How to Wear a Plaid Sport Coat in Fall: Shirts, Pants and Shoes

Wear a plaid sport coat with a solid shirt that picks up one colour from the plaid, solid trousers in a colour that contrasts with the jacket, and brown leather shoes. Let the jacket be the only bold pattern in the outfit. That one formula works for nearly every fall plaid, from a quiet blue check to a camel windowpane.

What shirt goes with a plaid sport coat?

A solid shirt in a colour taken from the plaid is the safest and best choice, with white and light blue working under almost any plaid.

Look closely at the jacket and name its colours. The Paul Betenly Camel Blue Plaid Blazer ($695), in 100% wool, has a camel base with blue plaid detailing, so a light blue shirt ties straight into the blue lines. A cream or white shirt works too. A navy shirt also works if you want a darker, evening feel.

Avoid shirts with strong patterns of their own until you are comfortable. Two busy patterns fight, and the plaid always loses. A very small pattern, like a fine houndstooth that reads as texture from a few feet away, is the one exception worth trying.

On weekends, swap the shirt for a fine knit. A navy or cream crewneck or a quarter-zip under a plaid jacket is relaxed and still looks put together.

What pants go with a plaid sport coat?

Wear solid trousers in a colour clearly different from the jacket, never trousers that almost match it.

A plaid jacket with trousers that are nearly the same shade looks like an orphaned suit. Go noticeably lighter or darker. A simple guide for the jackets we carry:

• Blue plaids (Blue/Coffee, Blue Plaid, Blue Mix Geo Check, Navy Grape): mid grey, tan, chocolate brown or dark denim.
• Camel plaids (Camel Blue, Camel Windowpane): navy, charcoal or dark denim.

Dark jeans are fair game in fall, as long as they are clean, slim or straight, and not distressed. We go deeper on that pairing in How to Wear a Blazer With Jeans or Chinos.

What shoes go with a plaid sport coat in fall?

Brown leather shoes are the natural partner for a plaid sport coat: loafers, brogues, Chelsea boots or clean leather sneakers depending on how dressy the day is.

Fall plaids are full of warm and earthy tones, and brown shoes connect to them. Black shoes can look stiff with camel plaids, though they work with navy or grey plaids for an evening event. Match your belt to your shoes in colour and roughly in finish; our guide to matching your belt to your shoes covers the details.

Which Paul Betenly plaid should you start with?

Start with the Blue/Coffee Plaid, because its pattern is subtle enough to wear like a navy blazer with more character.

The Paul Betenly Blue/Coffee Plaid Blazer ($695) is 76% wool and 24% polyester, a rich blue with subtle tonal texture and understated patterning, single-breasted with notch lapels and flap pockets. It goes with grey trousers on Monday and jeans on Saturday.

After that, choose by personality:

• Most fall: the Camel Blue Plaid, warm and easy with navy.
• Most texture: the Paul Betenly Navy Grape Plaid Blazer ($695), 85% wool, 12% linen and 3% metallic fibre, navy with subtle grape-toned accents and a two-button front.
• Boldest: the Paul Betenly Camel Windowpane Blazer ($695), camel with a cream windowpane, two buttons and four-button cuffs.
• Most office-friendly: the Paul Betenly Blue Plaid Blazer and the Paul Betenly Blue Mix Geo Check Blazer (both $695), which sit well with grey trousers and a white shirt.

How should a plaid sport coat fit?

A plaid sport coat should fit like any good jacket, but fit mistakes show more on a pattern because the lines bend wherever the jacket pulls.

The shoulder seam should end at the edge of your shoulder. Button the jacket and look at the plaid across your chest: the lines should run straight, not curve into an X around the button. Show a quarter to half an inch of shirt cuff, and the jacket should cover most of your seat. These Paul Betenly jackets are cut with a tailored, modern silhouette, so if you are between sizes, try both. Sleeves and the waist can be adjusted; shoulders are the part to get right off the rack.

Common questions

Can you wear a tie with a plaid sport coat?

Yes. A solid tie, or a knit tie, in a colour pulled from the plaid is the safe choice. Avoid busy patterned ties unless you are confident with pattern.

Is a plaid sport coat appropriate for a wedding?

For a fall daytime or semi-formal wedding as a guest, yes, with dress trousers, a tie and leather dress shoes. For black tie or a formal evening wedding, wear a dark suit instead.

Can you wear a plaid sport coat to the office?

In a business casual office, yes. The quieter blue plaids with grey trousers and a white or light blue shirt look professional without looking like a suit.

Where to find it

All six Paul Betenly plaids are linked above at $695 each, with free shipping over $75 across Canada and the US (duties may apply on imported brands for US orders). If you would rather see the colours in daylight and try two sizes side by side, come see us at 166 Bullock Drive in Markham and we will pair the jacket with trousers and a shirt before you leave.