I come from gay pareee

July 31, 2006 4:34 AM

OK, don't laugh, what goes with pink jeans on a guy?

So this store around the corner had a closeout sale, and I saw a pair of jeans going for $9. They fit me perfectly.

But...they are pink.

What clothing / shoes will match them so that I don't look like a total doofus? I am an asian guy with slightly darker complexion.

posted by randomstriker to clothing, beauty, & fashion (61 comments total)

Maybe I should audition for the sequel to Miami Vice.
posted by randomstriker at 4:36 AM on July 31, 2006

I think that you're going to need white shoes. The white belt is optional. :>
posted by bim at 4:42 AM on July 31, 2006

Why don't you dye them a different colour eg. black? You can get clothes dye that you put in your washing machine. For only a couple of extra dollars you'll have a pair of well-fitted trousers that you can wear every day (not just for a Miami Vice audition).
posted by ingridm at 4:44 AM on July 31, 2006

pink jeans on the other guy too?
posted by londongeezer at 5:01 AM on July 31, 2006

On a more serious note, can you pull of the hippie/earthtone look? Sort of like John Butler (from the John Butler Trio).
posted by bim at 5:04 AM on July 31, 2006

Maybe this page will help you out?

Also, from here:
"Q: Could you give me a piece of advice regarding color coordination using pink?
A: For men, I would suggest a combination of a pink dress shirt, navy suits, and plain wine red tie. If you like gray suits, I would recommend a baby pink dress shirt and a dark cardinal tie. These combinations can soften the atmosphere of business scenes, particularly in spring. "

Maybe you could just reverse that advice (since you have pink pants instead of a shirt)
posted by blind.wombat at 5:05 AM on July 31, 2006

What kind of pink? We need pictures!
posted by leapingsheep at 5:16 AM on July 31, 2006

I wouldn't wear them outside the house. In the house, though, they might go well with fluffy slippers and a hairnet, for housework days.

But that's me. If you have sufficiently good looks and poise and daring, you can wear anything. Gold shoes. Frilly shirt. Boa. Feathered cap.

Or use them as cutoffs for swimming.
posted by pracowity at 5:19 AM on July 31, 2006

red/brown/purple shirt? These colors could either be _really_ wrong, or just right -- it will have to be just the right shade. I chose colors that won't contrast too strongly with the pink, but would rather be in harmony with it.

But nothing is going to hide the color. It might actually be a good time to experiment with dyeing.
posted by amtho at 5:19 AM on July 31, 2006

MAYBE a retro-ey designed shirt with some coordinating color paisleys if you can get away with it.

But the real answer is another question:
"When is a sale NOT a sale?"
posted by The Deej at 5:23 AM on July 31, 2006

Grey looks good with pink, as long as it's not really hot pink. Try a grey sweatshirt? Or a white dress shirt. Or a black T shirt. Neutrals - no other colors, for the love of god.
posted by CunningLinguist at 5:23 AM on July 31, 2006

My advice: Never wash 'em. They won't be pink long.
posted by shanevsevil at 5:33 AM on July 31, 2006

A handbag?
posted by orthogonality at 5:47 AM on July 31, 2006 [4 favorites has favorites]

Black shirt.

I've been surfing and it appears that pink pants might be very fashionable for men. I can't find a pic, but several places mention a male model with a black shirt and Brioni pink pants on the cover of some magazine.

Rejoice! I think you may be ahead of the curve!
posted by bim at 5:54 AM on July 31, 2006

How pink are we talking? Closer to hot pink or closer to salmon?

I agree with CL-- other colors are likely to look weird. Stick with whites and greys.
posted by justkevin at 5:55 AM on July 31, 2006

And then there is this from New York magazine:

J. Lindeberg, the Swedish retailer that pushed pink pants for men long before H&M brought them to the masses, is opening a U.S. flagship at 126 Spring Street (212-625-9403). The bi-level space, equipped with marigold Formica fixtures, will house the forward-thinking men's fashion collection (this season it's all about fringe) as well as not-too-slick-for-the-links golf gear for both sexes. A women's line will be introduced next fall.
posted by bim at 5:58 AM on July 31, 2006

A shirt in Polo's or Tommy Hilfiger's simmer/hamptons collection

OR

A box of dye

OR

A fruity drink with an umbrella
posted by necessitas at 6:04 AM on July 31, 2006

How pink iof a pink? If the appropriate shade, you might be able to swing it into earthy tones with a brown t-shirt of a harmonious hue.
posted by desuetude at 6:08 AM on July 31, 2006

Black tank top and black shoes. Trust me, you'll look drop dead sexy. Mmm.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 6:21 AM on July 31, 2006

check out the sartorialist--his blog on what people actually wear is very amazing

he actually posted a pic of a guy wearing pink pants.

he wore them with a grey windowpane check jacket, darker grey sweater and a matching pink scarf. o, and the shoes were sport shoes, maybe climbing shoes.

the catch was that he mis-buttoned his jacket, and this sent the whole thing into some awesome unfathomable dimension of fashion.

give people something interesting to see!

i dont know how to post links, here's the url

http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/2006/03/on-streethard-ass-pink.html

you can search the sartorialist's site for "hard-ass pink" or "pink pants" should the link not work
posted by subatomiczoo at 6:22 AM on July 31, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

A really sturdy sense of self-esteem and self-defense skills.

Oh, you meant in terms of other clothing. Well, what tone is the the pink? If it's a cool tone, you'd pair it with cool tones - gray, navy, black. If it's a warm pink (less likely) brown or olive tones would work.
posted by orange swan at 6:22 AM on July 31, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

Turn them into cutoffs, Daisy Duke length, and go for a walk past the gay bars.

Um, but more seriously ... if you can pull it off, I'd wear the most offensively lime-green 70's shirt you can find, preferably with frills & ruffles a'la Austin Powers, a beige corduroy blazer, some sort of kickass boots or weird looking dress shoes that stepped out of the 70's, shaggy emo hair and aviator glasses.
posted by SpecialK at 6:36 AM on July 31, 2006

Brown and pink? Eeeaaagh! What are you people thinking? Might work in the neapolitan ice cream box, but not on a person. You can't go wrong with a white button down shirt. It's about the only thing that will match aside from other pastels, which might get you beaten when paired with the pink pants. I guess you'd have to wear white shoes too, so brush up on your shuffleboard skills, grandpa.

Gentlemen, this pink scourge happened once before back in the 80s and we finally beat it. It's time to circle the wagons and do our duty once again, as it has reared its ugly head here 20 years later. Don't let the GF give you that first pink polo or button down. Don't do it. If we stick together on this one, it will wither on the vine.

While we're at it, don't buy into this whole skincare-products-for-men scam either. Just because the gravel-throated narrator in the commercials tells you that you need it and your lady will like you better if you use it, you don't have to do this. If women want soft-n-lotiony, they can date other women. Be rugged! Be normal! Women haven't had a problem with it until now, so why ruin a good thing?
posted by kookoobirdz at 6:40 AM on July 31, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

If you wear the pink pants out I suggest that what goes with them is a little handbag with a tiny, yappy dog inside. And perhaps a scarf of some sort that you can twirl around your neck in a dramatic fashion as you turn to leave.
posted by Justinian at 6:41 AM on July 31, 2006

The fact that you have to ask what to wear with them leads me to believe that you're not confident enough to pull off wearing them. It's not part of a costume, it's a pair of jeans. Just wear a tshirt and some sneakers or something, like you would with other jeans.

Work it, baby.
posted by iconomy at 6:47 AM on July 31, 2006

Wow, this thread really attracted people who are not nearly as funny as they think they are. You should ignore them.

I'd go with a really sharp black shirt. White and grey, as suggested above, both seem dull to me. A black shirt makes a great look with almost any colored bottom--I do black shirts with brightly-colored skirts and pants a lot (I'm a girl...just not that girl), and I, at least, think it's a good look.
posted by not that girl at 6:50 AM on July 31, 2006

Yeah, I'm 100% with the people suggesting a black (short-sleeved!) shirt and black shoes - if I had a pair of pink jeans, that's definitely what I'd wear with them. I'd have thought a black t-shirt or a black sleeveless tee/tank-top would look pretty good, too, but you'd be slipping closer to looking camp with each, so it kind of depends on how cool you are with that.

I'd hesitate to move away from pairing these with colours other than black, seriously. Having pink trousers isn't the same as a pink top, which'd work fine with certain greys, browns and so on.
posted by terpsichoria at 6:59 AM on July 31, 2006

Third on using black. Classier than pink and white.
posted by mediareport at 7:00 AM on July 31, 2006

Make it work! /timgunn
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 7:02 AM on July 31, 2006

I was having kind of a tough time picturing it, but the Sartorialist link mentioned earlier makes it pretty clear to me that it's not going to look so much "gay" as it will "clown." (I gotta agree with not that girl: Seriously, people, who here actually thinks that any gay man with a modicum of fashion sense would go for pink pants? Are we still that foreign to you?)

And you can take this however you want, but I imagine that to most people, pink pants + Asian guy = not acquainted with Western norms of dress. You can have fun with that and pair it with a short-sleeve button-up shirt and a bow tie, or you can do as most sympathetic people here have said and dye the damn thing.
posted by kittyprecious at 7:05 AM on July 31, 2006

Be rugged! Be normal!

What an interesting definition of normal you have.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 7:08 AM on July 31, 2006

You could play up the Nerd Chic angle - I can totally see a guy working pale pink jeans with an AC/DC or Transformers or Penny Arcade shirt. Of course, this requires the Ultimate level of cool, the level on which you no longer care whether or not you're cool.
posted by muddgirl at 7:22 AM on July 31, 2006

Black shirt and confidence. You bought pink jeans because they fit great, so wear them like they're a great-fitting pair of jeans. There's honestly nothing sexier than a guy who wears what he wants with confidence. Michael Rosenbaum can work it *out* in a teal shiny jacket and 70s band t-shirt; you can work those pink jeans out if you want to.
posted by headspace at 7:30 AM on July 31, 2006

Home dyejobs are difficult; black especially so. If you dye them black, you'll have to wash them alone forever. Save up a bunch of teabags and teastain them. Or dye them green and they'll end up grayish/brownish green.

If you are straight, you may want to not worry so much about being perfectly coordinated, as that may be taken as an indication that you are gay. Or be brave and fashionable and wear them. Gray or white looks great with pale pink.
posted by theora55 at 7:30 AM on July 31, 2006

I'm trying to wrap my head around this idea of pink jeans for men (or women, for that matter) and I just can't make it palatable. I'm not anti-gay. It's fair to mention, though, that a few random strangers you might encounter in the course of wearing these pants almost certainly will be and, depending on the situation, might be inclined to give you some grief for your sartorial choice.

On an aesthetic level, I just don't see this happening.

If they're trying to get rid of these pants for $9, that should tell you something.
posted by jason's_planet at 7:32 AM on July 31, 2006

Black Biker Boots and an Orange Mohawk.
posted by sgobbare at 7:44 AM on July 31, 2006

Brown and pink? Eeeaaagh! What are you people thinking?

In what zip code is the rock that you've been living under? Brown and pink isn't some crazy idea that people are just making up, it's in every window in every mall all over the universe. You might as well be complaining that people are mixing peanut butter with... *gasp*... jelly (omg)

Maybe I just know the wrong people, but the only men that I know who would buy and wear pink jeans would be straight dudes. Gay guys aren't all dying to wear pink.

Black+pink is going to make you look like a teenage goth raver superhero. Gray or brown is better. Since no one else has said it, I'll offer up: kelly green t-shirt, dark sports coat, gray running shoes.
posted by 23skidoo at 8:20 AM on July 31, 2006

Black+pink is going to make you look like a teenage goth raver superhero.

That's really not necessarily true; I've seen it carried off well (not on me, but still). And looking like "every window of every mall all over the universe" may not be ideal, either.
posted by mediareport at 8:29 AM on July 31, 2006

Hm, so much rage against pink. Why ya'll gotta be hatters? Have something pink lurking in your male mental closets, eh?

I have seen some very obvious hetero boys wear pink and look hot. Navy or white shirt would be my choice, maybe button down or izod-esque polo. White tennis shoes or very demure sneakers. Men who can pull off pastels can totally be yummy. Sometimes something about it - it's a touch of macho if well done.
posted by eatdonuts at 8:33 AM on July 31, 2006

I'm really surprised at the reaction most commenters here have to a color. I live in a little hick town, and I've seen guys wearing pink jeans at least a dozen times in the past few years. Whenever I go into Philly there's at least one pink jeans sighting each time. It's really not that off the charts.

Men with earrings? Ok. Men with hair and skin product? Ok. Men getting body hair removed? Ok. Men with long hair, braids, ponytails? Ok. Men with handbags? Ok. Men with pink jeans? OMG NOES!!1

I agree with eatdonuts about the sex appeal thing. It's like a guy in a skirt. Hot.
posted by iconomy at 8:52 AM on July 31, 2006

The white belt is optional. :>

And when people ask you what's up with the white belt, tell 'em it mean's you're a beginner.
posted by blueberry at 8:54 AM on July 31, 2006 [2 favorites has favorites]

Pony: can we have a link that sets Fave on *every comment on the thread*?

:-)
posted by baylink at 8:57 AM on July 31, 2006

Well jeez, I stand corrected. In addition to learning that I'm under a rock, I also just went to a meeting where there were not 1 but 2 ladies wearing brown and pink. It looked awful, but I guess if it's in every shop window then at the very least you'd look "normal" (with apologies to dirtynumbangelboy). I guess in the end anything goes with anything these days. Throw together some stripes and plaid while you're at it. That way you can look like Long Duck Dong from Sixteen Candles.

This color wheel matching thingy suggests that pastelly orange sherbet or light aqua would be ideal matches (depending on what shade and lightness of pink we're talking about. But again, all bets are off in the fashion world.

When I rule the world, we'll all wear identical robes and nobody will care about fashion. Also, there will be free ice cream. The Morlocks will only eat a small percentage of us, so things will work out well for most people.
posted by kookoobirdz at 8:59 AM on July 31, 2006

Navy looks good with pink, too. Kookoo, the robes have to have pockets, okay?
posted by theora55 at 9:08 AM on July 31, 2006

Black shirt. Belt (weathered, cracking) with buckle. Sunglasses. Cigarette.
posted by beatrice at 9:28 AM on July 31, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

This is easy. Just take a line from Dem Franchize Boyz and wear a white tee. Doesn't necessarily have to be down to your knees though, depends on how big the pants are.

Seriously though, I own a pair of damn-near pastel pink shorts that I picked up in Alabama, and a matching pink shirt with paint thrown all over it. That works well.

Now that I think of it, I have an awful lot of pink.

Or, going back to my original one, if you can pull this off, just get a white tee and white shoes and a confident pose. Works for me. You'll be fine.
posted by dihutenosa at 9:34 AM on July 31, 2006

Pink on men is hawt. Wear with small T-shirt & awesome sneaks.
posted by dame at 9:40 AM on July 31, 2006

It depends what look you are going for.

Perhaps a Pringle sweater with diamond pattern in (pink and) light blue, with a t-shirt of the same blue. Blue patent leather shoes and a matching cloth cap or beanie. Here is Sangeev Bhaskar in a cloth cap.

If they are a tight fit, emo indie kid look could include a too-tight t-shirt and old converse style baseball boots. Optional dark coloured baggy woolen sweater.

There are plenty of good suggestions in this thread, as headspace says: 'There's honestly nothing sexier than a guy who wears what he wants with confidence.'

What's in is out and lame is cool, make up your own rules, look to viceland for confirmation.
posted by asok at 10:18 AM on July 31, 2006

Hoping they look more like this, and less like this. Just sayin'.
posted by asok at 10:29 AM on July 31, 2006

Tight gray t-shirt, with some sort of design (not plain).
posted by Zosia Blue at 10:37 AM on July 31, 2006

Well fitted buttoned brown shirt, shiny white shoes, white belt, big sunglasses.

If you want to take the ridiculous up a notch from there, I suggest you get tight fitting white gloves.
posted by beerbajay at 11:20 AM on July 31, 2006

Brown and pink go together, it's a valid color choice and works wonderfully in a myriad of styles, from dresses to fabric to pillows to purses to weird felt things.

Brown, pink, pale green, and cream are a wonderful color combination, thought maybe not for a man's outfit. For you, a grey or brown shirt, with matching sneakers, black is too strong and will make you look like Marge Simspon's Chanel dress.
posted by lychee at 11:36 AM on July 31, 2006

I would wear them with something preppy (as others have suggested), and when people question you, tell them that they are just classic, faded "Nantucket Red" pants. (That is, if they are close enough in color.)

After all (from here):

"Maybe it's the seafood. Maybe it's the waves. Maybe it's the town center packed with all its unique arts, crafts, and character. Some believe it's the fog, and it could definitely be the brewery. But truth be told (and no one familiar with the island can deny the fact), it's the pants. It's all in the pants. Nantucket Red was, at first, a minority symbol, a symbol of true taste, class, and originality. It has grown up into a symbol of everything that is right with our world. It is faded, distressed-looking, beat up, and mysterious in many ways. Yet it is elegant, charming, and oh-so-versatile. You can wear it to the beach, or throw on a blazer and sport it at the next country club event. It's hard working, and you will always feel you got your money's worth out of a pair of Nantucket Red pants. It's the symbol of Nantucket, representing the beliefs of the island on a larger scale."
posted by nekton at 12:25 PM on July 31, 2006

A friend of mine once wore bright hot-pink pants with a bright royal blue shirt and it looked great. If the pants are bright go all out with an equally bright top. Blue, yellow, green, and aqua would look best to my eye. Black, gray, and white would work well, too.
posted by zonkout at 12:56 PM on July 31, 2006

Japan says an oversized dirty white xbox muscle shirt along with a worn out grey denim jacket are a dynamite combination (look at the guy on the right at the start).

They are also very... ummm... hmmm... well. Just don't go around singing doo-doo-doo all day, ok?

(Personally, I'd just wear them with a light blue short sleeved "dress" shirt and my pink and blue tie, but I just don't care what other people think. At all.)
posted by shepd at 1:29 PM on July 31, 2006

If you post a question like this under the page title "I come from gay paree," you're gonna get what you got. I have no better ideas than what have already been expressed about what goes with such pants, but I know for sure what doesn't:
1) Boxers, and
2) Briefs.

Nothing but commando for you, pink jeans buckaroo.
posted by paulsc at 2:03 PM on July 31, 2006

They're not jeans but this article on rock-star style golf fashion has a photo of a guy with a pink pants outfit that looks ok. Maybe a coordinating madras plaid or vintage Hawaiian shirt, for a summer kind of outfit.
posted by PY at 5:14 PM on July 31, 2006

A handbag?

I believe the correct term is "manpurse".
posted by zardoz at 6:07 PM on July 31, 2006

...I live in a little hick town, and I've seen guys wearing pink jeans at least a dozen times in the past few years. Whenever I go into Philly there's at least one pink jeans sighting each time. It's really not that off the charts.

I wonder if all these men you've spied in pink jeans are wearing them because the proverbial stray red sock got mixed in with their load of whites and 1) they couldn't be bothered to bleach them back to white or throw them out, and 2) it was laundry day?

I've always liked pink dress shirts on guys--it looks perfect with charcoal pants. I can't quite imagine pink jeans though...I'm a girl and I would never wear pink jeans myself. As already mentioned, they were $9 for a reason.
posted by phoenixc at 8:26 PM on July 31, 2006

I wonder if all these men you've spied in pink jeans are wearing them because the proverbial stray red sock got mixed in with their load of whites and 1) they couldn't be bothered to bleach them back to white or throw them out, and 2) it was laundry day?

I think the coloured jeans may be more common than white jeans. Especially on guys.
posted by cholly at 8:34 PM on July 31, 2006

Ahem... I still say brown and pink don't match. Did they even wear that in the 70s?
posted by kookoobirdz at 8:10 PM on August 5, 2006