# Black Pants...What Color Sport Coat to Pair?



## akwebb81

I'm new to wearing sport coats, and am looking for some guidance. I have typically in the past worn dress pants, shirts and ties, and I have several pairs of black pants. From what I've gathered, it is generally not advised to pair black pants with a sport coat. That being said, I would like to work my pants into the mix, but what style/color coats work? I appreciate you advice in advance, thanks!


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## MrHamilton

I have a hard time with sport coats as well. I live by the chart in the middle of this page: ColorSIMPLE

I have a similar problem in that I have several pairs of black pants and just can't find any jacket color that I care for (on me) to match them.


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## bigCat

That's probably one of the reasons black pants are not very popular on these fora...


If you insist on wearing them - 
It's a tough call, but I would try with black and white hounds tooth pattern sport coat.

Welcome to the forum.


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## Jim In Sunny So Calif

hreljan said:


> That's probably one of the reasons black pants are not very popular on these fora...
> 
> If you insist on wearing them -
> It's a tough call, but I would try with black and white hounds tooth pattern sport coat.
> 
> Welcome to the forum.


I have never had any black trousers so never give it much thought. At first it sounded easy since almost everything goes with black, but I can't think of any sport coat other than your suggestion of a black and white check or possibly gray that would work well.

With sweaters, a burgandy as well as a gray should look okay.

Cheers, Jim.


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## Grayland

I fought the anti-black pants thing for awhile as I thought everyone was wrong about them. I have a couple of sportcoats that look OK with black pants, but once I tried them with charcoal pants, I did see that they looked so much better. I'm not even sure it's the color black but rather the starkness of the black pants that prevents them from being a complementary part of an outfit.

I still think navy pants are OK, though...


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## TBOWES

Throw out your pants and start over. I have this bloody argument with my son. Hopefully you are smarter then he is.


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## Cruiser

I like black pants and wear them almost as often as I do my various shades of gray pants. Currently I have four sport coats that I alternate back and forth between black and gray pants for a little variety. I have two gray herringbones (one darker than the other), a black/white houndstooth, and a black/gray check. 

Once you get outside this forum you will find black pants are quite popular out in the world, especially for dressy casual wear. For Saturday night I much prefer black over gray. I think that much of the paranoia in this forum over black is silly, but to each his own. :icon_smile:

Cruiser


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## old_style

Although cruiser is known for providing some much needed alternative viewpoints on this forum, I must disagree with him. Black pants appear stark and actually don't seem to match either sport coats or shirts too well (to my eyes anyway) due to the severe contrast of colors. 

I'd make use of them now that you have them, but as they wear out, try a pair or two of charcoal gray. Black/white herringbone, as mentioned above, would be a good place to start.


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## Acct2000

I wear them with a brown tweed, a grey and maroon plaid and a blue, grey and black plaid. 

However, as you will soon see, the sartorial world is threatened with ending because you even asked the question.


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## Kav

F.D.R. often wore balck slacks after he was wheelchair bound. THe balck helped conceal his leg braces. Check out some F.D. R. photos.


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## Scoundrel

Tan sports coat, golf shirt and loafers, done


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## Orsini

Now that you've got them, you might try some sort of gray odd jacket...


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## Miket61

I'm wearing black pants right now. 

I also have a sportcoat that's a very fine black and white houndstooth. And one that could best be described as Duke University blue that also goes well with black pants.

Problem is, if you do a white shirt, and have to take the sportcoat off, you look like a waiter.

A friend who works in the linens department at Marshall Field's on State Street in Chicago told me that when she worked in menswear, she had a client book filled with waiters - when a shipment of black pants came in, she'd call down the list and sell the whole pile.

She was invited to a bachelorette party at a strip club. After making it quite clear that she had never been to such a place and was only going because of her friend the bride... every dancer was also a waiter, and they all waved at her and greeted her by name from the stage.


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## larsrindsig

Miket61 said:


> I also have a sportcoat that's a very fine black and white houndstooth.
> 
> ...
> 
> Problem is, if you do a white shirt, and have to take the sportcoat off, you look like a waiter.


+1 to the above except I have a fine black and white _herringbone _jacket but that's really the only item I own that goes well with the pair of black trousers I own. With my other sports jackets and my jumpers black trousers simply are too stark or it makes it look like you're wearing a uniform.


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## Cruiser

Miket61 said:


> Problem is, if you do a white shirt, and have to take the sportcoat off, you look like a waiter.


Although I personally don't give much thought to things like this, if you do and you have black pants you want to wear, try gray shirts. I have several in various shades of gray. I also have a white shirt with fine black stripes.

As for the waiter thing, I generally wouldn't be taking my jacket off around people who don't know me or at least know who I am; therefore, it would be a moot point because they know I'm not a waiter, if we are to assume that there is some stigma attached to being a waiter.

Besides, if your clothes and the way they are tailored to fit along with your accessories such as shoes and belt are such that folks still think you are a waiter, my guess is that your clothing in other colors doesn't make you look much better. It's the same with the navy blazer/gray pants. I wear this often and have never once been mistaken for a security guard, again assuming that there is some stigma attached to being a security guard. :icon_smile:

Cruiser


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## Frank aka The Minotaur

Personally I love black pants, especially with a white (plain or colored stripes, or subtle pattern), ecru, blue (light or French), or pink shirt.



akwebb81 said:


> I would like to work my pants into the mix, but what style/color coats work? I appreciate you advice in advance, thanks!


Camel hair; beige or tan linen blend; blue/gray tweed; brown/tweed; herringbone. A white shirt with any or all of them; a blue shirt with a blue/gray jacket; an ecru shirt with something in the tan/beige/brown family. I think a pink shirt is hard to pull off except with a light tan or beige linen-type jacket. Then it makes for a Spring/Summer look, imo.



Miket61 said:


> Problem is, if you do a white shirt, and have to take the sportcoat off, you look like a waiter.


I think that's "iffy". In the office or setting other than a restaurant, I don't think anyone would give a thought on the waiter issue. And in a restaurant, being seated with a jacket, or without a jacket, I doubt anyone would take you for anything other than a patron wearing black pants and a white shirt, if they even noticed the pants. And leaving the table to go to the restroom probably won't get a thought either, as most waiters carry their service book, and/or wear an apron or vest.



Cruiser said:


> As for the waiter thing, I generally wouldn't be taking my jacket off around people who don't know me or at least know who I am; therefore, it would be a moot point because they know I'm not a waiter, if we are to assume that there is some stigma attached to being a waiter.


Qft.


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## MrHamilton

hreljan said:


> That's probably one of the reasons black pants are not very popular on these fora...


A little off topic but why is that? I have a solid black suit in rotation that I wear once every week or two. I know some folks think that it gives an "undertaker" type look but I always thought that black suits looked very clean and professional.


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## locolini

Practically almost any color goes well with black pants, except blue. I personally like olive green, something like:

https://www.rochesterclothing.com/store/en_US/images/products/p63086.jpg


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## sdharv19

I like grey.


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## Mike Petrik

There are good reasons why black is normally relegated to formal/semi-formal or casual wear, as opposed to business attire, and I have no intention on repeating them here. That's why this forum has a search engine. That said, black trousers can look fine in some business contexts, and I think a black and white glen plaid sport coat would pair nicely, especially if the jacket had just a touch of color -- such as red.


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## Dogtooth

I think I would go for a nice Dogtooth check jacket to suit black trousers.


Bob


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## Miket61

Cruiser said:


> Although I personally don't give much thought to things like this, if you do and you have black pants you want to wear, try gray shirts. I have several in various shades of gray. I also have a white shirt with fine black stripes.
> 
> As for the waiter thing, I generally wouldn't be taking my jacket off around people who don't know me or at least know who I am; therefore, it would be a moot point because they know I'm not a waiter, if we are to assume that there is some stigma attached to being a waiter.
> 
> Besides, if your clothes and the way they are tailored to fit along with your accessories such as shoes and belt are such that folks still think you are a waiter, my guess is that your clothing in other colors doesn't make you look much better. It's the same with the navy blazer/gray pants. I wear this often and have never once been mistaken for a security guard, again assuming that there is some stigma attached to being a security guard. :icon_smile:
> 
> Cruiser


When I was sixteen I was mistaken for a Congressional Page. In the Capitol. By the Capitol Police. And in 1986, there _was_ some stigma attached to that...

I have several grey shirts - a very fine tattersall and a some striped ones. They were difficult to find when I was looking for them (to go with a black patchwork cardigan), but now they seem to be much more common.


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## eyedoc2180

I find black trousers to be versatile, though not as easy to work with as our beloved british tans and navys. In summer, I pair black gabardines with a glen plaid sport coat. Winter brings out a heavier herringbone coat. Both are from Brooks Brothers. Shoes are Allen Edmonds black monkstraps or Lucchese roper boots in black as well. Hope this helps. Bill


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## ChicagoMediaMan-27

Gray glen-plaid looks good. Any gray would work. I see tan worn with black pants often. I have never done it, but it doesn't look bad.


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## pbc

I have a handsome sportcoat with dark gray and gray-blue that goes quite well with black pants. Shirt color is just as important, though, for making anything work together. I have also worn a brown herringbone sport coat with black pants that also looked very good. In fact, I've worn a tan/olive/brown houndstooth coat with them, too. Many possibilities.


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## MBK

I often wear black pants with a dark gray sport coat that has a nice windowpane pattern with a subtle red over check. With grey pants make it look too much like a failed attempt at making a suit, but black pants set it off quite nicely. It is, however, the only jacket that I own that I would pair with black pants. The rest of the time I wear my black pants when I'm going shirt with no tie only.


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## dfloyd

*There are plenty of combination which work with black trousers....*

I have both worsted and flannel black trousers that I pair with black and white check, black and white Prince of Wales with a red deco stripe, medium gray camel hair, black and white herringbone tweed, and a wool black and white boucle with red stripe. This is just a few combinations from my meagre wardrobe.


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## Blueboy1938

*All of the above!*

There is such a wide range of go-withs in the posts that I think it is time to point out that black pants can pair with just about anything and have broad acceptance. I didn't see the precaution that you don't want to wear white and look like that proverbial waiter, or to come too close to the color and appear to have coat and trousers that have been cleaned separately.

I wear mine with coats in camels hair, grey windowpane, a very dark camel blend and a variety of sweaters and casual jackets. I fantasize that they make me look taller, hence slimmer:icon_smile_wink:

Oh, and with a black fox reversible-to-leather bomber jacket:icon_smile_big:


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## JerseyJohn

I think you can wear black pants with almost anything except a black blazer or really dark brown. They go better with tan, rust or beige than with navy, and better with a pattern than with a solid. Shirt colors should be light and compliment the jacket.


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## stylesnob

Besides Blue, most colors will go with black pants. IMO I would stay away from solid color jackets. Instead a jacket with checks, herringbones or houndstooth.

As far as colors go I personally would choose a dark olive green or a darker shade of gray. with the gray jacket wear some charcoal gray socks. In general when you combine clothing you want to consider your color profile and complexion as well - not just the pieces of clothing.

In case the last point interests you, I wrote something on matching colors to your complexion here:


I hope you find this helpful.


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## Scoundrel

Black pants, black shirt, odd houndstooth vest, or similar colored odd vest

Monk strap shoes, pink socks and slick one's hair back


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## Scoundrel

Compliment the said vest with a matching sport coat :devil:


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## akwebb81

I knew this would stir a little discussion, but wow. Thank you for your comments. I have seen black pants paired with many different jackets, some I preferred more than others, but you have definitely given me many options to consider! I love how everyone has great suggestions here, this has become my new forum addiction as I enter the realm of traditional men's fashion. Thanks again, and please keep the discussion up if you feel you have something to add!


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## tinytim

MrHamilton said:


> I have a hard time with sport coats as well. I live by the chart in the middle of this page: https://askandyaboutclothes.com/Clothes Articles/ColorSIMPLE.htm
> 
> I have a similar problem in that I have several pairs of black pants and just can't find any jacket color that I care for (on me) to match them.


Thanks for the link. The chart is fabulous.


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