The holiday season is over and we’re all starting to head back to work. When you take your first steps into your work, school, or office, you’ll likely fit into one of three groups.
The first is made up of the people who have to turn up in a full suit. These people inevitably look stylish and suave. But anyone who’s worked in an office that requires a full suit knows that this novelty soon wears off and they’re dying to put on something more comfortable.
The second group can wear whatever they want. These people can experiment with their outfits and adjust what they wear to how they’re feeling on the day. If you’re into style, this is perhaps the ideal group to be in.
The final group is somewhere in the middle: they’ll wear khaki.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I have many many khaki-colored items of clothing including chinos and a jacket (well, a shacket actually). I wear them both all the time! But, it can get boring. This article will help you mix things up a bit by showing what colors go great with khaki.
Also read: Here are 13 ways to wear your beige chinos
What Colors go With Khaki?
First, the good news: khaki is a versatile color. It goes with many different shades and you can pair it with both dark and light items. My favorite colors to wear with khaki are shades of blue and gray. Pastel also works well, and you shouldn’t look past bright bursts of colors—especially red. Finally both black and white work nicely with khaki.
Khaki and Blue
If you own khaki-colored clothes, I reckon there’s a high chance that you’ve paired them with something blue. Both colors are safe wardrobe standards that look great in many situations.
You can go the full spectrum of shades from sky blue to navy. This means it works with everything from office shirts and blazers to pretty much any pair of jeans in your closet. In the images above you can see that I frequently add white and black to the mix when wearing khaki and blue. I especially like the khaki and Breton shirt outfit in the first image.
The Boardwalk Style Tip 👇
Blue is a common color, but that doesn’t mean it’s boring. Choose brighter more vibrant shades for a look that realy stands out. Or use stripes, prints and patterns to level-up your fit.
Khaki and Gray
Gray is a neutral color meaning it goes with pretty much anything, and khaki is no exception. Wearing a pair of khaki-colored chinos with a gray t-shirt or sweater is a simple look to pull off. Or add a gray blazer over a white or blue shirt like in the image above for a simple look using items you probably already own.
The Boardwalk Style Tip 👇
Smart shoes go great with khaki pants. But you can give your outfit some casual flair by wearing some minimalist sneakers or canvas shoes.
Khaki and Red
Red is the brightest color on this list and it works really well with khaki. It’s a great color to choose if you want to stand out among all the people in your office pairing their chinos with blue and gray.
When wearing khaki and red, I tend to balance the pairing out with light colors like white or gray rather than darker shades. Red is also a good way to add a bright splash of color, for example, by wearing a tie like in the image above. Shades of pink also work well with khaki.
Khaki and Brown
Khaki and brown are both pretty close but you can get away with pairing the colors if you go for contrasting shades. As you can see from the images above, I like wearing my khaki pants with dark brown items like shirts or cardigans.
Brown shoes also go with khaki, you can see an example in the third image in the red and khaki section above. But when I wear brown shoes with khaki pants, I try to add a third color elsewhere in my outfit.
The Boardwalk Style Tip 👇
Another trick is to break up the colors with other pieces in your outfit. I think the gray t-shirt in the second image and the white shoes in the first do this nicely.
Khaki and Black
Black and khaki can be tough to pull off due to the severe contrast between the two colors. But, I think it works in the images above. In both these khaki outfits I added a splash of a third color—via the collar under the black sweater in the first image and the sneakers in the second.
What Colors Don’t go with Khaki, Then?
The main color I avoid when wearing khaki is other khaki items. It just looks too Indiana Jones for my liking. I also steer clear of earthy colors like green, yellow, and orange.
Having said that, these shades could still work as long as the other items in your outfit compliment them. And, as always, here’s a reminder that with a big of confidence you can get away with wearing pretty much anything.
What Color Shirt Goes With Khaki?
If you need to wear khakis with a shirt at work, the safest colors are white and shades of blue. Maybe try a salmon color or light red if you need a change.
