# Same color shirt/pants



## cosmotoast (Oct 11, 2008)

Hello all, Lately I have noticed myself wearing the same color shirt and pants, examples to ponder,
1.grey pants, a grey shirt, with a black sportcoat.
2.Tan pants, a tan shirt, with a brown sportcoat.
3.Navy pants, a navy shirt, with a grey sportcoat.
All of the above with a contrasting color tie and I do not remove my jacket when I am wearing such a combo so as not to look too one color,monochromatic or 1980s looking. Does this sound o.k. or is this a bad look that I need to halt?
Cosmo:icon_scratch:


----------



## Bobert (Oct 1, 2007)

Bad habit in my opinion, try contrasting shirts.


----------



## JayJay (Oct 8, 2007)

I'm not a fan of the look.


----------



## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

While I like a monochrome look, with the exception of pairing a black shirt with black pants, I don't accomplish this with the same color shirt and pants. For example, I like to wear black pants and black shirt with a black/grey herringbone or houndstooth jacket; but if I'm going with charcoal pants I prefer to wear a charcoal suit with a black shirt or a shirt in a slightly contrasting grey. 

Also keep in mind that I limit these pairings to social occasions. For work related attire I tend to stick with more conservative white and light blue dress shirts with navy, charcoal, black and tan pants.

Cruiser


----------



## dfloyd (May 7, 2006)

*You will never be acknowledged ....*

as well dressed.


----------



## Flanderian (Apr 30, 2008)

cosmotoast said:


> Does this sound o.k.


Not unless you're in the Army.


----------



## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

dfloyd said:


> as well dressed.


I don't know about that. I've often seen Sean Connery described as "well dressed" and he certainly has no qualms about a monochrome look, especially with black.








[/URL]

For most folks I don't think there is a one size fits all definition of "well dressed". What makes one well dressed in one setting may be described as something less in another setting. What I would wear to a formal meeting with the Mayor is very different than what I would wear to the local comedy club on Saturday night, yet I could be well dressed for both.

There are plenty of applications where what the OP described would be more stylish than conventional business or business casual attire. I think it's more about matching the attire to the setting than anything; however, I will agree that if one is working in a conservative coat and tie environment, the monochrome look and black clothing is probably best left for night time social occasions. That's been my approach. :icon_smile:
Cruiser


----------



## Mariuslt (Oct 19, 2008)

I don't like it, but then again, I don't like shirts in darker colours either


----------



## ToryBoy (Oct 13, 2008)

It can work, but not when wearing a sportscoat and tie.


----------



## PinkPlaidSocks (May 1, 2008)

+1 for Cruiser's thoughts. Especially the point on limiting it to social occasions, not at the office.


----------



## Matt S (Jun 15, 2006)

I'm okay with it for casual dress. Same colour shirt and trousers with a contrasting sports coat is fine, but without a tie. A tie needs a more formal approach.


----------



## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

ToryBoy said:


> It can work, but not when wearing a sportscoat and tie.


While it looks better with a suit than a sportcoat, I like it with a tie. My affinity for this look came from Richard Belzer on _Law and Order_. I'm a _Law and Order _junkie.

https://imageshack.us

And my humble attempt to copy Belzer's look. Unfortunately I'm running a little short on hair.

https://img155.imageshack.us/my.php?image=myfoldercafg3.jpg

For another take on the monochrome look, here Charlie Watts does it with blue although he does allow for some contrast with the shirt.

https://img209.imageshack.us/my.php?image=h3charliebackstageatronuk2.jpg

Cruiser


----------



## Gurdon (Feb 7, 2005)

It looks as though one is trying too hard, and that he doesn't know how to dress correctly. It is of a piece with prepackaged shirt and tie combinations.

As noted by one of the posters the look is a military carryover. This was OK on college campuses in 1946 when there were lots of vets on a tight budget. I do not think it is seemly in today's world. 

Cruiser gave an example from a TV program. Ask yourself what the costume designer was trying to convey. I am not familiar with that show so I don't know anything about the character in question. Nor do I know how much of his story has been disclosed during the course of the series. What that still told me is that the character fits what I wrote above, and may be portraying a working class person who has moved into the legal profession, perhaps from police work. What kind of shoes does he wear?

Regards,
Gurdon


----------



## Wyvern1138 (Jun 3, 2006)

I don't think it's a good look, at all.


----------



## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

Gurdon said:


> It looks as though one is trying too hard, and that he doesn't know how to dress correctly. It is of a piece with prepackaged shirt and tie combinations.


Actually this is a much more commonly seen prepackaged shirt and tie set than what I depicted. You see these everywhere these days. Does this mean that if one is wearing a wing collared shirt and bow tie he is "trying too hard" because it looks like all those prepackaged sets out there? :icon_smile_big:

https://imageshack.us

Cruiser


----------



## Jim In Sunny So Calif (May 13, 2006)

Mariuslt said:


> I don't like it, but then again, I don't like shirts in darker colours either


I agree and the darker they are the less I like them.


----------



## ChicagoMediaMan-27 (Feb 23, 2008)

It's not my think at all.


----------



## Beau (Oct 4, 2007)

He used to be the biggest offender (IMHO)

Now he's updated his look









I like how Doogie dresses (mix of patterns and coordinating colors)


----------



## Gurdon (Feb 7, 2005)

Cruiser said:


> Actually this is a much more commonly seen prepackaged shirt and tie set than what I depicted. You see these everywhere these days. Does this mean that if one is wearing a wing collared shirt and bow tie he is "trying too hard" because it looks like all those prepackaged sets out there? :icon_smile_big:
> 
> https://imageshack.us
> 
> Cruiser


I'm not sure what you have in mind. In a sense, when one is dressing in evening clothes, you are trying hard to get it right, within a narrow range of possibilities. Of course, I didn't have tuxedo packages in mind when I wrote my comment. I was thinking of the department store combo sets that one passes at Sears on the way to buy Levi's. But, now that you mention it, there is a bit of the feel I had in mind to the image you provided. The idea being that if you buy the set everything goes together.

Regards,
Gurdon


----------



## Blueboy1938 (Aug 17, 2008)

*Once upon a time . . .*

. . . when I wore a light tan shirt and trousers in the same color, with a suede belt also in the same color, I was asked by a waitress in an underground Beauchamp Place boite whether I was a dancer.

On the one hand, I was flattered that she thought I was that much in shape. On the other, I never wore that outfit again:icon_smile_big:


----------



## stylesnob (Feb 25, 2008)

Change the light-dark contrast of shirts and pants. Just curious what made you combine your clothing this way? I am not a big fan of this monochrome look. IMO it probably looks a little like you are wearing a one-piece with a tie. :icon_smile_wink:

Why not post a picture. The best color combination not only depends on the individual clothing items, but also on your color profile (contrast to hair and skin tone)


----------



## cosmotoast (Oct 11, 2008)

I used to work with a rich guy from italy,He used to wear brown pants with a brown shirt and grey pants with a grey shirt. It looked weird to me till he put back on his sportcoat at the end of the dayand it looked better then. I might of been misleading with the words monochromatic and contrasting tie. I have always wore a different color tie from the color of my shirt.Like I said, this rich italian guy got me started onto this and I was just wondering if he knew what he was doing.(of course this was 1998).
Cosmo:drunken_smilie:


----------



## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

stylesnob said:


> Why not post a picture.


I did post a picture of me earlier. How about this old ad from the 1970's. Although Johnny is wearing a contrasting tie it is just in a darker shade of blue.

https://img222.imageshack.us/my.php?image=125580282oav1.jpg

Cruiser


----------



## Blueboy1938 (Aug 17, 2008)

*"Let me tell you about the very rich."*



cosmotoast said:


> I used to work with a rich guy from italy,He used to wear brown pants with a brown shirt and grey pants with a grey shirt. It looked weird to me till he put back on his sportcoat at the end of the dayand it looked better then. I might of been misleading with the words monochromatic and contrasting tie. I have always wore a different color tie from the color of my shirt.Like I said, this rich italian guy got me started onto this and I was just wondering if he knew what he was doing.(of course this was 1998).
> Cosmo:drunken_smilie:


"They are different from you and me." F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The Rich Boy", 1926


----------



## Beau (Oct 4, 2007)

Blueboy1938 said:


> "They are different from you and me." F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The Rich Boy", 1926


Hemingway's response was "They have more money."


----------



## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

NO! 
The only times I have worn the same colour shirt and trousers are when I have worn all RAF light blue or all green RAF Regiment kit or when in all dark blue police fatigues or when I have worn all black to some late night goth, synth or metal gig.

But I would never do so in everyday civilian clothing.


----------



## cosmotoast (Oct 11, 2008)

Thanks all. I had a feeling that it was not a proper way of dressing because the only other times Ive seen it was in all black.(you know, Zorros 2nd cousin)
I will no longer dress this way.
Cosmo:drunken_smilie:


----------



## Bobert (Oct 1, 2007)

I actually bought a pair of Beige Ralph Lauren chinos and a brown/white striped Remus shirt yesterday and I thought it looked good. So perhaps so long as a jacket is a different colour it might work?


----------



## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

There is one classic exception though! I think any combination that in any way resembles the classic safari/colonial African/Indian military look is acceptable i.e. khaki chinos with a khaki shirt.


----------



## cosmotoast (Oct 11, 2008)

Bobert said:


> I actually bought a pair of Beige Ralph Lauren chinos and a brown/white striped Remus shirt yesterday and I thought it looked good. So perhaps so long as a jacket is a different colour it might work?


 This is a fairly normal way of combing colors to me because you have the white srtipes breaking things up.Its not like weve been saying with all one color without difference of shades.
Cosmo,


----------



## cosmotoast (Oct 11, 2008)

Earl of Ormonde said:


> There is one classic exception though! I think any combination that in any way resembles the classic safari/colonial African/Indian military look is acceptable i.e. khaki chinos with a khaki shirt.


 I agree that would look fairly acceptable but, pair it with a sportcoat and a tie and what do you have?
Cosmo,


----------



## Bobert (Oct 1, 2007)

cosmotoast said:


> This is a fairly normal way of combing colors to me because you have the white srtipes breaking things up.Its not like weve been saying with all one color without difference of shades.
> Cosmo,


Hang on actually, I'll take pics.


----------



## Bobert (Oct 1, 2007)

https://img519.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img00049wq3.jpg

Shirt is blue, brown with white undertones. Apologies for the hint of red as the room is painted red...

Can anyone suggest a jacket?


----------



## cosmotoast (Oct 11, 2008)

I think that looks good. If it was mine I would pair it up with a dark brown sportcoat but, I would also be accused of the monochromatic look but, I just happen to like alot of complimentary colors together.Im sure most people would use a blue sportcoat.
Cosmo:drunken_smilie:

( or some sort of tweed jacket)


----------

