A pair of trousers and a shirt – that, basically, is the office gear for most men, unless an official meeting calls for the formal suit. The quintessential black pant and white shirt will, of course, do the trick, when you are in doubt; but, there is no reason to restrict your choice when a variety of colours, prints and fabrics can also have a big say on your perfect pant shirt combination. Here are a few tried and tested styles to help you get started.

Colour, colour…

The first rule of matching your shirt with your pant is finding the right contrasts. A perfect contrast is one which balances between a light and a dark tone. The guideline is to either pair a light shaded shirt with a darker pant or a darker shirt with a light toned pant. light shirts could be in white, beige, sky blue or even baby pink. These could be complemented with darker trousers in chocolate, navy, camel or black colours. But if you want to wear a dark shirt, opt for shades like maroon, purple, and dark blue or black with the pant in beige, blue, cream, khaki or grey shade.

Checks & patterns

Checks and stripes will depend on your girth – bigger checks if you are slim and stripes if you are on the fatter side. If the patterned or checked shirt is in a lighter shade, pick one of the dark shades from the shirt and match your pant with that and vice versa.

Fabric check

The fabric you choose also has a say on your shirt-pant combination. remember, denim shirts go perfectly with khakis and chinos. Plain shirts are best in linen fabric and you could wear it with linen or denim pants.