If you walk into any office tower today you will see most, if not all, men and women wearing suits in the colors of navy, black, and maybe grey. It's so common, and that's fine. But it's also boring! What about wearing the color brown? or teal green?
Historically, men and women wore brown or green suits and skirts very frequently. I'd like to bring these colors back.
Brown pants
Brown reflects a mood of calm, natural, and of autumn. It’s a perfect color for this time of the year!
I don’t have any brown suit jackets with matching dress pants, but I do have brown dress pants and a brown blazers. Brown is perfect for separates – where the fabric on the jacket
does not exactly match the fabric on the pant.
During the winter months, I wear the brown dress pants with a blue dress shirt. The brown and blue tones colors match well, but also with burgundy or reds. There’s so many options!
Here's an example of my brown pants with blue dress shirt and a vintage tie. The pants are supported with inverse U, Y-back, black braces that coordinate well with the black stripes in the tie.
 |
| Brown pants with black braces and blue dress shirt |
During Spring to Fall, I prefer to wear a lighter colored dress shirt - a stripped white and blue shirt with my brown pants. On this particular day I selected a inverse U, Y-back stripped red and navy pair of braces:
I add a tweed suit jacket to round out the look. I was wearing this outfit to the office this week and a colleague stated that I look like a university professor from back in the day. I’ll take it!
A few more my styles for the office:
 |
| Brown X-Back braces with my brown pants |
 |
| Thin navy and red stripped Y-back, inverse V braces |
 |
| Rear shot of thin Y-back braces |
The waistline of these pants sit high as there is a long rise. I originally sewed brace buttons onto the inside of the waistband, but then decided to put them on the outside when I got a nice pair of buttons. The buttons are a lighter color than the fabric, with a marble wave that match the fabric.
A few weeks ago, I wore these pants with a checkered, blue and green dress shirt. I paired the pants with a solid blue pair of braces, with brown brace tabs. The colors of the braces coordinate so well with the shirt and pants – the blue sold strip of the braces with the blue shirt, and the brown brace tabs with the brown pants.
At the swing dance meet-up a dancer came over and admired my brace buttons. The dancer was wearing a vintage skirt with lots of superfluous buttons down the leg. I commented that my buttons are essential while hers are superfluous. She looked at me, took hold of my front brace strap and said, "Let’s see what these suspender buttons do," as she snapped my braces.
We walked onto the dance floor and she quickly apologized for pulling my braces.
I should not have done that, I'm sorry, she said.
Apology accepted, I said as I also apologized for criticizing her skirt.
She smiled and laughed. "Your braces are lovely," she said, as we moved around the dance floor. She lightly tugged on my rear strap for emphasis.
These brown pants are so comfortable and I enjoy wearing them all the time.
Ladies can wear brown pants or skirts with braces as well. Here's a nice example:
 |
| Brown pants with black braces |
Historical brown skirt with braces
Teal green pants
I also have a teal green pair of high-waisted dress pants. Green represents growth, harmony, and freshness – also a nice choice for autumn.
I bought a pair of vintage, teal green pants. I found six green buttons that coordinate well, and I sewed them on the waistband. I’ve been debating what color of braces to pair with the green pants, until I came across a pair of vintage pair of inverse-V, Y-back brown braces at a thrift store. I knew they would be the perfect pair.
The straps are stripped and have
the multiple colors including light and dark brown, light and dark blue,
and white. The colors of my braces connect the brown and blue colors of
my pants and shirt. The braces hold up my pants and hold together my
color combination!
 |
| Teal green pants with vintage braces |
 |
| Rear shot of vintage, V-back braces |
I specially like the rear brace buttons on the outside of the waistband. The green buttons are a nice accent against the brown leather tabs.
The last few weeks I been wearing these pants to the office – brown pants and the tweed blazer, or the teal green pants and the brown blazer. The mornings are cool and it’s nice to have the layers, but by lunchtime, it’s warmed up and I take the blazer off for the rest of the day.
Ladies can wear teal green pants and skirts with braces as well, such as these ones:
 |
| Green pants with black braces |
 |
| Green skirt with braces |
Brown and green colors are a pleasant under statement in an office full of navy and black. Give it a try and see how many compliments you receive for your color choice!
Discussion time:
What colors have you worn to the office?
Have you worn brown or green lately?
