Flattering trousers to go with jackets

[Aloysius]

The maker Casatlantic recently came on my radar.

They make quite beautiful trousers in Golden Age style, with excellent silhouettes that ought to complement workwear jackets and tailoring alike. I've gotten quite bored of denim so it's nice to see other options that can fill that space while opening up other options as well.

(Title inspired by the shoe thread, so we can continue to discuss things beyond this brand.)

 

[Monitor]

Very, very cool! El Jadida or Safi would work for me.

I feel that I have finally started making progress toward understanding trousers and what I am certain of is that having them tailored is absolutely essential. Most OTR's of today will fit a person just fine but I always believed that trousers really do have to fit right - But I wouldn't know how to tell you what this right might constitute - and that there's not really that much wiggle room for personal preference.

Golden era pants are always a thread apart from looking posey but worn & sized correctly, no other article of clothing could more correctly be termed as timeless.

David Lynch understood this: “I am searching for a good pair of pants. I never found a pair of pants that I just love… it’s a fit, it’s a certain kind of feeling, and if they’re not right, which they never are, it’s a sadness. You know, it interrupts the flow of happiness.”

The thing with jeans is, it won't take you long to find a pair that fits you well (enough) and that's where your part of the deal ends as they are going to take it from there, with each wear making them nicer in every possible way. Nothing in life should be this easy. Nothing of value, at least.

 

[Aloysius]

Safi is my favourite as well. Really flattering line and it’s nice to see hefty side adjusters on readymade trousers.

I feel that I have finally started making progress toward understanding trousers and what I am certain of is that having them tailored is absolutely essential. Most OTR's of today will fit a person just fine but I always believed that trousers really do have to fit right - But I wouldn't know how to tell you what this right might constitute - and that there's not really that much wiggle room for personal preference.

I recently learned what is probably the real trick. Chris Despos, considered by many to be among the top living tailors today, frequently provides people fit feedback on Styleforum. He said something recently that really felt like a lightbulb moment–his advice was, when buying OTR/RTW trousers, to find the pair that fits you best in the seat then alter the waist, which is a much easier alteration. It was a huge eye-opener for me because like most people I shop by the waist when it comes to trousers (but ironically, thinking on it, I’ve unconsciously sized jeans on this basis and it’s probably why I have jeans of different waist measurements that sit equally well–it’s the seat that makes it work).

Golden era pants are always a thread apart from looking posey but worn & sized correctly, no other article of clothing could more correctly be termed as timeless.

Yep, worn wrong, they look like costume but ironically the trousers on actual people in the 30s-40s look timeless because they fit properly. I had some arguments with people on the TFL Facebook years back lol. I think it’s about the way they hang if they fit properly in the top block (and this is relevant even if they’re a pair you wear with braces; the waistband in that case would be wider than your actual waist but the seat and hips still need to fit right).

 

[Pandemic]

I think we should all be weary of absolutes. Fashions change - rises and hems sizes go up and down. People talk as if there is a style most flattering to men, but it really is about body types. Some bodies look better with a mid rise and slim leg, so are flattered with a higher rise. It also depends on what else you are wearing. Engineer boots look best with a wide leg, Chelsea boots look best with a more narrow opening.

When I can afford it, I prefer to go mtm for trousers, with a high (13”) front rise and a fairly slim/straight (for me, anyway) leg that opens to around 8”.

 

[Jasonissm]

After changing much in size and having to replace all my pants I own, there is only really one pair that I am very pleased with; that being the Buzz Rickson 1942 chino, perfect width for my height and leg length, also one of the few pants I have that fit me well in the waist without the need of a belt nor being tight, as well as fitting comfortably elsewhere too. Literally no complaints with this pair, might get some other colours of it considering how much I like the fit and fabric.

I'd really like to have some more pants in a similar cut, just found for me wide-ish straight leg pants with a higher rise than most brands offer just works.

Other pants that fit me generally well, but not great include some Kapital century denim jeans, some flares as well and Dickies 874, bought a bunch of different cuts ranging from slim and very tapered, but wide leg just works best for me so it's time for me to get picky again with what pants I'm buying. When I was rebuilding my wardrobe I just got whatever interested me so got a bunch of makers or fabrics I found interesting but with suboptimal fits for myself.

Plus getting a nice pair of engineers has also further swayed my opinion this way needing a wider leg opening for comfort and being able to put them on more easily.