What Colours To Wear With Green Shorts: 8 Foolproof Shirt Options

There’s a very good reason why everyone loves the colour green: it sits right in the middle of the spectrum at a wavelength of around 555 nanometres, which is where our eyes are at the peak of their perception.

Not only are our eyes naturally drawn to it, but it also suits every type of skin tone, while having a huge range of hues itself, from dark forest green through to bright acid green. As such, it boasts a fantastic range of summer-appropriate shades that provide the perfect canvas for both contrasting and complementing colours.

In the guise of shirts, there couldn’t be an easier colour to incorporate than green, leaving you open to myriad styling options for your top half, the best of which we’ve outlined below.

Green shorts with a beige shirt

Beige, off-white and cream tones are all excellent dance partners with the gamut of green since they offer a good degree of contrast no matter what the tone of shorts.

Where a white shirt can sometimes look a touch formal, a beige style negates that, especially when it comes in a soft fabric such as brushed cotton, or a textural cloth like linen or knitted jersey.

Green linen shorts with a beige linen safari shirt

Beige is anything but boring, especially when you incorporate the beautiful texture of linen into your outfit. This safari shirt really brings out the casual characteristics of linen, while being perfectly paired with green linen shorts.

The aesthetic is refined yet relaxed, giving off old money vibes, and goes with anything from tennis pumps and espadrilles to sandals and loafers.

Stone grey shorts with a beige overshirt

The neutrality and texture of these stone grey shorts are what really brings out the buttery cream tones of the boxy overshirt and the off-white hues in the sneakers.

There are no bells and whistles, just a very simple tonal contrast that creates an easy-on-the-eye fit that will look good on everyone.

Dark green shorts with a beige camp collar shirt

To create a stronger separation between your top and bottom halves, opt for a darker shade of green to give your beige shirt greater contrast.

In this case, the Cuban collar shirt is layered over a simple white tee to give the outfit a bit more depth, while the brown suede deck shoes sign off with some preppy appeal.

Green shorts with a blue shirt

Green and blue are a fantastic summer pairing provided you pick your colours wisely. Ultimately, you should avoid wearing two strong tones together, so if your shorts are a bold shade of green, opt for a softer shade of blue, and vice versa.

Otherwise, combining soft shades of both is also a great method – i.e. baby blue with pastel green. As ever, when going for softer shades, think about fabric texture and tactility to elevate the colour combination.

Blue linen shirt with olive green chino shorts

This is a cracking smart-casual look for the summer months, perfectly incorporating sartorial elements with great tonality and texture.

It’s the tailored nature of the shorts that set the bar, leaving the textural blue shirt with all the easy work of catching the eye.

The grey suede deck shoes are a nice neutral touch to wrap up the look. An unstructured blazer layered over the top takes this look up another level.

Light green shorts with a denim shirt

With just the merest hint of pistachio green in them, these shorts provide a really versatile canvas for the blue denim shirt.

While these two colours are pleasing individually, and work together well, it’s their textural makeup that makes this look above average – especially when contrasted with the tan suede loafers for a sophisticated off-duty vibe.

Moss green shorts with a blue camp collar shirt

These rich green shorts are an excellent foil for the showpiece item in this look – the sky blue polo camp collar shirt.

Wearing it unbuttoned and loose allows you to add the vest as a contrasting layer which gives the outfit a more interesting dimension.

Green shorts with a navy shirt

Whether you prefer a smart wardrobe with sartorial elements or like to keep an off-duty workwear vibe, navy plays a critical role. It’s one of the few tones that instantly upgrades a look thanks to its depth of colour, providing sophistication and versatility in equal measure.

When brought together with green shorts, there’s a natural symbiosis between the two colours that makes pairing them very difficult to get wrong.

Tailored green shorts with a navy cotton shirt

It’s difficult to know what to call this shade of green, but whatever it is we love it.

A stronger tone might have distracted from the clean tailored lines of the shorts, and certainly would have not allowed for such a crisp division between the rich navy shirt (made all the better by a tan woven belt).

Green drawstring shorts with a navy overshirt

On a more casual tip, this look incorporates a more workwear-oriented aesthetic thanks to the casual green shorts and the navy overshirt.

Layered over a simple grey tee for some extra depth, the soft overshirt features bellow pockets which are a nice off-duty detail. This outfit would also look great with cargo shorts.

Pastel green Bermuda shorts with a navy polo shirt

The tapered silhouette of these pastel green Bermudas provides a smarter shape but one that requires a fitted look up top to keep the look svelte and in sync.

That comes courtesy of a navy fitted polo shirt, which should be a staple in year-round wardrobes because of its versatility.

A classic cotton piqué polo will do the job but you can elevate the look by opting for a knitted style in merino, or a cotton/silk blend.

Green shorts with a green shirt

We’re big fans of a tonal fit whatever the season because it looks effortlessly chic and is a doddle to style. Tonal green vibes are perfect for summer, letting you experiment with any number of green combinations and fabric configurations.

Once you’ve got the tones and textures nailed down, you can play with the silhouettes to keep things interesting.

Pale green shorts with a khaki green T-shirt

This combination of earthy green tones is a great way to project an off-duty attitude using an understated palette, while still looking nicely put together.

Though it’s inherently casual, with the simple addition of a green safari jacket or overshirt you can completely transform the look.

Teal green shorts with a pale green patterned shirt

There’s a lot to love about this strong tonal combination, and it proves that sticking to just one or two colours is anything but restrictive.

The white vest is key to setting off the pattern of the shirt, while the teal tone of the shorts is a bold one, made all the more effective thanks to the texture of the fabric.

A great off-duty look every which way you shake it.

Dark green shorts with a light green polo shirt

This is a great outfit for anyone with an athletic physique as the silhouettes of both the polo and the shorts help to accentuate a muscular figure.

As for the greens, well they just complement each other really nicely, accentuated by the green accents on the sneakers.

The stripe detail on the polo helps to add some contrast, too.

Green shorts with a pink shirt

Whenever pink comes into a styling equation, the important thing to consider is always the intensity of the tone, whether it’s as a block colour or a pattern. Soft pastel pinks are a safe play but you shouldn’t rule out bolder hues or prints if you want to make more of a statement.

In both cases, balancing out the pink with more muted greens is the way to go, so think olive, khaki, pale mint and such like.

Stripes, floral motifs and geometric patterns are all effective ways to introduce pink accents if you don’t want to go the whole pink hog.

Khaki green cotton shorts with a pink striped shirt

A great resort look or a summer weekend set-up, this combination of khaki green shorts and pink stripe shirt works perfectly since both the tones are of equal weighting.

The pink’s not too bold, and is balanced out by the green, but it’s the geometry of the stripes that really lifts the combination.

The rolled-back sleeves and lo-fi white sneakers ensure the vibe remains laid-back and easy going.

Mint green tailored shorts with a pink short-sleeve shirt

Proving that pink can be a serious colour, this look combines a quite punchy tone of mint green with a similarly strong pink shirt.

The structure of the shirt and the tailored details of the shorts really elevate the aesthetic, making it a slick smart-casual option that you could pair with a cream linen jacket.

Olive green cargo shorts with a pink camp collar shirt

Bringing the fun, statement-making resort vibes is this pattern-rich pink camp collar shirt, which riffs on a traditional Hawaiian Aloha shirt.

While we’ve seen these types of tropical shirts worn with tailoring a lot recently, this time round it stays firmly in casual territory with a versatile pair of olive cargo shorts.

Green shorts with a white shirt

It should come as no surprise that a white shirt, polo or tee is an excellent combination with green shorts, because white is equally excellent with all colours. It is a great canvas to set up other tones with, and it’s pretty effortless too, so you don’t need to put much thought into it.

Whether it’s a classic James Dean-style T-shirt or a slightly more formal white cotton shirt, there isn’t a pair of green shorts that won’t complement the look.

Khaki green shorts with a white T-shirt

Proof that good style can be totally effortless, the combination of this white T-shirt with the soft olive green tone of the shorts is cool, casual and can be rustled up without much consideration.

Just add canvas high-tops and you can’t go wrong.

Green tapered shorts with a white camp collar shirt

Bringing the ‘Our Man in Havana’ vibes is this white camp collar shirt that has been combined with a pair of tapered green shorts.

The camp collar style has exploded in recent years and now looks set to remain a key part of discerning summer wardrobes so having a plain white one on hand is always a good idea.

This outfit fares well with all manner of shoe styles too, giving you the dexterity to make it smart or casual as you require it.

Pastel green cotton chino shorts with a plain white shirt

Much like the look above, only this time the formality is raised a touch with the addition of the plain white shirt.

The rolled up sleeves maintain a casual attitude, and while the silhouette and detailing of the shorts are quite formal, the pastel green tone keeps the whole outfit light and fun.

Green shorts with a grey shirt

The combination of green and grey is an understated one perfect for casual fits. When green shorts are part of the equation, you always want to opt for a lighter tone of grey, otherwise the look can appear too muted.

A light grey top gives the green shorts their moment in the sun, so you can afford to experiment with various hues: teal for a standout look, or olive/khaki tones for a less expressive but equally as stylish workwear aesthetic.

Moss green drawstring shorts with a grey crew neck jumper

OK, so while not a shirt, we felt that we had to include this combination when we saw it just because it’s a great duo for cool late summer nights.

The tone of the tones is deep and rich, and would therefore be great with many lighter tone shirts, too. But the textural element of the fine ribs of the crew neck bring a tactile dimension to the fit, and the green accents on the kicks are a nice touch, too.

Green cotton shorts with a light grey polo shirt

This outfit is straight out of the modern preppy handbook, and would have looked as stylish in the 50s as it does today.

A timeless pair of green cotton shorts with a classic cut combined with the irrefutable cool of the grey polo shirt makes for a versatile look that you can dress up with a linen safari jacket and loafers, or keep it casual with some traditional espadrilles.

Olive green shorts with a grey Henley shirt

The Henley shirt was originally designed as an undergarment, which together with the collarless construction still means that it’s regarded as a very casual piece of menswear.

With the olive green shorts, it creates a laid-back aesthetic that’s very easy to wear. You can throw over a lightweight cotton cardigan or brushed cotton overshirt in another neutral tone such as navy to give the outfit a bit more depth.

Green shorts with a black shirt

Much like with grey shorts, the secret to matching green shorts with a black shirt or top lies in the specific tone of green you choose.

As a general rule, the more muted end of the green spectrum will work best, so think about olive tones, khaki green, forest green hues, that sort of ballpark. This way you’ll create a more cohesive top half and bottom half.

There are better colours than green to off-set the black shirt, such as white and grey, but that’s not the goal here. You want to use texture and tone instead to complement the black shirt rather than contrast it.

Pale green chino shorts with a black shirt

Simple but effective, this look uses a black shirt layered over a white T-shirt for a pop of eye-catching contrast, while allowing the pale green understated chino shorts to do the unsung background work.

The addition of white sneakers to reference the T-shirt rounds off the outfit nicely.

Green drawstring shorts with a black overshirt

Rather than opting for a perfectly chic black monochrome look, the addition of the rich green shorts dials down what would have been quite a serious outfit by injecting a bit of colour to break up the two halves.

Teal green chino shorts with a black polo

Here’s a great example of how to easily incorporate a bolder hue of green with a black top. In this case, the teal shorts add a strong pop of colour which is kept restrained by the casual black polo.

Any other colour might have been overkill with the teal, but black just keeps a lid on it.