If you’re like me, you like to buy clothes you can mix and match to make many different outfits depending on your mood for the day. I try to find clothing that goes with pretty much anything to give me lots of flexibility in my outfits. Because of this, I’ve naturally been drawn toward beige clothes as a centerpiece of my wardrobe.
What makes beige clothes so popular is that they can pair with virtually any other color – ranging from other neutrals like white, brown, or black; to bolder colors like red and blue. Beige clothes pair particularly well with warm colors, earthy tones. It’s a great warm-tone neutral color to offset the cooler grays, blacks, and blues in your closet.
As you have added beige clothes to your wardrobe, you might wonder what colors go with beige clothes? Keep reading and I will break down some of the best color pairings you can make and a few you should steer clear of. By the end of this article, you should have lots of outfit inspiration to draw from.
Why Are Beige Clothes So Popular?
Beige clothes have been a staple piece in many wardrobes for decades, and a good reason. Beige is a neutral color that can be paired with virtually any other shade, though some work better than others. But what sets beige clothes apart from many other neutrals is that beige is warm-toned rather than cool-toned.
Most other neutral clothing in your closet is probably a bit more on the cool-toned side. Gray, black, and blue clothes, in particular, all tend to have cool undertones. This sets beige apart in your wardrobe since it is typically a warmer option.
In recent years, the demand for beige clothes has reached an all-time high as people all across the world have embraced neutral color trends in their wardrobes. Many celebrities have started releasing clothing lines and other products that predominantly feature shades of beige. This has only helped to heighten the popularity of beige for everyday wear.
Beige and the Color Wheel
To determine what colors pair best with beige, it’s important to consider the basics of color theory and the color wheel. The color wheel is arranged so that every color of the rainbow is present in wedges placed around the wheel. Based on where each color is located on the wheel, you can tell what colors pair well with it and which ones clash.
Colors that are directly opposite of each other on the wheel are considered to be complementary colors and will work well together. Colors on either side will also typically be a good pairing. You can also count on shades of the same color matching one another.
Keeping this system in mind, we can consider what colors work well with beige. Beige and other shades of brown are technically shades of orange, though they may not look it at first glance. But if we look at orange’s position on the color wheel, we can see that blue is the opposite of it and will be a complementary color. Similarly, red is right next to it, meaning red is a good pairing for shades of orange.
This color theory system isn’t always perfect; ultimately, it’s up to you to decide which colors you like best with beige. However, it can be a good starting place if you’re unsure of which direction to go in choosing colors that match.
What Colors Go With Beige Clothes?
Beige is an excellent addition to your wardrobe since it can be paired with any color. However, there are some pairings that just seem to work better than others. We’ve gathered together a list of the best options below.
Brown
As we’ve already said, different shades of the same color pair well together in an outfit. Brown just so happens to be a darker beige shade, meaning it will pair well with beige clothes. It’s the same type of pairing you would get, for example, if you paired a light blue shirt with some dark blue jeans.
Consider wearing beige pants with a brown suit jacket or another top. Reversing that, you could also pair brown pants with a cozy beige sweater. Either way, these two colors will complement each other well, no matter what outfit you put together.
Olive Green
Beige will pair well with most shades of green; however olive green is probably the best green you could choose. This is because olive green is an earthy, warm color, much like how beige is a warm color. Olive green often has brown undertones, which also pairs well with the lighter browns in beige clothes.
Consider finding a pair of olive green cargo pants to pair with a beige sweater or cardigan. An olive green blazer is also a good option to wear over top of a beige button-up shirt. You could choose from a million different outfits with these two colors.
Mustard Yellow
Yellow is sometimes an iffy color when it comes to making beige outfits. However, mustard yellow is almost always a good choice to wear with beige. It’s dark enough to create some contrast and typically has warm brown undertones that pair well with beige.
A pair of bold mustard pants are an excellent option to style with a beige blazer or dressy top. You could also find a long, cozy mustard cardigan to wear with your favorite pair of beige pants. These two colors are great for creating an overall warm and cozy look.
Coppery Orange
Since beige, like other shades of brown, is closest to the orange family of colors, most shades of orange will pair well with it. However, copper or rust-toned oranges seem to work best with beige because they are warm and have a lot of brown undertones.
I love pairing an oversized copper-orange sweater with a pair of beige pants for everyday wear. Rusty tones of orange also seem to be a popular option for women’s dress pants and you could make some fun, stylish pairings with those and a beige blouse. These two colors will work together no matter where they appear in your outfit.
Blush Pink
Most of the colors we’ve paired with beige so far have been very bold or even bright. Blush pink is often the opposite of that and is typically much softer and paler in color. Nevertheless, blush pink and beige make a great pairing in any wardrobe.
If we think back to the color wheel and where orange is situated, we say it is right next to the red wedge on the wheel. This means that orange and red are colors that will work well together. Since beige is a lighter shade of orange and pink is a lighter shade of red, it makes sense that the two colors will go together well.
Consider layering a blush pink blouse or sweater underneath a beige jacket for a soft, neutral look. Blush pink pants also pair well with a beige sweater. You can pair both of these colors with white for even more of a light and airy look.
White
On the topic of white, this color also makes a great pairing with beige clothes. White is the ultimate neutral, going with any color on the color wheel. It’s natural then that white and beige will go together well, creating a light neutral look that’s perfect all year round.
A white button-down shirt and beige dress pants are a classic office look suitable for most workplaces. You can also flip this outfit around and wear a pair of white jeans with a beige sweater and cardigan for a more casual look. There’s no way you can go wrong pairing these two colors together.
Black
There is a little debate as to whether or not black is a great pick to go with beige, but we think it is! Indeed, black and brown aren’t usually a good match for one another. But beige is so light that it creates enough contrast with black to make a good overall look.
You will have the most success in pairing black and beige if you choose black clothes that have a bit of a warm undertone to them. This will bring out the warm undertones in the beige. Try to stick to lighter shades of beige and avoid anything that begins to look a bit too brown.
The most classic black and beige outfit you can wear is a black top with beige pants. If you’re looking for a safe option, this is what we recommend.
Beige-on-Beige
When it comes to wearing trendy beige clothes, many celebrities have made all-beige looks popular in recent years. This creates a monochromatic, neutral look that has appeared all over fashion magazines and runways, showcasing the latest styles. The trick to pulling off these looks is to keep the clothing simple and to make sure that everything is the same shade and tone of beige.
Consider hunting down a pair of beige track pants to wear with a beige hoodie and sneakers for a casual look. Beige suits have also become a popular menswear item if you’re looking for something appropriate to wear to the office.
Colors To Avoid With Beige
As we explained from the beginning, beige truly goes with most colors you will have in your wardrobe. However, some colors work better than others. A few pairings can be difficult to make and shouldn’t be your first pick when it comes to planning out your outfits.
Gray
Gray can be a challenge to pair with beige, even though it is also a neutral color. This is because gray is often very cool-toned and beige is very warm-toned. Grays with too cool of an undertone won’t make the best pairing with beige.
If you want to pair the two colors, you have the best chance of success if you choose a light gray color instead of a dark gray. Since beige is also a light color, the two shades won’t clash with each other as much as a dark and light shade would. Even then, we recommend trying to make a pairing with one of the colors we discussed above before turning to your gray clothes.
Light Yellow
This color option might be confusing, considering we like how other shades of yellow pair with beige. The only reason light yellow isn’t a great option with beige is that the two colors are very similar. There’s not much contrast between them when you wear them, and both can wash out fair-skinned people when worn with one another.
This is why beige and light yellow aren’t very common pairings with one another. The two colors are just too similar to work well together. If you want to pair beige with yellow, try to use a darker tone, like a mustard yellow.
Beyond that, you’re generally safe to pair most other colors with beige. Try to choose warmer-toned colors if you can since these will compliment the warm tones of the beige.
What Color Matches Beige Pants?
Virtually any color matches beige pants, making them a great centerpiece of your wardrobe. White shirts are one of the most common pairings you will see with beige pants, as are many bold colors like orange, blue, or green. This is especially true with warm tones within these colors, such as olive green or rusty orange.
If you’re looking for shoes to go with your beige pants, try to find options in another shade of brown. The warm tones in the brown will compliment the warm tones of the beige, making a good pairing overall. This shouldn’t be all that surprising, given that beige is just a lighter shade of brown!
Do Blue and Beige Go Together?
Yes, blue and beige do go together. As we discussed before, beige is in the same color family as orange. Orange is the opposite of blue on the color wheel, making the two colors complementary.
Even then, some tones of blue work better than others when paired with beige. Light blues go well with beige, which is also a lighter color. Dark navy also goes well with beige, creating a stark contrast. Any blues that have a bit of a warm tone to them will also be a good match for beige.
The blues that don’t work quite as well are the very bright, bold blues. While you can still make these pairings, they won’t look quite as good as some of these other ones will. However, blue overall is a very good pairing to choose for the beige clothes in your wardrobe.
Does Beige Go With Black Clothes?
Yes, beige and black also make a good pairing with one another, for the most part. These two colors have a high contrast with one another, which doesn’t always work when making pairings. Fortunately, both colors are neutral enough to work well with one another.
The best pairing is a black top with a pair of beige pants, though you’re free to mix and match clothing pieces in these colors however you’d like. However, you should try your best to stick to warmer tones of black. You will also want to only use lighter shades of beige since black does not work well with darker browns.
Do Gray and Beige Clothes Go Together?
Beige works well with most colors, but gray can be slightly iffy. Many shades of gray are very cool-toned, the exact opposite of the warm-toned beige. This can sometimes clash with beige when the two colors are paired together.
If you do want to wear gray with your beige clothes, the safest shade to choose is light gray. The lightness of the two colors will pair well together, and there won’t be as harsh of contrast as what you’d see if you paired dark gray with beige. Even then, gray shouldn’t be one of your top picks to pair with your beige clothing.
What is the Difference Between Beige and Khaki?
When shopping for beige clothes, many people confuse the difference between beige clothes and khaki clothes. The two colors are very similar, and many brands use the terms interchangeably.
Most shades of khaki are a bit darker than beige tends to be. Khaki also tends to have slightly different undertones, ranging from being a bit green to a bit gray in the shade. Khaki tends to be a bit more muted than many other tan shades you will see, but it is still a very popular neutral color in many wardrobes.
However, remember that many brands mix up these two terms. If you’re shopping online, pay attention to the photos to decide whether the clothes are beige or khaki before you buy.
Conclusion
It’s easy to see why beige is such a popular choice for fashionable people all around the world. Beige pairs well with any other color and is a neutral shade that can be a centerpiece of your wardrobe. Don’t forget to keep this guide handy as you make your outfit selections so that you can choose the best colors to go with your beige clothes.