They need to be a vastly different shade, not a slightly different shade. I have air force blue flannel that I wear with a navy blazer, and that's as close as you can get.

 

Matt's example is braver than I am. I wouldn't wear the same color jacket/trousers at all (obviously I'm not talking about a suit.)

 

I wouldn't do it. I definitely don't wear my blue blazer with any blue pants just on the off chance that someone thinks I have a mismatching suit. Especially if it's only a slight shade difference.

 

Unfortunately, a near match usually winds up being among the worst of discordant pairings. Rarely can they look good.

 

Tangent: can anyone point to the historical/logical basis for wanting contrasting colors for jacket/trousers, specifically? I.e., is the purpose to simply avoid the faux suit appearance, or is there a deeper aesthetic goal of the contrast? Personally, the two-shades-of-the-same-color look isn't appealing to me, but I can't be sure that its not simply a learned preference.

 

Tangent: can anyone point to the historical/logical basis for wanting contrasting colors for jacket/trousers, specifically? I.e., is the purpose to simply avoid the faux suit appearance, or is there a deeper aesthetic goal of the contrast? Personally, the two-shades-of-the-same-color look isn't appealing to me, but I can't be sure that its not simply a learned preference.

I think that to a degree it is a learned preference. Though I have no doubt the question could be dealt with on multiple levels, including the psychological. To me, it just looks more interesting, it's about aesthetic balance and rhythm. When we look at an ensemble, the eye finds it pleasing to move from item to item creating an aesthetic whole that contains that movement within it. Pleasing contrasts help create that.

 

Just say no.

 

I think that to a degree it is a learned preference. Though I have no doubt the question could be dealt with on multiple levels, including the psychological. To me, it just looks more interesting, it's about aesthetic balance and rhythm. When we look at an ensemble, the eye finds it pleasing to move from item to item creating an aesthetic whole that contains that movement within it. Pleasing contrasts help create that.

I suspect it is much less of a learned response and more of a basic biological response to color and contrast.

I think you can do dark navy blazer with light blue trousers or vice versa. But it needs to be high contrast to look good.

 

I think it's some kind of brain hard-wiring: contrast, okay; same color, okay; slight difference, no. Just like when someone with no knowledge of tailoring or interest in clothes sees someone in an ill-fiting suit. They know it's "wrong" without knowing why.

Plus, IMO, lighter blue slacks with a blazer looks a little "uniform-ish". Funny, I don't have that prejudice against browns.

 

Just say no.

I may have been tempted to reinforce this sentiment with a vulgar expletive but, nevertheless, this is the sentiment to which I cleave.

 

Yeah, I'm not going to risk it. Thanks, fellers

 

You're welcome.

 

Never.


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I'll reserve my judgment until I see the real thing in real life. I've seen people wearing low contrast, similar color ensemble and I have no problem with it.

So keep an eye out for that kind of ensemble in the wild and take note what works and what doesn't. Of course this requires that you have somewhat a good taste.

 

I wouldn't. Maybe a sport coat with some blue, provided it wasn't the dominant color, but otherwise I just don't see how it would work.

 

Matt's example is braver than I am. I wouldn't wear the same color jacket/trousers at all (obviously I'm not talking about a suit.)

My example isn't so different from mid grey flannels with a blue blazer. In my case it's just that the mid grey trousers have a blue tint to them. I think it works without any concerns.

I think it's really easy to mix different browns together and different greys together when one has a pattern and there is some contrast in overall tones.

 

This will never look good. Don't do it.