10 Ultimate Formal Shirt And Pant Combinations To Try For Work

You can never ever go wrong with the classic white shirt and black pants look. It's easy to put together since you must already own a white shirt and formal black trousers. Choose the shirt based on the weather if you'd like, or simply go for a basic cotton blend that'll work throughout.

Styling Tips: You can scrunch the sleeves up to your elbows for a more casual vibe, or cuff them properly. For accessories, a black belt, black oxfords, or loafers along with a black or silver metal strap watch will sort you out. 

This is another classic, no brainer look that looks fabulous but isn't sported as much. It makes for the perfect monotone look with two different shades of blue. For the shirt, opt for a formal powder blue one that's preferably a cotton blend. For the pants, we'd suggest pairing this with dark blue formal pants.

Styling Tips: When you're not in an office or formal setting, then opt for dark washed jeans, leaving the shirt untucked. For accessories, we'd suggest going with a leather belt and loafers in the same colour of brown to keep the look sharp and classy. 

Pink looks fabulous on men (and everyone else too). It's vibrant, summery, and if you know what pink to chose, you'll be golden. However if you're not sure about the pink, then always know you'd never go wrong with a pastel pink or an onion pink option. Either way, pair your pink shirt with light grey formal pants along with black accessories.

Styling Tips: If you want to make the look more casual and summer appropriate for everyday wear, go for linens! Not only would the outfit keep you cool in the heat but also look great, thanks to the texture of the fabric. Try to dress up the look with a nice watch and make sure your watch strap matches the colour of the shoes to keep the look cohesive.

It's bold, it's out there, and it is a statement. A wine coloured shirt suits everyone, plus it looks super classy depending on the shade of wine you choose. It is perfect for a 9 to 9 fit that can be paired with beige coloured pants and black accessories. Further, depending on how much you wear it to work, you can choose a relaxed or straight fit. All in all, the two colours compliment each other making for a cool shirt, pant combination. 

Styling Tips: Keep the accessories in the dark colour family since we don't want the deep moody colour of your wine-hued shirt clash with lighter coloured accessories or shoes. Either go for pitch black or charcoal grey to compliment the shirt.

While solid colours work best for formal looks, you can also opt for thin pin striped shirts in sober, neutral colours. For this outfit we'd suggest wearing black on black for a more chiseled look, but you can add a bit more to this by choosing a pin striped shirt. Since black pants are a staple and must already be in your wardrobe, this is easy to style. Again , what we love most about this shirt option is how you can wear it for low-key evening events as well along with a blazer! Pair this with black accessories and you'll be sorted. 

Styling tips: While opting for black accessories for a black-on-black outfit is a fail-proof choice. You can break the monotony by adding simple finishing touches like a metallic watch (preferably silver) to add some life to the otherwise somber outfit.

When it comes to combining two colours, light green and grey go perfectly! It's muted, stylish, and not at all over the top. However, if you'll like a little more drama, you can also opt for a dark bottle green shirt to go with grey pants as long as they're not pure dark grey ones. But, coming to this fit, we think it's perfect for the summers because of the light colours and a genuinely nice combination to try. For accessories, wear black. 

Styling Tip: The key to pulling off a green shirt is adding some contrast with subtler colours. So, if you are going for a shirt in a light green hue, avoid light-cloured bottoms that might make the overall outfit look a bit washed out. Same goes for a dark green shirt since darker bottoms would make your body look cut off with two opposing colours.

Another easily overlooked shirt and pant combination is a basic navy blue shirt with grey pants. What we like about this fit is that you can vary the grey pants according to what you have, or if you'd like to pair it with a grey blazer (then match with the blazer) for an added layer of formal. For accessories, opt for black, which we bet you already have. Again, a navy blue shirt is staple and a good option to invest in and own since it can go from 9 to 9 pretty easily. 

Styling Tip: Your whole look can be changed depending on your shirt collar. A spread collar shirt is probably the most versatile since it can be worn with  a range of business and smart-casual outfits. If this one however feels too much of a commitment for you, then go for a semi-spread that's not too hip, not too square. It’s neither too fashion-forward, nor too conservative. If you are more of suit-and-tie kind of a person then button-down is the pick for you! If you don't mind ditching the collar, go for a bandhgala or mandarin collar instead.

If you'e a lover of things monotone in your wardrobe, or you're looking for colour options that'll go well with your black formal trousers, then invest in a grey shirt! They look pretty dressy, easy to work with (especially during the winters if you want to add layers) and come in various shades and tones. For accessories, opt for everything black—shoes, belt, and watch. 

Styling Tip: Want to add some colour or contrast to the look without too much of a commitment, opt for a shirt with printed cuffs or in a solid colour that can be shown (by folding the sleeves up) or hidden depending on your mood. This also makes the shirt more wearable for different occasions apart from workwear.

Mustard pants are a simple and subtle way to stand out from a crowd, but can be difficult to colour-match with shirts depending on the shade of your trousers. We would suggest going for a slightly darker hue that's not too bright yet not too dull, the perfect in between , and matching it with a simple crisp white oxford shirt that always gets the job done. Keep the shoes and accessories in the brown family, leaning more towards the darker hues. 

Styling Tip: Mustard trousers also look great with navy blue shirts. The trick is to stock on basic colours and mixing-and-matching with different trousers to keep your looks fresh and different everyday. Also, a small detail that makes a huge difference in your formal attire's appearance is ironing the clothes. Make sure your clothes are always ironed well so that you look put together and sharp. For that, check out our list of best steam irons here.

While we technically can't call a denim shirt an appropriate pick for formal occasions or for organisations that follow strict formal dress codes, it is a great pick for dressing for semi-formal occasions when you want to look sharp but slightly at ease. The key is to get the style, fit and styling right. Pair a light denim shirt with navy or grey trousers and a navy sports jacket and add a pair of leather shoes to complete your outfit. Or, you can pair a blue or grey denim shirt with a beige, khaki, or white linen suit and dress shoes for a sophisticated and modern look.

Styling Tip: Denim shirts with flap pockets or press buttons are a no-go zone since they lend loads of casualness to one's look. Go for a well-fitted, preferably tailor-made shirt that fits you well and is made from quality denim fabric.