One of the easiest ways to put together a sartorial smart casual outfit is to pair odd trousers with shirts. This is especially useful in warm weather where you don’t want to wear a jacket or coat. And this is often the key to a well put together look, it can be harder with just a pair of trousers and shirt to maintain an elevated look. This makes it more important to ensure that the trousers and shirts are well styled and fit properly. 

Odd trousers to wear with a shirt

These examples are mainly for warm weather outfits. The trousers are in cotton or linen and tend to be around the 12oz mark in weight. This gives them good drape and holds a crease well, but doesn’t make them wear too hot. You can go lighter weights which will give them a more casual look as they tend to crease or crumple more. See our article on trousers for more guidance.

The colours here are more summery, being lighter in tone, such as cream and beige. If you wanted a more formal look, you could also go for a shade of grey – darker grey for more formal and paler grey for the more casual end.

Shirts to wear with odd trousers

It’s important with the shirt to choose something that it less formal than the typical shirt that you would wear with a shirt and tie. This can be through: 

• Fabric – something with more surface texture, such as a chambray, an Oxford or a linen.
• Styling – for example, with a button down collar which has the added bonus of holding the collar in a better position. A one-piece collar is especially stylish for this purpose.
• Colour – for example, with darker colours such as navy, or bold stripes. 

See our article on shirts for more information.

Shoes for a trouser/shirt combination

There are range of shoes that you could wear with these combinations. To keep the look smarter you could wear formal oxfords, down to unlined Belgian loafers if you want a more casual appearance. In warm weather, invisible socks are a good choice and these work well with loafers. 

A simple trousers and shirt outfit can be a bit dull if it’s just the typical navy suit trouser with blue or white formal shirt that you often see. Using our simple tips and guide will ensure that your look is elevated in any situation.