Most people would say that color is the most important thing to consider when pairing a jacket with pants of different colors. But in reality, it is the fabric that needs the most attention.
Learn about materials
There are not too many types of materials when it comes to classic menswear. Wool and its variations (like blended wool, flannel, tweed…) are of course the most popular materials. In addition, cotton and linen are also important main materials, creating different levels of formality for the suit.
We need to understand the level of formality of each type of material before continuing to the next part of the article. Below are the materials arranged in increasing formality:
- Summer: Jeans – Linen – Cotton – Wool/Silk/Linen – Wool
- Winter: Jeans – Corduroy – Flannel/Tweed – Worsted Wool
Material matching is more important than color matching
Usually, color is considered the most important in coordinating clothes. However, it is important to know that even if you have chosen two colors that match each other perfectly, there is still a chance that the outfit will turn out odd if the material is not similar. For example, a 100% wool jacket worn with a pair of jeans will not look very appropriate. Or a linen jacket with a pair of wool pants will look quite ridiculous.
Therefore, it is important to remember that the material must have a similar level of formality. Casual goes with casual, formal goes with formal. If there is a deviation, it should only deviate 1-2 levels according to the list above. Wool goes with wool or even wool/silk/linen; cotton goes with linen, wool/silk/linen or jeans…
Another factor is that summer fabrics should not be combined with winter fabrics. Linen does not go with flannel. An outfit should have a specific theme: summer or winter. From there, other accessories revolve around that theme to become unified.
