The custom made blazer is a go-to piece for most men when the weather drops or when you need something just a little bit dressier than your favorite sports team hoodie. While most men already have a good blazer or two in their closet, knowing how to wear them is another story.

One of the most popular ways to wear a blazer, especially for guys that don’t wear slacks on a regular basis, is with a pair of jeans. Denim is comfortable, always stylish and looks good in all but the most formal environments.

Wondering how to combine your best pair of denim with a custom made blazer? Use this guide to help you figure out a few different looks. Once you’ve got these down, you’ll be able to take a custom made blazer and your overall sense of style to a whole new level.

Don’t Wear Stuffy Custom Made Blazers

A custom made blazer come in all sorts of varieties, and while you might want something formal for certain occasions, those blazers should probably stay in the closet when you’re wearing jeans. Instead, pick something with a decent amount of texture and made in a material that isn’t too shiny.

A few examples of a custom made blazer you can wear with the right pair of jeans include tweed, heavyweight wool, felt or hounds tooth. These can all be a perfect custom made blazer for wearing with denim.

If you want to try and pull the look off in the summer months as well, don’t be afraid to purchase some very lightweight linen or cotton blazers to pair with your jeans. Just make sure they have some visible texture to them.

Pick the Right Jeans

Wearing a custom made blazer with jeans can put you on a slippery slope. Maybe you’re familiar with the term business mullet? “Business up top and party down below”?

To avoid the business mullet look, you need to pick a pair of jeans that don’t look too casual to pair with a blazer. Acid washed jeans, for example, will make your jacket look far too fancy, even if it’s not a very formal variety. The same goes with baggy jeans that are barely appropriate in general, honestly.

So which jeans are the right jeans? Let’s start with the color. For the most part, you’re going to want dark indigo or black jeans when you’re pairing them with a custom made blazer.

If you’re going for a more casual look, you might want to consider colored denim like red, olive green or even yellow. Just make sure your jacket isn’t close in color if you pick these more vibrant options.

You want contrast and texture, not a crazy suit-like look.

Belt Up

A lot of guys make one simple mistake when they’re pairing a custom made blazer with jeans. They forget to tie the look together with a belt that puts the whole ensemble together.

When you’re pairing jeans and a blazer you need to stick with a relatively simple belt in black or brown. Again, you can go for a colored belt or a braided belt, but you need to make sure it really works with your outfit.

To dress down dark jeans and a dark blazer go with a belt that features a more rustic or distressed buckle. You’ll make the whole look a bit more approachable.

Shoes Matter

Shoes always matter, but when you’re pairing a custom made blazer and jeans, the footwear you pick makes a big difference. Unless you’re wearing black pants, brown shoes are always your best choice, especially if you pick simple Oxfords with a rich patina and not too much shine.

Black shoes are okay if you’re wearing black pants, but you don’t want any pair close to patent unless you’re really bold. Brown and black work or chukka boots can also help you pull off the blazer and denim look with style and flair.

Grab a Crisp Button-Down

Like wearing a belt, the shirt you use to combine your custom made blazer and jeans makes a huge difference. When it comes to shirts, you can’t do a whole lot better than a crisp button-down.

The color is really up to you, but white is hardly ever going to steer you wrong. One word of advice – don’t wear a black shirt with an all-black jeans and blazer combination. You’ll look like Johnny Cash, and that’s not a compliment.

Keep the collar open a little bit on your shirt too. There’s no reason to button up to the throat for a pretty casual look.

If you must wear a tie, make sure you pick one with some serious texture. Knits and wool blends are going to work a lot better than silk or anything too sleek.

Choose T-Shirts Wisely

You can wear a custom made blazer with jeans and a t-shirt if you’re going somewhere very casual, but pulling this look off is harder than you think. And no, that Batman t-shirt you love isn’t going to work.

Instead of a printed t-shirt, go for something that’s sophisticated, but simple. High-quality black t-shirts, colored shirts with pockets or even a white t-shirt can work. Focus on buying a shirt that’s made with fine materials and the style can really come through.

Just avoid that vintage Rolling Stones t-shirt unless you’ve got accessories that would make Keith Richards and Johnny Depp jealous.