I've owned a few pair of linen pants over the years, and I have to admit that they've always been a bit difficult for me to style. I always struggle to find balance in the outfits, but looking back I think it's because I've not had much success in finding linen pants that fit me the way that they should.

I'm by no means an expert on choosing the best fit when it comes to linen pants, but this is what I've found works best for me over the years:

The gold linen pants I'm using for today's post fulfill both of those must-haves for me. Additionally, the waist can be adjusted by way of an inner drawstring, although I've not used it. The length is just right for me to wear flats or heels.

These pants have been a hit ever since I bought them last summer, especially among my teacher friends. They're a great color and much more appealing than khaki in my opinion. Also these are almost an exact match for one of my school's colors, so that's a plus. Unfortunately, they're long sold out. I'm pretty sure they were on clearance when I bought them. I've been scouring the internet to find similar pairs but haven't had much luck. I've found three similar options but they're all more yellow than gold, except for this cropped tapered pair which leans more toward brown. This pair has back pockets and is a pale yellow, and this pair is called gold garden but may not actually be linen.

Let's talk about how to style them. Again, I'm no expert as I'm definitely still figuring out what works and what doesn't, but I have landed on three pretty basic outfit formulas that work nicely for me.

Let's be real. Graphic tees have become my go-to for dressy casual outfits over the past several years. They're an easy way to show your personality and tone down dressier bottoms. In this case, linen pants aren't what I would call dressy. They're not on the level of a pair of trousers, but they do feel more polished than a pair of jeans while keeping the more casual vibe.

In case you didn't know, graphic tees are an integral part of most teachers' wardrobes, especially ones with inspirational sayings like my Kindness Matters tee. It's not easy to see in the picture, but one of the rainbow's stripes is actually gold-colored polka dots. That's what I matched to the pants. I have several other graphic tees that will work with these pants, including some school spirit shirts.

I mentioned earlier that I've always had a hard time balancing outfits with linen pants. The key to this outfit working is tucking the shirt all the way in, creating cleaner lines and a defined separation between the top and bottom. I kept my shoes simple and neutral with flat brown sandals.

Printed blouses are a quick way to dress up a pair of solid-colored bottoms. I honestly don't have a lot of printed blouses that work with these pants, but it's still a solid outfit formula.

Tip: look for patterns that have a matching color in the print. Complementary, or contrasting, colors in a classic print like stripes or polka dots would work nicely, as well.

This blouse has a lot of gold-yellow in the pattern making it an easy pairing for these pants. It's got fun ruffle details on the sleeves. This blouse is not fitted, so it works best tucked in all the way. Being able to see the cinched waist of the pants helps balance the outfit since both the top and bottom are loose and flowy.

I remember struggling with what shoes to wear, but I ultimately went with my tan flats.

Simple does not have to mean boring, even when pairing a solid-colored top with a solid-colored bottom. It doesn't matter if you're wearing all neutrals or contrasting colors like above. The key is to find a top with interesting details.

Take my blouse. It's the super popular Swiss dot trend. If you're not familiar, it's basically 3D polka dots in the same color as the shirt. Not only does the shirt have a subtle pattern, it also has texture. When you add in the split neck and flutter sleeves, you've got a solid colored top with plenty of visual interest.

Some other ways to add visual interest to a top include lace or eyelet, ruffle sleeves, a peplum bottom, textured stripes in the same color as the shirt, or some type of hardware like buttons.

The graphic tee outfit formula works just as well with printed bottoms. My pants are several years old (these are similar). They're ankle length, which can make shoes a bit tricky - sneakers look awkward with this length in my opinion. They have a nice wide elastic waist and belt loops.

This is actually one of my favorite outfits I've put together. My t-shirt is a dark gray with most of the Disney princesses on it. The stripes on my pants are kind of a slate gray-blue. The jean jacket adds a little bit of structure to the outfit as well as really tying all the blue together. My slide sandals 

A solid-colored blouse is the easiest way to style printed bottoms. My top is a dark chambray with flutter sleeves and buttons for visual interest. I added a wide, braided belt to provide a nice break between top and bottom. Then I finished the outfit with brown wedge sandals.

This is essentially the same outfit as the previous one, but with black instead of blue. These pants are a bit newer (these are similar). They're regular length with an elastic waist but no belt loops. This top has a crocheted square neckline, slightly puffed sleeves, and decorative buttons for visual interest.