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Can dark brown trousers work with a navy jacket?

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388 views 21 replies 12 participants last post by  ChipWms  
#1 ·
I just came across some great, brand-new Rota pants in cotton twill at a low price on eBay. They are as dark as brown can get. I have read one should not wear dark trousers with navy sports jackets because it can look like a mismatched suit. Should I take the plunge and buy these pants?

I would be wearing these for business casual events in the colder months.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Contrast comes from shades/tone variation, not so much specific color. That’s the reasoning behind mismatched suits. Its also a reason you wouldn’t want to wear a suit coat by itself, even if it were acceptable. Because the jacket would then wear (age) differently than the pants, creating a mismatch that’s easily noticed. Think of it more as matching dark with light. Hey I like this. Life is not black and white, but proper dress is.
 
#21 ·
My father told me that wearing brown shoes with a blue suit made you look like a New Yorker. So my somber suit is charcoal. In the ancient days of suit rotations, I had navy chalk stripe, and navy flannel. I also had black tassel loafers, wingtip oxfords, and cap toes. Oddly enough, the ones I sort of miss were the wingtips, from Barrie.