Gray & white herringbone coat with dark brown pants?

[Levallois]

Is this a frowned upon combination? Some of the terrific style book photos posted at the beginning of the Suits section seems to show brown and gray as an occasional option but it's mostly brown coat with gray pants? Thanks!

John

 

[Levallois]

Here it is in reverse - brown coat with medium gray pants. I wonder if this color combination can be reversed? I borrowed this from Marc Chevalier's great "Many 30s images" sticky above:

 

[Feraud]

I like the illustration above.
Reverse the color scheme and snap a pic so you can take an objective look at it.

Upon further reflection I should also add texture is important in combining clothes. When thinking about the colors you mention and looking at the illustration, I cannot help think how most clothes today do not capture the richness of vintage (and better quality modern) fabrics.
The quest for lightweight thin fabrics seem to have resulted in the loss of richness and texture. Most but not all modern clothes seem to fall into the bland category.

Perhaps we need a thread on texture?...

 

[Tomasso]

A gray & white jacket would be relatively neutral so it would work with brown ; that said, it wouldn't be my first choice.

 

[cptjeff]

I think it could work well done right. White shirt, brown hat. The hat would balance the look back out and keep you from having a mismatched look top and bottom. Similarly, you should have a tie that brings the brown in or suggests it, like a different earthtone might.

Black based schemes and earthtone schemes can be mixed, but the key to doing it is to tie the looks together. You have to have something to draw it together in order for the color sets to mesh.

Of course, feel free to discard every bit of advice and go with your own instincts on this one. If you're a member of this forum, you're already more fashion aware then the vast majority of American males.

 

[jamespowers]

A gray & white jacket would be relatively neutral so it would work with brown ; that said, it wouldn't be my first choice.

Mine either. I would go with black instead of brown as another relative neutral.

 

[Levallois]

I appreciate the replies to my question. Here are a couple of more scans from the forum stickies above:

Kid riding the bicycle:

Another with brown coat and light gray pants - never the reverse - there must be a reason for this, like it don't look so good?

 

[davestlouis]

I don't trust my color sense enough to try it...in my little world, I'd have to just play it safe and wear black trousers.

 

[Levallois]

I don't know if I have the talent to put this together either but I like the way the colors look in the scans. I think it's like cptjeff wrote - you have to balance it out. As I've pretty much been off-balance since about 1976 this isn't looking good, but I appreciate the advice and comments!

 

[sproily]

Why not?

If it looks good, do it.

Perhaps you should just try it and go in front of the mirror and look. Does it look odd?

If it doesn't help. Post a picture. I'm sure many here can say their honest opinion if it looks strange.

Just go for it

PS. If the coat is strongly too light. I tend to use a waistcoat with a middle tone. Lighter than the pants and darker than the coat. It really evens it up if it doesn't work. Better yet if the waistcoat is patterned with either of the colors. For example, I have a waistcoat with cream colored pattern (square) on blue background. I just use it with cream pants and darker jacket.

Hope this helps.

 

[HatRak]

Notice that, in all of those scans, the gray is a light, bankers, gray, while the brown is a darker, true brown. I suspect that the combination would not work quite as well with a charcoal gray. Perhaps what makes it work is the contrasting values of dark-over-light?

 

[Torpedo]

Hi,

If that grey has not a distinct not-earth cast (like a blue grey or a steel grey) it will probably not work. Grey is regarded as a neutral colour, but it depends on the particular tone of that grey (BTW, the particular tone and intensity of the brown is also important).
I do not see charcoal grey as adequate, neither.
I do not think this has much to do with what garment is grey and which is brown, the colour coordination would work all the same.
I subscribe the suggestion of helping such more daring combos with the addition of complements in the appropriate tonalities.

 

[Levallois]

I couldn't get the Herringbone with brown pants to work so I tried to get something like the advertisements - dark brown sportcoat with dove-gray pants. It's not bad but still needs some tweaking. Wore this outfit for Pretty Boy Floyd Day at work - I was the only one to observe his death. Apparently, no one else got the memo. Yes, I know it's not the day he died but it's the week. I couldn't swing it any other day.

 

[reetpleat]

I couldn't get the Herringbone with brown pants to work so I tried to get something like the advertisements - dark brown sportcoat with dove-gray pants. It's not bad but still needs some tweaking. Wore this outfit for Pretty Boy Floyd Day at work - I was the only one to observe his death. Apparently, no one else got the memo. Yes, I know it's not the day he died but it's the week. I couldn't swing it any other day.

Well, I gotta start by saying you look pretty sharp in that shot. But I would haveto agree with the above posters who said that texture is important, and the tone is important. In the above illustrations, the brown is a very orangy brown with a very soft texture, and the gray flannels are soft as well in a light neutral tone.

In your photo, the slacks come off as a little too light color and smooth texture, although they might indeed be flannel. And the coat comes off as a little too smooth and shiny and too dark brown. it is a great attempt though and it works okay. Just not as well as the illustrations seem to.

Two more things to recognize though, is that ilustrations are just that. Theey are intended to capture a certain style, not represent reality exactly. No man will ever look as slim, and elegant as these illustrations as they do not capture a real human form. They are stylized. Likewise, the colors are somewhat stylized, and what looks good on teh page may not look good in realityy.

As for the question about why always the slacks and not the other way around, the answer may well be that gray flannel slacks were a thing. They wre vvery popular, almost like khakis. So, they would likely show up as being paired with other stuff. true, the gray blazer, in the twenties, was also worn, but it dissappeared and the blue remained. So, men wore gray flannel slacks with lots of stuff, but they probably did not tend to own brown slacks to pair with a gray sportcoat. They likely would wear the gray slacks with a darker sportcoat.

 

[Levallois]

reetpleat,

I appreciate the critique - exactly what I needed and I think, pretty much, on the money. I view this as a work in progress and a learning process. Who knew how hard it could be to be "a sharp dressed man?"

John

 

[reetpleat]

But I must say, your fit, and overall demeanor is excellent. Also, the slacks being balanced by the tone in the tie, and the shirt color carrying up to the hat color all works subtly and exquisitely well. Maybe a green or more chocolate wooly sportcoat, or maybe a more orangy one would work extremely well.

Oh, and the shoes with the tie, excellent. also, the shoes and slacks work fine. And, if the jacket ws actually a suit, with the shoes and everything else, it would be spectacular.