What Color Shirt Goes With Tan Pants? (Visual Guide)

Although seen as both a neutral and natural color, it’s not necessarily as easy to match with other colors as white, black, and gray tend to be. So, what color shirt goes with tan pants?

In addition to white, the best shirt colors to wear with tan pants are light blue, dark blue, forest green, gray, and black. You can also pair tan pants with shades of maroon.

Let’s answer the question of what color shirt goes with tan pants and ensure that the next time you pair it, you won’t look dull, washed out, mismatched, or any other potential perils.

So without further ado, here are the best color shirts that go with tan pants.

What Color Shirt Goes With Tan Pants

Tan has etymological ties to the bark of oak trees, so it’s no wonder this color has become a staple neutral in many men’s wardrobes. It elicits the feeling of warmth, security, and comfort.

If you’re wondering what to wear with tan pants and need help creating outfits, there are fortunately a handful of excellent shirt color options that will match quite well.

You can never go wrong with pairing a white shirt with tan pants, but let’s look at other colors that can do the job. Not including white, here are 5 shirt colors that go well with tan pants:

1. Light Blue Shirt

Light blue is suave and chic while maintaining a sense of friendliness. The best way to wear this look is to sport a business-casual button-up dress shirt with light tan pants and white shoes.

You can go with either a brown or a black belt because both will do a great job tying the look together. Black belts will look slightly more formal, while brown will look more casual.

This style is appropriate for the office, especially because it’s easy to make it more casual for happy hour after work simply by rolling up the sleeves and unbuttoning the top two buttons.

Overall, you can’t go wrong with tan pants and a light blue shirt, perhaps because it reminds people of the beach, with its tan sand and blue waters. And who doesn’t love the beach?

2. Dark Blue Shirt

A dark blue shirt paired with tan pants can also be suitable for the office. However, it’s best for a bold-casual look since the contrast is quite stark and eye-catching.

If you wear this look for business-casual or semi-formal occasions, we suggest pairing it with a black belt, black tie, and matching black shoes, which will create an overall sleeker look.

But if you desire a more casual getup, you can rock a dark-blue t-shirt and tan pants with white or black sneakers or slippers. The key here is to develop a contrast between the two colors.

Since tan and dark blue is a familiar pairing, you may want to spruce this look up. Try adding a few additional elements to your outfits, such as a gold watch or a patterned pocket square.

3. Forest Green Shirt

Green is a notoriously challenging color to pair with clothing due to the wide range of tones and brightness it can come in. However, forest green goes exceptionally well with nature-forward colors, including brown, gray, dark blue, and – you guessed it – tan!

Tan pants with a forest green shirt look inviting, humble, warm, and soothing. This is the perfect combination for a relaxed evening or a dinner party, especially during the fall season.

Given its simple, easygoing nature, this look also works well for men with tattoos, piercings, or lots of bold accessories. This is because it will allow these design elements to stand out while simultaneously adding a softer, more dynamic element to the overall style.

4. Gray Shirt

A gray shirt with tan pants is the ultimate casual and comfortable combination. This look is not about coming off bold or assertive. Instead, this combination exudes comfort and relaxation.  

You can wear this outfit as a gray t-shirt and a casual tan shirt. If the shirt is lighter, opt for slightly darker tan pants, and if the shirt is a darker gray, you can get away with a lighter tan. This slight contrast will add a bit of depth to your casual look.

Of course, sneakers are the ideal footwear for this laid-back outfit. You can go with any color shoe you’d like since the rest of the outfit is neutral and basic.

It might even be fun to play around with a bolder color like red, especially if you’re looking to highlight your new kicks. But the most versatile shoe options will be black, white, or beige.

5. Black Shirt

A black shirt with tan pants has the opposite effect of a gray or light blue shirt with tan pants. Instead of looking calm, you’ll look confident, ready to take on whatever the night may bring.

This look has a slightly militaristic appeal to it, giving off a “don’t mess with me” kind of attitude.

It also has a sense of sophistication and refinement, which makes it great for bar-hopping or heading out to a nice dinner. The black shirt and tan pants combo will surely make you look bold.

For a black shirt and tan pants combo, you’ll definitely want to wear black shoes to complete the look. Boots or all-black sneakers will get the job done and complete the intelligent, fearless look.

What To Wear With Tan Pants (Extra Tips)

Tan pants are far from ordinary. You now understand what color shirts go with tan pants, but here are a few more helpful tips for best styling these pants year-round.

  • Tan pants can be very dark or very light, and which one you prefer will depend on whether you are looking to complement or contrast the shirt color with it. To be safe, try these shirt color options with a light-to-medium color tan first.
  • You can wear tan pants at any time of year. Light blue and white shirts are optimal in the summer and spring months, while in the fall and winter months, black, dark blue, and forest green are the best colors to pair them with.
  • Shoe color can be tricky when it comes to wearing tan pants. You have more options when the tan color is very light, as you can get away with light red, light blue, or white shoes. But in general, stick with brown, light gray, or black shoes.
  • Casual looks with tan pants often include gray, black, or forest green shirts, while business or formal looks often include light blue, dark blue, and black shirts.

Conclusion

Many men and women have tan pants in their closets, but it’s not always easy to figure out how to pair them and what sort of aura you will be giving off with each pairing.

We hope this article helped you figure out what to wear with tan pants and, more specifically, what color shirt goes with tan pants. All the color combinations work for men and women.

Whether you want a sleek, chic look, a clean, business-focused appearance, or a striking, bold getup, there’s a shirt color that will help you achieve your desired outfit goals.

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