I previously dedicated four articles of advice based on clothes that you probably already wear (the plain t-shirt , the oxfords , the cotton sweater , the socks ). Each time, I pushed the reflection to show you how to go further with these pieces, in the way of choosing or wearing them.
The following four articles aim to shed light on pieces that you may not wear , that you may have never considered before, but which are nevertheless vectors of style and easier to wear than you might think.
If I ask you what colors of shirts you wear, you will probably say white, blue or even ecru. And rightly so. These are the basic colors of shirts, with which you can't go wrong and which can be declined in a wide range of materials, patterns, thicknesses, etc.
Well, I also tell you green.
Because if green is a color that is rather well integrated into the male wardrobe (trousers, sweaters and even t-shirts), we still rarely see it worn on shirts.
What green(s) are we talking about?
In this article, we will mainly talk about two families of green, which are common and rather easy to wear:
- Olive or military green, rather average in color
- Dark or forest green, rather dark
On the left, two shades of green, more olive/military. On the right, darker/forest green.
You will also find pastel green and sea green shirts on the market. They have a slightly more preppy side and seem interesting to me if this universe speaks to you.
A pale green/pastel oxford shirt from BD Baggies , found at Flâneurs .
What style of green shirt should I choose?
1. Casual
The casual green shirt can be made of many different materials. Here is what I can recommend:
In oxford
Green is a very appropriate color on an oxford shirt.
Often with a button-down collar, it's a safe choice: an oxford shirt is wearable most of the year and goes with everything .
Asket 's green oxford shirt , in a rather dark color.
Military inspired (or really)
The green shirt is obviously found in the military workwear wardrobe, whether from brands that draw from this universe:
A Farah shirt with a classic style but in military green color.
Even real military shirts that you can find second-hand, in thrift stores or military surplus:
Here, a Spanish officer's shirt at Brut Clothing
If you like boots, cargos, parkas, henleys, etc., then a green military shirt has a place in your wardrobe.
In cotton flannel
Plain or tartan, many flannel shirts come in dark, muted greens.
Use and abuse it in your casual looks in fall/winter.
I'm talking about this kind of shirt . Choose it in dark checks like here or even plain if you want to move away from the "lumberjack shirt" spirit.Portuguese Flannel
In corduroy
As an alternative to flannel in autumn/winter, you have corduroy.
Try to get past the "grandpa" connotation that velvet can have, it will open new style doors for you.
You can also opt for a fine ribbed velvet , which has a less pronounced appearance than wide ribbed velvet. NN07
Shirt or overshirt?
You will also find on the market many casual green shirts that are rather thick, which are not intended to be worn next to the skin: these are therefore overshirts.
We also highly recommend them.
To wear over a shirt, a t-shirt, a sweatshirt or a thin sweater, etc.
A military-inspired overshirt from Champ de Manoeuvres , shown here over a blue chambray shirt.
2. Formal
What about the green dress shirt?
The green shirt does not quite have its place in a very codified formal wardrobe where sobriety must reign, where the garment must be in the background.
On the other hand, if your professional dress code is a little more permissive, you have a card to play to get away from white and blue.
A solid green poplin shirt by The Nines
To be a little more subtle, you can turn to white shirts with a green stripe or check.
Suitsupply doses its dress shirts with green quite well. Here, the base is more ecru than white and the shades of green are soft and well chosen.
How to wear a green shirt?
1. Four simple style tips
- The green shirt goes very well with casual and workwear looks, or even a bit dressy ones.
- Green is easily associated with white (and ecru), with all the shades between brown and beige (earth, sand, camel, etc.), with blue, with gray. Colors that you probably have in your wardrobe.
- The white t-shirt is your friend. Under a casual green shirt, slightly or completely unbuttoned, the white t-shirt always has its place .
- The green shirt is a perfect layering garment . Test combinations, sandwich it between a fine knit and a jacket, a windbreaker, a coat.
2. Looks and inspirations
Military-sartorial
This outfit immediately caught my eye. The top is more workwear with a presumably military shirt worn open over a white t-shirt.
The bottom is a little more dressed up with these pompom loafers. , which we don't really expect given the shirt.
I think it's the pants that tie it all together:
- On the one hand, it is rather formal, therefore consistent with the loafers: it is dark, probably wool. The shirt is also worn tucked into the pants, as one would with a more formal shirt.
- On the other hand, if we look more closely, these are cargo pants. The side patch pockets therefore echo the top of the outfit.
Easy casual chic
A really easy outfit here with simple colors (white, blue, green, beige) and comfortable cuts.
We can note:
- The shirt, which has two chest pockets. These pockets are not the same size. This kind of detail brings density to an outfit.
- The rather light cap which strongly resembles Bermuda shorts
- The white t-shirt barely visible under the shirt that draws the eye upwards
With a blazer
The shirt is more of a sea green here , a sort of green/blue.
Rather light in appearance, it is worn in a very casual way, with the collar turned up, over a navy blue blazer, probably made of linen. .
We can see the top of a pair of pants in a more pronounced green.
Calm down
Here we have a rather flashy green plaid shirt.
To insert it more discreetly into the outfit, it is worn with a gray sweatshirt and blue jeans.
White sneakers would do just fine. But mustard yellow Converse are the ones chosen.
Wearing two stronger colors together is not always easy. Here, it works because:
- The shirt is barely visible with the sweatshirt: we only see the top and bottom.
- The shirt and shoes are far away , separated by a basic garment: blue jeans
The beige fleece is quite well felt here. Try it with a beige bomber, harrington, or raincoat to make a slightly simpler composition.
The sandwich man
Here is my interpretation of the green shirt. The one I am wearing is from MAN 1924 .
I choose to wear it between a white t-shirt and a tan suede leather jacket. This three-layer combination remains suitable for mid-season, is rather simple to make and allows you to show off the top.
At the bottom, I choose blue pants. Here, it's a light jogging pant but jeans, chinos or fatigue pants would have been just as suitable.
On my feet, my good old German Army Trainers , which are military sneakers, have their place in the spirit of this outfit.
Winter Layering
You've seen several white t-shirts under green shirts in previous looks.
Take it a step further by wearing a light, fine knit under your green shirt when the weather cools down. Rather than a crew neck, try a funnel neck or turtleneck like Jordan does here.
His outfit is rather dressy, with wool pants and suede leather city boots.
As you know, brown goes very well with green, so brown pants are quite suitable.
The latter contrasts enough with the shoes (color and materials) to not give the impression that the bottom of his outfit is composed of only a uniform brown block.
