What to Wear With Khaki Pants for Men

Khaki pants are an ongoing trend and a staple in every man’s closet.

They’re your go-to choice whether you want to sport smart casual attire or go minimal. But the many colors and styles that go with these pants can be confusing.

What To Wear With Khaki Pants

Here’s what to wear depending on the weather and the occasion. Now, dust off your pair of khaki pants, and read on!

On Hot Days

Khaki pants have a neutral color that goes with most spring and summer colors, making them an ideal clothing article for hot days. Here are outfit ideas for five dress codes.

Casual

Khaki pants are like jeans in that they go with everything, like shirts, t-shirts, polo shirts, and more.

If you’re aiming for a laid-back look on a hot summer day, you can pair your pants with a short-sleeve t-shirt and a pair of sneakers. Alternatively, you can wear an open plaid shirt over a white t-shirt.

Smart Casual

Whether you’re going somewhere over the weekend or having a meeting at work, you can go smart casual with your pair of khaki pants. Pair them with a light blue shirt and white sneakers for a calm look with complementary colors. If you don’t have a blue shirt, try a white t-shirt under a light navy jacket.

The two outfits are neither too relaxed nor too stiff, and they’re ideal for smart casual attire in the summer.

Formal

Khaki pants aren’t generally associated with formal wear, but you can wear them to a beach wedding or any similar occasion. You can pair them with a white shirt tucked in, a brown leather belt, brown shoes, and a navy blazer.

Alternatively, you can go with a black blazer, belt, and shoes.

Bold

Do you want your outfit to turn heads? Pair your khaki pants with a brightly colored t-shirt or polo shirt, and you’re good to go. You can go with green, yellow, orange, bright blue, or red. As for the shoes, white ones rule, but you can go with any color that matches your outfit.

Minimal

The neutral color of khaki pants blends well with minimal outfits. The minimalistic colors that go well with khakis are white, gray, and tan. So for instance, you can wear white shoes and a gray shirt or t-shirt.

On Cold Days

Here are khaki pants styling ideas for the colder months.

Casual

If the weather starts getting chilly, and you want to wear your khaki pants, you can pair them with v-neck sweaters, preferably colored any shade of blue. A dark denim jacket over a white henley shirt would work too.

You can wear white sneakers or brown boots with these two outfits.

Smart Casual

Shirts with collars are a key clothing article in smart casual outfits, and they complement khaki pants nicely. On cold days, you can pair the pants with a white shirt and navy cardigan or sweater.

You can also go for a brown or blue bomber jacket. If you’re going to a friendly event, you can go in white sneakers. But if it’s a work event, grab a pair of brown leather boots.

Formal

Khaki pants go well with navy and gray blazers if you’re aiming for formal attire. But since a blazer won’t be enough during the colder months, you can add a neutral-colored sweater or vest.

If you’re more confident in your color matching, this can be a great opportunity to add a pop of color with the sweater.

Finally, finish your outfit with a brown leather belt and shoes, and you’re good to go to your formal event.

Bold

You can pair your khaki pants with a yellow or orange hoodie for a bold, colorful outfit. Then, complement the outfit with a denim jacket and a colorful belt.

Alternatively, you can opt for a white t-shirt and a blue or red chore jacket.

Minimal

Minimal outfits are all about avoiding bright blocks of colors. So you should always aim for white, gray, tan, brown, or black if you want to pair your khaki pants with a minimal outfit.

Since the winter calls for layers, you can wear a bomber jacket for casual attire or a trench coat for a more classy look. As for the shoes, you can wear white sneakers or tan boots.

Tips for Styling Khaki Pants

A few tips for styling khaki pants that’ll give your outfit an extra touch of elegance.

Cuffing Your Pants

Cuffing the end of pants is a fashionable move that adds cool vibes to an outfit. However, you should do it right to guarantee a neat, chic look.

For starters, only cuff the ends of a tall pair of pants. If they end right where your ankles meet your feet, avoid doing it. It’ll make you look shorter.

Also, cuffing is best left for slim-fitted and tapered pants. If you do it on wide pants, your ankles will look thinner, and it might look a bit odd.

The Number of Pockets

Ideally, khaki pants should have only two or four pockets. More pockets will make them look like cargo pants, which don’t give off the same relaxed and clean vibes as khakis.

Complementing Colors

While khaki pants go with most colors, they might look out of place if you pair them with an unflattering color. Mainly, khaki pants go with green, brown, black, white, yellow, and blue. You can wear as many shades as you want as long as you stick to these colors.

Also, dark khakis are better suited for the colder months. During spring and summer, wear light-colored khakis.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are the Types of Khaki Pants?

The most famous types of khaki pants are:

• Joggers

• Carpenter pants

• Chinos

• Khaki jeans

• Classic khakis

Can You Style Khaki Shorts Like Khaki Pants?

Mostly, yes, you can wear khaki shorts with the same outfits you used to pair with khaki pants. However, doing so isn’t suitable for all occasions and weather. For instance, you can’t wear shorts to a formal event, work, or during the winter.

What Is the Best Fit Style for Khaki Pants?

Khaki pants look best when they’re slim fit. However, this fit doesn’t work for all body types. So you can also go with wide leg pants and classic pants. Generally, you should choose according to your body’s shape and the rest of the outfit.

Before You Go…

Olive green is khaki’s closest cousin, with a slightly darker palette to work with — see what to wear with olive green pants for the version with more contrast built in.