What Colours To Wear With Green Pants: 7 Foolproof Shirt Options

For many guys, green pants are the ‘other’ option for trousers. If the vast majority of our go-to pants are black, navy and khaki, green styles are next in line – less expected, less common but every bit as versatile. 

Proof comes in the fact that you can wear practically any shirt colour with green pants. Smart or casual, green can work as a neutral that pairs with light and dark shades.

Olive green and other military-themed tones are usually best; the earthy, natural character has a grounding effect on your look. Complementing all skin tones, as well as shirt styles and footwear options, it’s easy going green. Here are the best shirt colours to wear with it.

Green pants with a white shirt

Crisp, clean, earthy and elegant, wearing green pants with a white shirt is a failsafe look for the warmer months.

Working with tailored trousers as well as more off-duty khakis, a staple white Oxford shirt is always a good bet. But don’t rule out linen styles and overshirts, too.

Green tailored pants with a white linen shirt

White linen shirts are your go-to when you want your tailoring a degree or two more casual. It’s a great way to style more formal green pants because together, the duo offers a deliberate alternative to the more obvious (and more formal) option of navy pants with a regular dress shirt.

The look also works with a broader range of footwear, from the espadrille-style loafers above to something like a chestnut Derby shoe.

Green tailored pants with open white overshirt

Think urban safari with this combination of green khaki pants and a generously proportioned overshirt. It’s another example of how green pants with a white shirt works as a considered smart-casual outfit – relaxed but just tailored enough.

A tucked T-shirt underneath lets the proportions of the overshirt stand out while the minimalist sneakers complete the look. 

Green cargo pants with open white shirt

To make green and white more casual, go looser with both the trousers and the shirt. A relaxed-fit cargo pant brings instant weekend vibes, while the addition of an open linen shirt makes the outfit versatile enough for the beach or city.

Note the accessories working in tandem: sandals, sunglasses and jewellery all landing the off-duty aesthetic.

Green pants with a blue shirt

Blue and green should never be seen, or so the old saying goes. Fortunately, we’ve all moved on from outdated style rules that never made sense in the first place.

Green pants with a blue shirt works to debunk the myth that these colours are too similar in tone – as long as you have some contrast somewhere in the look, it’s a calming, casual match-up that brings to mind aquatic and countryside scenes.

Green chino pants with a petrol blue polo shirt

Green chinos are a year-round staple that pair easily with other versatile wardrobe heroes, like the blue polo shirt above.

The darker olive of the trousers chimes with the petrol blue top, while the accessories come in noticeably lighter and darker shades to bring some contrast to the look.

A no-brainer for weekends and work days alike.

Green carpenter pants with a light blue shirt

Here’s a good example of a darker green trouser paired with a lighter blue shirt. Even with a more formal shirt, this is still a casual combo, and the sockless sneakers, open shirt cuffs and white undershirt reinforce the playful mix of dress codes.

Green cuffed pants with a blue stripe shirt

If you’re battling a traditionalist tendency to avoid green and blue, one way to make it easier is to introduce some pattern. The white stripes on the shirt above work with the tee and sneakers to make this a trio of colours rather than a double-act.

Another casual get-up, the cuffed pants offset the more formal shirt to ground the look in your off-duty rotation. 

Green pants with a brown shirt

Consolidate your salt-of-the-earth image with a never-more-natural combo of green and brown. Because they appear together in nature, these colours are easy on the eye and easy to style too, bringing a homey and folksy character to your look.

That’s not to say it can’t look refined: safari and country-gent vibes are also in the mix.

Light green chino pants with a brown safari shirt

Whether you’re ticking off the Big 5 in South Africa or sweating it in an overcooked city this summer, a safari shirt is always a good look. Masculine and rugged but also refined and practical, the style works perfectly with a pair of green chinos.

Leave it untucked for festivals, buttoned up with a belt and some loafers for sunset dinners on the terrace.

Dark green drawstring pants with a brown overshirt

Brown overshirts are often statement pieces, the rich shade showing off the texture and proportions of what has become a menswear staple in recent years.

The style’s smart-casual nature is matched in the outfit above with a pair of fitted green pants that bring in some casual touches via the drawstring waist and pinrolled hems. 

Light green chino pants with light brown Oxford shirt

As this casual fit will testify, lighter shades of both green and brown work together nicely. It’s a casual combo, even with an Oxford shirt and fitted chinos, which is why white sneakers work better than a formal shoe.

You need a little contrast elsewhere in the look to give it some depth – ably provided above by the black T-shirt. 

Green pants with a grey shirt

Here’s another pairing that lightly references the military, no matter how far away from the front line you are.

Green pants with a grey shirt takes advantage of easy styling thanks to two very complementary colours coming together. It can look casual or refined depending on how you style it, too.

Green corduroy pants with grey knit polo shirt

Green corduroy is always a good idea, the textured fabric offering the perfect canvas for rich forest colours. Texture is the key throughout this outfit.

A simple grey marl T-shirt would look perfectly fine with the trousers, but the addition of a knitted polo works beautifully with the relaxed-fit pants.

Dark green tailored pants with light grey shirt

Proof that green and grey don’t have to be exclusively off-duty, this slim-fit look is a great way to break the tedium of boring officewear.

The texture in the shirt contrasts nicely with the more obviously formal trousers, while a pair of minimalist sneakers grounds the outfit as a sleek, modern take on businesswear. 

Green sweatpants with charcoal flannel overshirt

In case there was any lingering doubt that sweatpants can be more than slouchy leisurewear, here’s Ralph Lauren with a typically preppy take.

The deep, forest green pants give the athletic staple a lift, while the thick grey overshirt matches the heaviness of the jersey pants. An ideal get-up for slow autumnal walks around town.

Green pants with a black shirt

If green and white offer a sharpness to your look, wearing green pants with a black shirt does the opposite, creating a moody and muted combo that nevertheless looks masculine and mature.

The black will naturally make the green look darker so you don’t need to go too deep with the colour of the trousers.

Green chino pants with black shirt

Here’s a smart-casual outfit that leans into the grown-up nature of this colour combination. The formal-ish shirt is worn casually, while the loafers nail the best-of-both-worlds aesthetic.

The sneaky socks peeking out of the trouser hem are a nice touch, too: grey works is a smart bridging colour between green and black.

Green wide-leg pants with a black long-sleeve polo shirt

Mixing skate pants and office-friendly knitted polos is not an obvious combination, but it works.

The looser-fit green pants in this look play off the more formal black shirt, while the beanie and sneakers lend the combo a slight 80s, Iron Curtain kind of vibe. Creative directors will love it.

Green utility pants with black printed shirt

Another military reference here, the combination of fatigue-style trousers and a printed shirt brings to mind off-duty servicemen from Pearl Harbour and the Korean War.

As with so many memorable outfits, it’s that contrast in styles that elevates things, while the loose fits of the shirt and pants bring a welcome dose of cohesion to the clash of dress codes.

Green pants with a navy shirt

Further proof that shades of green and shades of blue work perfectly together, pairing green pants with a navy shirt looks effortless and smart.

The navy adds a touch of formality to the more casual green, but they’re both deep shades and styling them together is simple.

Light green pants with a navy shirt

Love them or hate them, mint green pants prove that olive shades aren’t the only way to go green. It’s a less neutral colour, but it works nicely with a soft indigo shirt and chocolate brown loafers in this look.

A playful summer outfit that’s perfect for oceanside dinners.

Khaki green pants with a navy shirt

This fit is almost identical to the one above but the darker shade of green transforms it into something more serious and grown-up.

Slim-fit and preppy, it’s a model of smart-casual dressing, the sockless loafers again landing the look firmly in your summer wardrobe.

Green chino pants with open navy shirt

To make green pants with a navy shirt more casual, just add a little width to one or both elements. Here, the olive pants are kept slim but the open shirt is more generously fitted and the proportions are exaggerated by the off-white T-shirt (a great complementary colour) tucked underneath. 

Green pants with a green shirt

If you’re going green, why not go all in? The colour works well for tonal looks because different shades of green create a soft and natural character in your look.

As a rule, keep the pants darker than the shirt and rather than a sharp contrast between top and bottom, you’re looking for a gentle colour gradient that looks carefully considered but is actually very easy to pull off.

Green turn up pants with a green stripe shirt

If green on green feels a little bit much, you can still create a tonal look with a shirt that uses green as a secondary colour.

Here, the soft green stripes in the shirt marry nicely with the moss-coloured pants, while the turn ups at the ankle and short sleeves at the bicep make it perfect for your holiday wardrobe.

Green pants with a tonal green overshirt

A masterclass in tonal dressing here, with a symphony of olive shades creating a layered, considered, smart-casual get-up.

The clever part is that the polo and pants are a near-identical shade, while the lighter overshirt adds that gentle touch of contrast. Bonus points for the hints of green in the sneakers, too.

Green corduroy pants with a green flannel overshirt

Another example of just how rich green corduroy can look, the velvety texture brings something regal to this military-inspired look.

The army-luxe notes are present throughout with the soft flannel overshirt coming with a practical flap pocket, while the sumptuous leather hiking boots sit on a chunky commando sole.

The crisp white tee also adds a nice focal point.