I like this combo. To me it looks a lot like the chinos post from a few weeks ago, but with pockets. What am I missing?

I bought these shorts a couple months ago, haven't been able to figure out what to wear them with except a basic cream colored linen top. It's a really nice tank, with just the right amount of draping at the neck. It looked perfectly nice, but had no excitement. It's like they were both staples, waiting for something else with a little more vavavoom to come take center stage.

When I saw the post on chinos of many colors, I gave myself a little pat on the back, because I had recently paired these pants and this top. I haven't had the chance to wear that combo yet, but think I'll like it. It hits all the marks I came up with earlier today as people were helping me define my style--one part more fitted (but not constraining), one part voluminous (not so much, but the flowers make it look big),strong colors, and something (the cut of the pants) that makes it look more tough than fragile.

Am I onto something here, or am I mixing up too many different things?