Hopefully it’s obvious to anyone reading this that men’s dress shirts are not only for work, formal events or snobby gentlemen’s social clubs. They are, or at least should be, the backbone of every man’s casual wardrobe – every man, that is, old enough to do his own taxes – and are just as welcome in the office as in any bar, bakery or bookstore. But, you may be wondering, what about pairing a dress shirt with that other paragon of relaxed fashion, jeans?
In general, unless you’re a monocle-toting dandy or hold hereditary title, wearing a dress shirt with jeans is perfectly acceptable. Just as dress shirts have come down to be embraced by the everyman, jeans have come a long way in cleaning up their unrefined ways and when these two forces combine nothing can stop them from creating the ultimate classy but casual outfit.
Well, maybe we shouldn’t say “nothing” because it’s actually a little bit more complicated than that. Not every shirt goes well with every pair of jeans, mind you, and subtle variations in your top/bottom combination will radically alter your look.
Since jeans are usually a bit snugger and stiffer than most other kinds of pants, they usually work best with slim fit shirts – if you can get away with wearing slim fit shirts, that is. You can decide for yourself, based on your body and personal style, how slim you want to look and organize your outfit accordingly, but for athletic/fit guys a form flattering shirt paired with standard boot-cut or straight-leg jeans is a pretty safe bet.
Also, keep in mind the length of your hem, since staying casual is going to mean going untucked. Beware of low rise jeans and short hem lines; but as long as the side of your shirt doesn’t go above your belt, even when you’re stretching, you should be fine.
As far as colors and patterns go, both for your jeans and your shirt, here is where things can get a little tricky. There is some debate about whether stripes and checks can be worn well with jeans, but we think they can be fine as long as either pattern isn’t too loud or noticeable. Wearing a shirt covered with bright, contrasting color plaids and skinny leg denims is a great look for hipsters; while putting checks together with jeans creates more of a Wild West/rodeo vibe. If you’re shirt is pushing either of these extremes, you may as well finish the job with an oversized belt buckle or Buddy Holly glasses.
Black and white, two deceptively simple colors to match with jeans, can also be hit or miss. A white shirt and jeans combo is pretty conservative, especially with faded denim, but looks best on men over 40. For younger guys who tend to over-groom, beware of black since it can easily make you look too slick and insincere.
If you’re more into lighter, brighter monochrome shirts – colors like pale pink or mint green, for example – stick with jeans that are little more on the blue side. For dark washed denims though, deeper shades of red, green and grey can work really well, especially if your jeans have complementary color stitching along the seams. Watch out with any shade of blue though if you’re trying to avoid the handyman look (which is actually popular in some circles this season), since an all blue jean and shirt ensemble just has too much of a menial labor/work uniform look about it.
Ultimately, jeans can be just as complicated to coordinate with your dress shirt collection as any other kind of pants. It may take some study before you can get it right, but for a pure and relaxed look, nothing will look better than denim.
Tags: Advice, Casual Wear, Fabric, Pants
