Fall is the introduction of a blast of colors into the world. The green outdoors becomes a kaleidoscope of reds, oranges, yellows, and browns. Your wardrobe may be going the other way at times when you lose the bright hues of the summertime wardrobe to substitute the fall browns, grays, and blues. In particular, you may have found that your pant wardrobe is full of brown pants.
Whether they are wool, cotton, flannel, fleece lined, or corduroy, brown seems to be the color that is always on display during this time of year. While they may be in style, knowing how to wear brown pants is the best way to keep them from feeling stale and boring. Here is all you need to know to keep your brown pants (lighter beiges all the way to darker chocolates) stylish this fall.
Wear neutrals and earth tones
What colors go with brown? Are there any rules? Well, the short answer is kind of. The long and more complicated answer is that you need to consider the color of your brown. For instance, if you are wearing a brown that is on the darker side, then black is a color you want to stay away from. Often (there are always exceptions), wearing black with dark brown looks more like a mistake than an innovative style choice. The best colors to opt for when wearing any color brown are earth tones like other browns, beige, gray, and green. These keep the color palette less complicated for you.
That doesn’t mean you cannot wear other colors. In many ways, especially the lighter tones of brown, like beige and tan, can be worn with almost anything you want. If you are wearing tan pants, that is when black can feel innovative. The earth tones look more classic, while the others are more innovative and creative.
Wear patterns
Brown pants can feel boring if you don’t do what you can to liven them up. While they can feel a little subdued and lifeless, they are designed to be that way for a very specific reason. These pants are made to slink into the background and let the top half of your ensemble do all the talking. If you want to liven up your brown pants, the best way is to adopt a pattern on your shirt. That doesn’t mean going crazy; it never means going crazy. What it means is that if you have a shirt that takes thought to wear with other items in your closet, your brown pants are likely the perfect companion.
Pro tip: If your shirt is a little too bright and out of left field, your pants can disappear entirely, and the whole outfit will look out of balance and top-heavy. Tasteful patterns are the best way to go in this situation.
Wear the right shoes
Almost any great outfit comes down to the shoes. If you have an elevated outfit, the wrong shoe can completely ruin it and make the entire ensemble look out of whack. Conversely, a subpar outfit or too casual look can be saved and/or elevated by finding the perfect pair of shoes. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what the best shoes are for your brown pants in a few different situations.
- Wool dress pants- If you are wearing brown wool dress pants, there is never a better substitution than a great pair of brown oxfords. The one thing to think about is the contrasting browns. If they are close but slightly off, it may be better to go with a pair of cognac or tan shoes to create a contrast on purpose.
- Brown denim- If you are rocking the alternative denim colors and go with a pair of brown jeans, keep the rugged look going strong with the rugged cap-toe boot. If you are wearing white or a light-colored tee on top, go more casual with a pair of white sneakers.
- Brown chinos- These are great between the dress pants and the boot, and therefore, you can do the same with the shoes. A good pair of suede chukka boots or leather chelsea (depending on whether you want to lean more casual or dress) is the perfect bridge between the two looks.
Dressy monochrome
We’re going to get a little broad stroke for our last tip here. In the general sense, the more monochrome you go, the more elevated and dressy the ensemble will look. The more contrast you have, the more casual your look will be. Again, much of that depends on what you are wearing; a white dress shirt with dark brown dress pants will still look more elevated and dressed up than dark brown jeans and dark brown polo. But if you want to elevate your casual look, dial back the contrast, and your brown pants will start to look more like your go-to dress pants.
Now that the fall is here, the brown pants are ready to shine. Deadpool may like it when his enemies wear their brown pants, but you will look a lot better than Francis.
