- Hex
- #67683D
- RGB
- 103, 104, 61
- Deck
- No. 25
From sage-leaning olive to deep military green
What colors go with olive green?
Olive is a green-brown, which is why it behaves more like a neutral than like a green. It is muted, warm and earthy, so it pairs best with other warm or muted colors and with the classic light neutrals. Bright, cool greens and pure red are where it gets difficult.
Short answer
The colors that go best with olive green are white, cream, navy, khaki, burgundy, light blue, mustard and rust. White and cream are the easiest, navy is the smart choice, burgundy and light blue give contrast, and mustard and rust are warm accents.
- White: crisp, the easiest olive pairing
- Cream: softer and warmer than white
- Navy: two dark neutrals that look smart
- Khaki: sand and olive, an easy tonal look
- Burgundy: muted red against muted green: rich, not festive
- Light blue: cool pale blue freshens olive
- Mustard: golden yellow for autumn
- Rust: a warm accent in a scarf or overshirt
Olive chinos with a light blue shirt
Garment usedLight blue is a contrast partner for olive: cool where olive is warm, pale where olive is mid-dark. The shirt freshens the chinos and makes the outfit look a notch smarter than the white tee, while the white sneakers keep it casual.
The home page shows the same chinos with three more tops, one each from olive's neutral, contrast and accent groups. Open this outfit in the matcher.
Try your own olive pairing
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Outfit formulas with olive
Each formula lists the colors from top to bottom. Swap the garments freely; the color relationships are what carry over.
Olive, white tee, white sneakers
The simplest olive outfit and one of the best. Olive chinos or cargo trousers, a plain white tee, white sneakers.
Cream knit and brown boots
A cream or ecru sweater over olive trousers with brown suede boots. All warm, low contrast, and texture does the work.
Navy and olive
A navy knit or jacket with olive trousers, or an olive jacket over navy. Two dark neutrals that look grown-up together; brown shoes tie them up.
Light blue shirt
A pale blue oxford with olive chinos and brown leather. The smart-casual default, with olive standing in for khaki.
Burgundy and olive
A burgundy knit, polo or scarf with olive. Deep red and muted green are opposites on the wheel, and in these quiet versions they look rich.
The autumn palette
Olive with rust and mustard, ideally with one of them small. All three are warm and earthy, so the outfit feels cohesive even with three colors.
Shoes, bags and metals
Shoes
Brown suede or leather is the most natural shoe with olive, from tan to dark chocolate. White sneakers suit casual outfits. Black looks more utilitarian and works best with darker olive.
Bags and belts
Cognac and tan leather, cream or natural canvas, and dark brown all sit well with olive. A black bag is fine but pushes the outfit toward a military look.
Metals
Brass and gold suit olive's warmth better than silver, which can look a little cold against it. Antique or brushed finishes look especially at home.
Colors to avoid with olive, and why
Nothing is forbidden. These are the pairings that most often look accidental rather than chosen, and what to do instead.
- Bright or cool greens
A clear emerald or kelly green next to olive tends to look like two greens that missed each other. Pick sage or forest green for a tonal look instead.
- Pure bright red
Olive with bright red reads festive or uniform-like. Burgundy gives the same contrast in a quieter key.
- Mid grey on its own
Both are muted, so together they can look drab. Add white, cream or a warm accent if you wear them together.
- Brown at the same depth
Mid brown and mid olive can blur into one muddy tone. Go clearly lighter or darker, or separate them with cream.
Wearing olive through the year
In spring and summer, lighter olive in cotton or linen pairs well with white, cream, light blue and pale pink. Olive shorts with a white tee, or an olive overshirt over a light blue shirt, look relaxed without looking sloppy.
In autumn and winter, olive is at home with its earthy partners: rust, mustard, burgundy, camel and brown suede. Olive is also a common color for field jackets and parkas; over navy, grey or denim, an olive jacket acts as a neutral layer.
Which olive do you have?
Olive covers a wide range. Lighter, greyer olives lean toward sage and suit pastels and white especially well. Mid olive, the classic chino color, is the most flexible. Deep olive behaves almost like a dark neutral and can replace navy or brown in many outfits.
If you are unsure, hold the piece next to something navy and something brown. If it looks greener next to brown, treat it like a muted green; if it looks browner next to navy, treat it like an earthy neutral.
Olive is an earthy green-brown that behaves like a neutral. It pairs best with warm and muted colors. In the matcher, the olive chip also suggests khaki and sage as tonal partners and mustard or rust as accents.
Questions
Does olive green go with black?
Yes. Olive and black look utilitarian and a bit military, which can be exactly the point. It works best with darker olives; with light olive, white or cream is usually the better partner.
What color shirt goes with olive pants?
White, cream, light blue and navy are the reliable choices. Burgundy, rust and mustard give warmer, more autumnal outfits.
What color shoes go with olive green pants?
Brown in any shade, white sneakers, and black for a more utilitarian look.