A question which gets asked quite a bit is:
Can you wear navy and black together?
It’s a reasonable question to ask. You probably have a lot of black clothes, and lots of navy options too. Can you wear them together?
Yes, you can wear black and navy together.
Here’s how to do it, and everything you need to know.
When it comes to pairing black and navy, there’s no doubt your outfit is going to have a dark tone to it.
Black can be very harsh, so wearing a slightly lighter tone such as navy can actually brighten up an otherwise cold outfit, even if it’s just a little.
Wearing black with navy should be considered a more casual colour pairing. Great to wear on the weekends and even around town, but it’s not a colour pairing you’ll want to wear to the office.
Black and navy do match, and here’s how to wear both colours together and still look good.
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There’s plenty of different outfit combinations you can wear with black and navy pieces. Here’s a few example outfits using black and navy clothing that you’re likely to put together.
- Navy Jeans
- Light Blue Shirt
- Black Shoes
- Black Socks
- Black Bomber Jacket
This first outfit combines black and navy with a jacket and shirt in a smart casual style. Navy blue jeans with a black jacket on show, along with a light blue shirt and black pair of shoes.
This is a good outfit for a night out, with a black bomber jacket keeping things casual while being paired with a button down light blue shirt for a smarter edge.
Outfit 2 – Black Jeans & Navy T Shirt
- Black Jeans
- Navy T Shirt
- Brown Shoes
You can wear black jeans with a navy T shirt for a clean and simple looking outfit. Wear these with a pair of brown shoes to elevate the look and look sharp.
This outfit works great for a casual weekend and proves that black and navy do go together.
There’s no doubt that I like black jeans. But I have a lot of navy clothes, from T-shirts to shirts and even a navy overcoat.
I think that pairing black jeans with something navy above it works perfectly fine.
I prefer keeping the darker outfit combinations for Autumn and Winter nights, where I think the colours look the best. You can read more of how to style black jeans here.
When it comes to dark navy jeans, i.e. indigo, you can pair them with a black top.
This can be a black shirt, T-shirt, jumper or something else on your upper half.
Indigo denim is the go to colour when you want jeans which look smart, and combining with a black top will give them a casual edge.
Can you wear other colours with black and navy, for example brown shoes? (Yes!, here’s how to wear brown shoe with black jeans)
When it comes to introducing more colours to your look, you should be careful.
You should only use a maximum of 3 colours in your outfit.
This is the primary (main) colour, a secondary colour, and if desired, a third colour.
The third colour should be use sparingly, as an accent to your outfit, and go with your other colour choices. This could be a pair of brown shoes or a neutral colour jacket to go with your navy and black.
A Note On Patterns And Stripes On Shirts & T-Shirts
When it comes to picking out a black or navy shirt or T-shirt, it doesn’t have to be plain. However, you should choose something which is contemporary.
By this, I mean if there’s stripes, patterns or something else, the colours should be subtle.
A pinstripe shirt for example would be a good choice. A tasteful nautical T-shirt in navy would be fine with a pair of black jeans as a casual combination.
But a navy shirt with a colourful pattern would be a bad choice with black (and in fact with most things!).
Verdict: Can You Wear Navy And Black Together?
Yes, you can wear black and navy together. This is one style rule that you can break and look stylish wearing these two colours together.
Picking out some key pieces of clothing such as black jeans and a navy shirt or jacket will look good, and the dark colour palette works best in the colder months.
Check out more from the style guide for men if you’re looking for tips on how to dress better, or ideas on how to put together an outfit.
About Michael
Michael Adams is the founder and editor of Michael 84, blogger from Newcastle, UK. Sharing men's fashion tips, style advice and lifestyle information for all guys.
