How To Wear Blue Checked Trousers

I just realized I’m getting hundreds of style questions from readers… so I figured I’d share some of my answers with you.

Chances are you’ve come across a pair of blue checked pants already and, because you didn’t have a clue on what to wear them with, you didn’t even give them the chance by trying them on.

Here’s the question I received today from Mark:

I have a blue checked trouser and I want to know on how I can match it with a slim tie and a half coat. By the way, I am slim and tall so all my clothes are fit. I never wear baggy clothes.

Now, there’s one crucial thing missing from his question, and that is the color of the checks. But that’s not really important. The second color can be anything really.

The thing I appreciate most from Mark’s question is the fact that, although he’s tall and thin, he makes sure his clothes fit him perfectly. Men who have this body type often have trouble finding clothes that fit them well and, more often than not, they end up wearing baggy clothes.

Now, on to matching those checked trousers.

Mark specifically said he wants to match them with a slim tie and a half coat. As I couldn’t find the term “half coat” anywhere, I assumed he’s referring to a pea coat.

If you have a pair of blue pants, with or without checks, a navy pea coat is the best way to match them. Navy is actually a really dark blue and, if your pants have a stronger shade of blue, you will see that pea coat just come to life.

Here’s me wearing a navy pea coat and a par of bright blue jeans:

Now, in Mark’s question there are a few things missing. He wants to know how to match trousers with a pea coat and a tie, but he doesn’t say anything about the shirt and the vest or sweater that comes on top of it.

Matching two garments implies that they share the same color. So if your goal is to match your blue pants with your tie, then you’re gonna need a blue tie. But then you have to think about the shirt. What color is it? If it’s also blue, that might be too much.

So it only makes sense to talk about the entire outfit.

Ok. Blue checked pants, blue tie navy pea coat, then what? How about a white shirt? That will contrast nicely with the tie.

As far as the top is concerned, how about you try and match it with your shoes? Crazy, I know but give it a go.

Since you have navy in your outfit, it’s best to wear brown shoes instead of black. And that means to go for a brown top (a v-neck or a vest). Or, you can wear a navy waistcoat that matched your pea coat.

Finally, add a brown belt and a pair of brown or blue shoes and you’re done!

Remember: this is just a suggestion. You might not find it the top that you want or the right tie. So what I recommend is that you form your eye by looking at other stylish outfits… making it easier for you to assemble your own.