How to Style Khaki Pants (Casual and Business Casual Outfits)
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Learn More. Khaki pants are incredibly versatile and go with a multitude of other menswear staples and as such can be dressed up or down with ease. So here are 3 ways on how to style khaki pants.
But before…some context
Khaki pants have garnered a bad reputation as boring work pants. American films of the 90’s didn’t help at all and as such many people imagine loose baggy khaki pants paired with an oversized dress shirt as the uniform of the office drone working in his cubicle in a large capitalist organization.
This however couldn’t be further from the truth. Khaki pants have a rich history in menswear and many stylish men such as John F. Kennedy as well as Steve McQueen have utilized khakis as a core component of their wardrobe.
What matters is how you wear them and making sure the fit is perfect. For this lookbook I made sure to include outfits that range from casual all the way up to business casual.
What do you Wear with Khakis?
The amazing thing about Khakis is that they can be worn both casually and dressed up. In other words, you can wear khakis just like you would wear your jeans or your dress pants. Khakis look amazing with casual pieces such as t-shirts, henleys and button down shirts. Denim, leather and suede jackets also look great with khakis since it gives the khakis a more rugged feel.
Khakis also pair really well in business casual outfits with dress shirts, polos, sweaters, blazers and sport coats. As such, you can really get a lot of variety in your outfits with khakis.
What Shoes do you Wear with Khaki pants?
Since khaki pants can be worn in both casual and business casual outfits, you truly have a lot of shoe options to pair with khakis. For casual looks, khaki pants pair really well with canvas and leather sneakers (in all colors) and boots (black and brown boots look amazing with khakis).
As for business casual looks, you can wear khakis with dress shoes such as oxfords and derbys (again, pretty much any color works especially brown and black). Khaki pants also look amazing with suede shoes and boots in the fall and winter months. Brown leather loafers also pair really well with khaki pants. Due to their versatility, khakis pair well with pretty much any shoe option.
Khaki Pants with Suede Jacket (Casual)
Items made from suede add immense texture, depth and dimension to pretty much any outfit. Here I paired a dark green suede jacket with slim fit khaki pants and brown suede boots. The dark green suede jacket and brown suede boots complement each other very well and the classic nature of the khaki pants provides the outfit with a neutral canvas. Finishing the look is a pair of dark brown Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses. This is a great casual, masculine and edgy look.
Khaki pants with Sport Coat (Business Casual)
Since khaki pants are either made from cotton or a cotton blend, they are stiffer and more structured than traditional fine wool pants. As such, khaki pants are a great item to pair with a fall/winter sport coat. Here I paired khaki pants with a classic white dress shirt, a dark green striped tie, and a patterned sport coat. The khaki pants and white dress shirt provide the outfit with a great canvas upon which the beautiful tie and sport coat can stand out. This is a sharp business casual look for cooler fall days.
Click here to find out “How A Blazer Should Fit”
Sweater with Khaki pants (preppy sharp-casual)
Preppy style has made a comeback of sorts lately and as you may know, you don’t have to be attending an Ivy League University in order to dress in such a way. Khaki pants have been a staple of preppy style ever since it came into being. Khaki pants have a distinctive advantage over jeans in the sense that they are dressier yet can be dressed down just as easily. It doesn’t get more preppy than khaki pants paired with a burgundy sweater overtop a button down shirt. Finishing the look is a pair of white converse since they add some casual edge to this otherwise casual-sharp look.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed the outfits showing you how to style khaki pants. I also hope you have realized just how versatile and stylish khaki pants can be. But remember, just like with anything in menswear, the fit needs to be on point and I recommend you check out this article to find out how your khakis should fit.
