Jeans have become an essential piece in every man’s wardrobe. It might not be your favorite garment, but they are definitely a must-have. Most often you’ll be wearing blue or black jeans, but there is a third alternative not many take into consideration: and that is gray colored jeans. Now, the question is how to style them.

Gray jeans open up a whole new world of possibilities because they’re still a classical option, yet they present a fresher, more distinctive version. They are often an underrated choice, but they can easily be dressed up or dressed down.

This type of jeans has a huge potential, yet it might become a challenge when combining them with other clothes. Fear not! We’ll share all the tricks and tips to correctly match your gray jeans and make the most out of them.

How to style gray jeans

Gray itself is an in between color: it’s neither too dark nor too light. Therefore, when matching your jeans with other clothes, you should always choose contrasting pieces. That is either very light shades or very dark ones.

For example, during the warmer seasons, a well-fitted light blue t-shirt would go perfectly with a pair of gray jeans. Another alternative is a short-sleeve, printed shirt to create a trendy, breathable look. You can also add a white tee underneath and open up the shirt’s buttons for a modern touch.

For winter days, you can opt for a black turtle-neck sweater, for example, and pair it up with an eye-catching bomber jacket. Biker leather jackets are always a correct choice when it comes to gray jeans because they add that edgy, urban element to the look.

What about a gray monochrome look? Well, this is definitely an option, but there’s a few things to take into consideration. To avoid looking unfashionable, avoid wearing the exact same gray on gray pieces: instead, you want to play with the different shades. To make your outfit more interesting, though, you could always try adding a contrasting element, even if it’s a dark-colored garment.

For example, let’s say you are matching your gray jeans with a t-shirt in a lighter shade of gray. Then you might want to add to your outfit a contrasting olive green jacket or a pair of maroon lace up boots in order to give the outfit some warmth.

Colors, patterns and textures

Even if it’s hard to believe, gray jeans go well with all types of colors and shades: from black and blue to maroon and bordeaux, and even green. But they can be matched with a variety of patterns too.

For instance, gray jeans can be matched with a navy, black and white striped t-shirt, or a timeless red lumberjack shirt. As we said earlier, it’s all about having that contrasting piece, whether it is achieved by playing with colors or patterns.

As blue and black jeans, gray ones work perfectly with textures as well. They particularly work well with leather items, that could be a jacket, boots or even accessories, such as a belt. If you are asking yourself whether you could pull off a denim-on-denim look, the answer is yes.

Styling your gray jeans with a blue denim jacket is a brilliant alternative too. You can even opt for a silvery colored jacket, as long as you keep it in a different shade of gray. On the other hand, white is also a great contrasting color option. But maybe it’s not everyone’s choice of preference.

So, if you are not the type of guy who would feel comfortable wearing a bright white hoodie, we recommend wearing this color in less visible parts. For example, you can wear a monochrome look and add a pair of dashing white sneakers to stand out. Or even put on a basic, white tee underneath your shirt to build contrast.

In this article, you’ll find everything you need to know about color.

When to wear gray jeans

Gray jeans are a classical, timeless alternative and they can be worn in both summer and winter. On top of that, they can also work for both informal and formal occasions, it all depends how you combine them.

We’ve been over a few alternatives that can perfectly work as everyday looks. Now, let’s think of alternatives for formal options, such as business affairs or an elegant night out.

Instead of a solid t-shirt and a pair of Vans sneakers, in a formal outfit you want to pair your gray jeans with a printed light blue shirt and a pair of black Chelsea boots. It could also be a white polo shirt with brown leather Oxford shoes, for example.

If it’s colder outside, you can add a navy colored sweater and maybe a camel coat on top of that too. Or, on the opposite side, you could wear a light brown cardigan, layered with a navy raincoat and a pair of black boots.

A button up shirt is a piece of clothing that will upgrade the level of formality of any outfit. Matching it with your pair of gray jeans and a patterned sport coat can create the perfect semi-formal look to attend let’s say a casual business meeting or a fancy night out with friends.

Our new favorite denim

As you can see, gray denims are as versatile and stylish as blue and black jeans. Maybe even more! It’s all a matter of combining them with the right garments for both the occasion and the season. We’ve given you plenty of style inspiration above, from street-style to business-casual, so you can wear your gray jeans all year long.

Honestly, this denim alternative is our favorite one so far because it steps out of the usual, while offering a variety of styles. A timeless piece you should definitely add to your wardrobe!