Grey jeans are a pants color that all men should have in their wardrobe because it’s stylish and versatile. Learn how to style grey jeans with this guide.
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Editor’s note: This post was originally published in January 2019. It’s been freshened up with new pictures and commentary on February 13, 2020.
Why wear grey jeans
Jeans are a great pair of pants that can be worn with a tee-shirt for a casual setting or a sport coat for a semi-formal setting.
Many guys have black and blue jeans, which are the essentials. However, aside from blue and black, consider wearing grey.
Grey jeans can be tough to style if you don’t know where to start. That goes for most things. If you don’t know where to start, how will you get to the end result?
Which, in this case, is to look good in grey jeans.
Where to start
To start off, you’ll want to stick to the following guidelines when putting together an outfit with grey jeans:
1. Contrast is key
Contrast is very important when you’re looking for a shirt or jacket to pair with grey jeans. Unless you’re going for a monochromatic look, stick to darker colors on top to create a lot of contrast.
Lighter colors also go well with grey jeans. You can pair it with a white tee shirt and white sneakers for a casual and lighter look.
2. Formality
Second, are you looking to dress it up or wear them casually? By figuring out the occasion first, it’ll be easier to choose a top that’ll be appropriate.
Beginning with these two guidelines in mind, you’ll be able to quickly and successfully put together an outfit with grey jeans. You’ll find that it’s actually pretty hard to find something that doesn’t pair well with grey jeans.
How to style grey jeans
Below are 8 ways to style grey jeans. You’ll notice that many items, specifically the black Chelsea boots and base shirt, are used in many of the outfits.
The reason for that is because you can create various outfits that look completely different, yet are using the same pieces of clothing. It shows the incredible versatility of grey jeans.
The following are the 8 ways to style grey jeans, from casual to semi-formal:
1. Striped sweater with black boots
Shop the look:
- Sweater (Similar)
- Jeans
- Chelsea Boots
A striped sweater works well with grey jeans because the navy blue creates contrast. That is the number one reason I chose this outfit. It’s the perfect everyday, casual look.
Along with creating contrast, the stripes ignite interest. By adding patterns or prints, it makes an outfit more interesting by giving it a textured look.
2. Navy button-up with black boots
Shop the look:
- Button-Up
- Grey Jeans
- Black Chelsea Boots
This blue button-up creates a lot of contrast with grey jeans. You’ll also notice that the stripes are red and light blue. Having a mixture of colors creates a pattern, which adds interest to the outfit.
Wearing a button-up automatically boosts the formality level of your outfit. This makes it a great outfit to wear to a dinner or any event that requires you to wear something just above casual.
3. Camel coat, black t-shirt, and boots
Shop the look:
The camel coat and black shirt match the camel and black in these boots. The contrast between the grey pants and the rest of the outfit makes it look very smooth.
There aren’t very many colors that will distract you, which makes this a very simple outfit. Wearing the overcoat also makes you look more dapper, so it’s perfect for a day out with friends, date or most events that don’t require formal clothing.
4. Olive green jacket, black shirt, and boots
Shop the look:
- Green Jacket
- Black T-Shirt
- Grey Jeans
- Black Chelsea Boots
An olive green jacket works perfectly with grey jeans. Olive green and grey are both slightly muted colors, which makes this outfit a more subtle and low key outfit when talking about colors. However, it is not a subtle outfit. In fact, it is one with a lot of character.
5. Blue denim jacket, black shirt, and boots
Shop the look:
The denim jacket provides contrast and texture. Although people say to not wear denim on denim, that rule is true for the same color denim on denim. However, when you wear different colors of the same material, it’s hard to tell and it creates a very good look.
6. Navy coat and black boots
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Very similar to the camel coat, this navy coat is a great pair for grey jeans. This overcoat is more on the lightweight side, making it perfect for a day that isn’t too cold but cold enough for a lightweight jacket.
7. Black rain jacket and boots
Shop the look:
- Black Rain Jacket
- Blue Button-Up
- Grey Jeans
- Black Chelsea Boots
If it rains, you don’t have to put away the grey jeans. They go perfectly with a dark raincoat. Not only is it great that there is contrast. The contrast allows the colors and patterns in a shirt to be more noticeable. The subtle details can now shine.
8. Blue sportcoat, white shirt, and black boots
Shop the look:
This look is perfect for a semi-formal or business casual event. The white shirt is a classic and the blue sport coat gives a pop of color. The sport coat also provides a great amount of contrast, which is rule number one!
Frequently asked questions
To dress up grey jeans, you can wear a button-up with a sportcoat, a v-neck sweater over a button-up, or a turtleneck sweater with a sportcoat. Sportcoats are great ways to dress up grey jeans because it’s more casual than a blazer yet still takes the outfit to the next level.
It’s ok! You can replace Chelsea boots with a pair of sneakers in white or black. Sneakers are always a great option, especially when they are simple.
Depending on how casual your outfit is, you can wear boots, loafers, or sneakers. The best shoe colors to wear with grey jeans are black and navy blue.
More resources:
Photos by David Em/Next Level Gents.
An T Trieu says
so good! love all looks on you!!!
Next Level Gents says
Thank you!!
Arden says
Thank you for the excellent article
David says
Thanks for reading.