How to Style Men’s Shirts

Styling a men’s shirt starts with fit, colour balance and occasion. Identify the shirt’s strongest feature—its colour, check, stripe, print or texture—and keep the rest of the outfit controlled.

Choose trousers or denim

Navy, charcoal, black, beige and cream trousers work with a wide range of shirts. Dark denim creates a relaxed smart-casual outfit, while tailored trousers make solid, checked and fine-print shirts more formal. When the shirt has several colours, choose bottoms that repeat one quieter shade or use a neutral.

Style solid shirts

Solid shirts provide the most flexibility for layering and accessories. White, blue and black shirts can be worn with tailored trousers, chinos or denim. A plain shirt also supports a textured jacket or stronger footwear without making the outfit visually crowded.

Style checked, striped and printed shirts

With a checked or printed shirt, use plain bottoms and avoid a competing patterned jacket. Fine stripes can work with tailoring, while bold stripes are better suited to relaxed outfits. Read the checked shirt guide and printed shirt guide for more detail.

Match common colours

• White: navy, black, grey, beige, olive or denim.
• Black: grey, black, beige, cream or dark denim.
• Blue: navy, grey, beige, white or denim.
• Brown and earthy tones: cream, beige, black, olive or dark denim.
• Multicolour prints: a neutral or one quiet shade already present in the print.

Layer the shirt

A plain overshirt, lightweight jacket or blazer can add structure. Keep the outer layer simple when the shirt is patterned. For a solid shirt, a textured or subtly patterned jacket can work when the colours remain coordinated.

Select footwear

Clean sneakers suit casual shirts and denim. Loafers and simple leather shoes work with chinos and tailored trousers. Match the level of formality across the complete outfit rather than trying to match the footwear exactly to the shirt.

Tucked or untucked?

Tucking creates a cleaner, more formal line. Wearing the shirt untucked suits casual settings when the garment length and hem are designed for it. Check the proportions in a mirror with the intended trousers.

Use the men’s shirt size guide before ordering and browse the complete shirt collection.

Frequently asked questions

Can a checked shirt be worn with a blazer?

Yes. Choose a blazer in a plain, related colour and keep the check scale controlled.

What trousers work with a printed shirt?

Plain navy, black, beige, grey or cream trousers are reliable choices.

Should a belt match the shoes?

They do not need to be identical, but coordinating their general tone usually creates a more coherent outfit.