What to Wear With a Pink Shirt

A pink shirt is a game changer in a man's wardrobe.

If you haven't already, embrace the pink shirt and you'll find yourself presented with a host of new sartorial opportunities.

Can men wear pink?

A lot of men are afraid to wear pink because they think it will question their masculinity.

But pink is just a color. It wasn't created with ladies in mind.

If anything, pink was initially considered masculine, because it was a diminutive of red, which was associated with war and power. That's why, as a paler shade of red, pink was widely used for boys' clothing.

By the late 19th century, however, with the popularity of Freud's and other psychologists' theories of infant development, parents were encouraged to differentiate their children's gender from an early age.

While variance continued for some time, with some parents favoring pink for girls and blue for boys and others doing the opposite, by the 1950s pink became strongly associated with femininity. Clothing manufacturers were also happy to promote this idea: if parents had a girl and then a boy, they couldn't hand down the pink clothes and would have to buy a whole new wardrobe for the boy.

The feminist movement in the 60s and 70s added to the perception of pink as a feminine color by tying pink to traditional girliness.

As a result, the unisex trend caught on with liberated mothers dressing their daughters in neutral colors.

As with all trends, gender marking colors replaced neutral ones again by the end of 1980s. The resurgence of pink clothing for girls and blue for boys is partly explained by the fact that parents, who were brought up in unisex clothes in the previous decade, now wanted strongly gender coded clothing for their own kids.

Fast forward to 2016, pink becomes androgynous with the so called 'millennial pink' showing up everywhere, which is not actually a color, but rather a trend for a range of colors from pale pink to salmon.

Finally, if there are pink shirts, trousers and jackets manufactured for men, why the heck can't you wear them?

So to answer the question in the title: yes, men absolutely can wear pink.

Now how do you wear a pink shirt with style?

How to wear a pink shirt

A pink shirt is a powerful player in a man's shirting arsenal. After a white shirt and a light blue shirt, the next most versatile and eye-pleasing color shirt you can have in your wardrobe is pink.

What color pants to wear with a pink shirt

1. Navy

Deep blue can be considered a base tone similar to black, so there are a variety of colors that compliment it, including pink. A pink shirt and navy pants is a popular combination for confident men.

2. White

Teaming your pink shirt with white pants is, perhaps, the safest bet, especially in the warmer months. For a summertime outfit, pair your pink shirt with white chinos or white jeans and finish off with a blue blazer.

3. Grey

You can't go wrong pairing pink with neutral colors, such as white, grey and beige. In particular, a pink shirt and grey trousers is a winning combination, no matter the occasion or the time of year.

4. Khaki

A pink shirt and khaki pants is another fail-safe combination and an especially great one for everyday work style.

What color jacket to wear with a pink shirt

1. Navy

The combination of pink and navy has already been covered above. When teaming your pink shirt with a navy blazer, go for the bottom in a light neutral color, such as grey or beige.

2. Tan

Two light colors, pink and tan work beautifully against each other. Create a stylish contrast at the bottom by wearing dark blue trousers.

3. Brown and dark brown

When you're opting for a dark jacket in brown to layer over your light pink shirt, it's better to go with light colored pants.

4. Grey

You can't go wrong pairing your pink shirt with a grey blazer. A neutral and thus extremely versatile color, grey goes well with basically all other colors, including pink.

5. Olive

Surprisingly, a pink shirt can also go well with an olive jacket. So if your complexion allows you to pull off the olive green color, go for it.

Check out the ideas below on how to style a pink shirt for different occasions.

Casual outfits for men with a pink shirt

A pink shirt, especially in the breathable cotton-linen blend, is a staple in a man's summertime wardrobe. For casual occasions, wear it untucked with jeans or with shorts on a hot summer day.

Smart casual outfits for men with a pink shirt

During the colder months, you'll find the sweater over shirt combination very useful. A pink shirt will be a fresh color choice for this smart casual pairing. As for the color of a sweater and pants in question, navy, grey, beige and tan are pretty safe choices.

Smart outfits for men with a pink shirt

A pink shirt adds a fresh edge to a polished look without dressing it down. It is an elegant option that, when worked into a suited look, will only accentuate your masculinity.

Do you like the featured outfits? These are some of the most stylish and popular combinations out there. But you can also filter out the outfits you see to match your own clothes.

Add some of your clothes to your digital wardrobe on Lookastic, and we'll show you outfits you can put together. Click here to get started .

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