A white dress shirt is one of the most versatile pieces of clothing a man can own. You can wear it with a suit, a jacket, or on its own depending on how casual you want to appear. While it's easy to pair a white dress shirt with some black trousers or jeans, that's -- let's face it -- boring. If you want some affordable and stylish options try these suggestions for white dress shirt combinations that will liven up your wardrobe.

Pair your white dress shirt with a bright cardigan in a bold colour like bright blue or a pastel. If you have a darker skin tone, you can usually wear brighter colours. If you have an especially fair complexion, try a camel-coloured cardigan. A cardigan is a nice alternative to a jacket because it's more affordable, so you can incorporate more -- and hence more variety -- into your wardrobe.

A white dress shirt is so plain and simple that it allows you to get away with trouser colours and patterns that would normally be considered a tad overwhelming. But some red pants -- who said Nantucket Reds? -- look great paired with a crisp white dress shirt. Is red too much? Why not a pair of light blue cotton pants? They're casual, cool and they blend well with colourful (or white) shoes.

Beyond solid colours, you can experiment with patterns. A bold madras is a very interesting trouser pattern and can be worn pretty much exclusively with a white dress shirt. Try something new -- you may be surprised by the reactions you get.

Seersucker jackets usually come in a light blue or light green colour that looks great with a white dress shirt. Seersucker is a great fabric for summer because it breathes easily and is nearly always used in unlined jackets. Seersucker is seen by some as the domain of Southern gentlemen, but it can also look very cool -- and feel very cool -- when worn by anyone. Just ask Kanye West.

A well-fitting track jacket looks great paired with a white dress shirt. A track jacket, usually an inelegant piece of clothing, provides a casual counterweight to a white dress shirt. I suggest getting a cotton jacket and it's an absolute must that it fits beautifully. The jacket cannot be baggy at all if it is to look good paired with a white dress shirt.

How should that white dress shirt fit? -- Dress Shirt Fit

What sort of collar should you have on your white dress shirt? -- Dress Shirt Collars

Not feeling the white dress shirt? Here are some other summer shirts.