Back in the dark, rule-bound age of men's fashion, pants could only be worn with a suit or a jacket; anything less would have been inappropriate or undone. Now that the rules of dress have loosened considerably, you have countless options of pieces to wear with your pants ranging from dressy to casual, all of them stylish. In fact, a single pair of pants can give you several different looks depending on what you pair with it.
Going Formal
For situations that are any degree of formal, hitting that right note of non-casual style is always tricky. Layering, however, makes the balancing act much more convenient.
Start with the basic ensemble: a two piece suit, where the jacket matches the pants, a tie and a pocket square. For situations that are uncompromisingly formal (the boardroom, for example) keep everything on. One step down your cubicle or personal office and you can take off the jacket. Another grade down (the commute home, say) and the necktie can go as well, leaving you free to undo the top button.
In all three cases, pants in any safe, classic color like black, gray or navy will serve to get you through the day. Stick to socks that are a couple of shades off from your pants and to leather shoes that match your belt.
Casual Cool
After you punch out of the office, you can start getting more creative with how you style your pants. You could skip the matched-up routine, for example, and pair suit separates in different colors. Gray or olive sport coats paired up with classic pants will make a more casual style statement, especially if you can pick your colors right.
Spice up the tired shirt-and-pants ensemble with a bold necktie instead of all the usual staid striped ones you wear to work. Look for bright colors, interesting prints or subtle textures to help liven up your look. If in doubt, just go for a classic solid knit necktie. You could opt to dress things up a wee bit with a dark vest or waistcoat, especially if the color you picked was on the garish side.
Mix and Match
Another great trick to expanding a pants-based wardrobe is to create mixed and matched style by combining pieces of different levels of formality. Light graphic tees or plain solid v-necks, for example, work great to balance the structure of those pepper gray pants you wear to work. Top it with a fedora and you have an eclectic artist look going.
Don't be afraid to accessorize a bit, too. Throw a colorful or graphic belt into your outfit to make things interesting. Swap out the oxblood wingtips for white trainers (not running shoes, take note) or hi-cuts. Give yourself a cuff, a cool pendant necklace or maybe a couple of bracelets to help dress down those oh-so-formal pants. As long as you have a classic enough color, you'd be surprised at how many things you can pair with pants.
Experimentation is the key to expanding your wardrobe when you're working with just one pair of pants. Grab a full length mirror, try on all sorts of different things and trust your sense of fashion. You might not get magazine-worthy outfits from it, but playing around with pants is always a great way to express your individual style.
