terms of pants, think about the different types of wool, cotton and linen fabrics you can deploy to bring out all of the diverse nuances of navy and blue.
Use tones to change the mood
Ralph Lauren
If there’s one thing that color can do it’s alter our mood, and the same goes for our wardrobe. Navy, being dark, is naturally muted and reserved, and has long been considered a ‘professional’ color, hence why it’s perfect for a suit or tailored separates. Apply it to more casual silhouettes and you still get a sense of elevation (navy is great if you prefer a minimalist aesthetic for example).
But the spectrum of blue is diverse, with electric and azure blue tones bringing a shock of color, while pale blue and pastel tones have a much softer appeal. Mixing up these various hues in tonal blue outfits is always a good idea, creating a simple yet effective look brimming with elegance.
Wax London
While navy tones always offer a smart edge, the casual appeal of these trousers comes from the contemporary silhouette, being both baggy and cropped.
Styled with a simple white tee and a check overshirt, the look boasts plenty of texture and pattern without having to go wild with the color palette.
Super easy to pull together, any guy could whip this off-duty look up without any fuss.
Slowear
This outfit would have been equally as effective had the navy pants been classic tapered chinos, but the addition of cargo pants creates a more athletic aesthetic.
The green cable knit turtleneck delivers a punch of color and texture, while the light tan jacket adds an elevated utility to the look.
Blue pleated pants
Reiss
Pleated trousers have been on a tear in recent seasons, bringing a more casual attitude to the tailored scene. Single pleats offer a little more room around the hips, and from a visual point of view, create neat visual elements.
This look opts for a pale blue style, cut quite slim and tapered too, for a svelte silhouette, all of which is complemented with a camp collar polo and a cropped olive green trucker.
The textures are subtle and the tones are muted, but the look shouts confidence.
Tonal blue
Reiss
When we mentioned earlier that mixing up blue tones to create a monochrome look was a good idea, this is the sort of thing we were thinking about.
Classic navy blue tapered chinos bookended with some minimalist white kicks create a really strong base for the outfit, complemented with the white tee and open denim shirt.
As simple as it comes but so effective.
Tonal understatement
Lululemon
If you’re ever lacking style inspiration, just start with some navy trousers and work your way up. This look incorporates a straight-leg style with a slight crop and pairs them with autumnal tones in the ochre T-shirt and putty grey shacket.
Proof that you don’t need to shout to make a statement.
Luca Faloni
If you don’t own a pair of pleated pants, then you should probably put them on your wishlist, because you’re beginning to see their versatility.
This time they are combined with a simple grey T-shirt, neatly tucked into the waistband, and lo-fi minimalist sneakers. Perfect for a relaxed office, layer over a well-fitting overshirt, blouson or sports coat and you will have a great business-casual vibe.
Wax London
As dance partners go, navy and white are the unequivocal masters, sashaying into virtually any style of menswear, from elegant sartorial looks to contemporary streetwear aesthetics. This look leans more to the latter thanks to the straight-leg cropped navy pants and the boxy white tee, underscored with the New Balance kicks and gold chain.
Add some texture via a brushed wool overshirt and you’ve got a great modern casual look.
Bonobos
The denim jacket is a classic piece of menswear and an icon of Americana. It also happens to combine brilliantly with navy blue trousers, as evidenced here.
This look has opted for a pair of slim-fit tapered chinos and suede boots for a rugged modern aesthetic, but you could quite easily swap them out for a loose cropped style and bookend the look with sneakers for a more contemporary fit.
GANT
A great pair of tailored flat-front navy pants can form the basis of a modern minimalist aesthetic, as perfectly demonstrated here. The sharp lines of the trousers set the tone for the rest of the look, which consists of an elegantly layered overshirt over a chunky turtleneck sweater.
Once again, the color palette is muted, allowing the silhouettes and fabrics to do all the talking.
Loro Piana
A beautifully cut pair of lightweight navy pants would typically be worn smartly, but this look nicely subverts this presumption by combining them with a modern technical zip-through blouson and polo shirt.
The combination of navy top and bottom maintains a polished casual aesthetic while the addition of the blue cap underscores the sporty attitude.
Make chinos interesting
Wax London
OK, that’s slightly misleading. All blue chinos can be interesting, it’s just how you style them that matters. It helps if your pants have something different about them – in this case, the boxy cut with a cropped finish, and the rich hue.
All that’s left to do is add contrast by way of a cleverly layered combination of cream short-sleeve shirt and white tee.
The tonality of the top half is sophisticated, but it’s the trousers that do all the heavy lifting here.
Rugged and refined
Luca Faloni
If you could look up the definition of ‘rugged yet refined menswear outfit’, this look would probably come pretty close.
Navy blue trousers tapering perfectly into the shape of the Chelsea boots, complemented with a dark cotton shirt and a beautifully textural shawl neck ribbed cardigan.
There’s a whiff of Steve McQueen to it, which is never a bad thing.
Club Monaco
Slim-fit pant styles aren’t to everyone’s tastes, but if you’re of a slight build then they can be your best friend.
These slim navy chinos provide a great neutral canvas for integrating brighter colors, in this case a pale blue camp collar shirt layered over a white tee.
It’s an effective summer outfit that has overtures of refinement while being inherently casual at the same time.
Blugiallo
Most of us have a navy suit knocking around in our wardrobes, but rarely do we ever think about breaking it up and wearing as separates. A worsted wool suit jacket can be tricky to integrate into other looks, whereas the trousers are much more versatile.
In this case, they come with single pleats, which makes them more informal, and are worn with a smart cream shacket and off-white T-shirt.
The navy sneakers are a nice touch to underscore the casual intentions.
Zara
Wide-leg pants are not for everybody but they can serve up a whole gamut of different looks, and not just casual ones either. This outfit definitely leans to the casual side, using the baggy silhouette of the pants to balance out the soft shape of the hoodie.
The nice subtle touch is the white shirt, which adds a hint of something tailored to the ensemble, as well as providing a sliver of contrast to separate top from bottom.
Frank & Oak
We’ve already seen how navy and white make for excellent partners, but blue and green tones are also extremely effective together and a breeze to style.
The good thing is most shades of the two colors work well together, from pastel tones to much bolder hues. That said, combining those in the same ballpark is a foolproof plan, as this look proves.
Slowear
Once again the pleated navy trouser comes to the fore, this time in a relaxed and casual shape.
The addition of the sleek navy hoodie with a peep of white T-shirt underneath utilizes the navy/white relationship well, but it’s the top-to-toe navy that creates an effective dark base upon which to layer over the beautifully textural tan suede jacket.
Alex Mill
Once again, the classic combination of navy and white is deployed, this time with another great navy dance partner, green.
But what makes this look sing from a different hymn sheet is the silhouette of the pants, with the accentuated crop making them appear so much more contemporary and cool.