high waisted trousers

[dancinggods]

hello,

my name is dylan and i just signed up, but have been looking at this forum for a while. i stumbled over here while looking for information on high waisted trousers, and this place has helped. i now know of some different places that offer what i am looking for, but am curious about the quality. i want these trousers for every day use, work, etc, so i want them to be comfortable and durable. i usually wear mostly vintage clothes, so i would like the style to fit in... can i get some thoughts from people who have tried a variety of brands, to help me compare and choose a pair to try?

i am accustomed to paying less than $100 for my pants, and would like to keep it that way... but if the quality is really great, i'd be willing to try!

the trousers i am interested in are:
wah maker frontier trousers
http://www.gentlemansemporium.com/store/000488.php

river junction western trousers
http://www.riverjunction.com/catalog/trousers/trouser2.html

jpeterman walt whitman trousers (it doesn't look like they offer my waist size, 30 or 31.)
http://jpeterman.com/product~cat~100202~sku~MPT 1981.asp

old town clothing high rise trousers (i hear they are a little difficult, plus i live in the usa)
http://www.old-town.co.uk/products/highrise.htm

or maybe other suggestions for resources to obtain similar styles?

thanks!
dylan

 

[Creeping Past]

Welcome!

Some FL threads on high-waisted trousers for starters:

Here and here .

I've got some River Junction trousers in the brown/olive herringbone wool fabric. They're poorly constructed (I had to restitch the seat after wearing them once) and made from a fabric with far too much 'give' in it for trousers. I can't comment on the cotton pants, but they may be better.

There are many companies selling western pants at a similar price, including Wah Maker, Frontier Classics, Walton & Taylor.

I've heard Old Town won't take overseas orders, but I can't see that mentioned on their website. Why not phone and ask?

Old Town aren't difficult at all, they're really easy to deal with, in my experience. I've only ever had excellent service from them. Their trousers are excellent in terms of cut and fabric quality.

But they only make things according to their house style (their stuff is made to order) and they won't customise or alter clothing. I don't think that's unreasonable: they choose only to do what they do, just like many other clothing retailers. For instance, say you'd like Ralph Lauren to make you a longer version of one of their blazers, with 3 or four buttons instead of two. What are the odds there? Would you call RL 'difficult' for not complying with your wishes?

 

[H.Johnson]

I agree, dealing with Miss Willey is very easy...Old Town is a lovely place to visit.

 

[Creeping Past]

I agree, dealing with Miss Willey is very easy...Old Town is a lovely place to visit.

Yup, friendly and welcoming. Just hop aboard the steam train from Sheringham to Holt...

 

[DeaconKC]

I wish I still had a waist........

 

[Edward]

I wish I still had a waist........

lol

The big bonus of high waisties is that theyre so much more flattering on those of us less slim than once we were! I am hoping to maybe purchase a pair of the Old Town high waisties in the new year. I like the idea of having a few pairs of vintage style trousers in drill cotton that I can wear with a sports coat but also clean without need of dry cleaning. Maybe if those work out well, I might look into some grey flannels from them. I do like that pattern - looks (to my far from expert eye - please correct if wrong) - very 30s?

 

[Creeping Past]

OT use heavy grey flannel, Edward, but only for jackets, not trousers.

 

[dancinggods]

sorry i must have misread something while coming to the assumption that old town was difficult, it is good to hear they are not. custom orders are not of any importance to me as it seems by the photographs of men in a similar body shape look quite good in the trousers.

has anyone had any experience with the other ones i listed? i am used to wearing big E levi's sta-prest and am looking for a similar quality and durability. i, however also desire some differences in style to try out, the appealing features being the higher waist, back strap, button fly, and suspender buttons.

but i do intend on wearing these regularly with some amount of activity, so i am looking for some standard of quality.

thanks!

 

[Creeping Past]

I've worn my OT blue serge (wool) trousers out hiking on a number of occasions and they look like they've never been worn.

But I guess you're more interested in the canvas pants.

The best thing to do is contact the sellers and ask about the weight of the fabric used (9oz, 10oz, 12oz, etc.) and that'll give you an idea of how heavy the fabric is and, therefore, how it might wear. If you know what weight your sta-prest are, think about how long they've lasted, then you'll be able to form an opinion.

 

[dancinggods]

they don't have to be canvas, cords would be fine too, and i'm open to try different fabrics. one issue i have with the old town trousers is that they don't have a back pocket. i find the back pocket important, i don't think it looks right for every day trousers. if i was looking into old suit trousers it wouldn't be as much of an issue.

thanks for the suggestion about the fabric weight. i'll send some emails off to see what i can find out.

 

[mike]

The Gentleman's Emporium pants which are actually made by Wahmaker, are durable and heavy duty! (there's another company that makes these type of pants, Frontier Classics I believe, I would steer clear of them They seemed like a junky version of Wahmakers)

The River Junction pants are made by the in-house employees. Although I completely appreciate and support small independent businesses, I found that the RJ ones were much easier to give way and buttons to get loose.

In either of these cases, or maybe for any high waisted pants, it is suggested you go one waist size over your regular sizing, just so you know!

I haven't tried Old Town, but look forward to one day!

As a somewhat different option, have you thought about going for a pair of repro Levi's? They have 1901 model that has one back pocket, high waisted (no fishtail back though) suspender buttons, back buckle and with no belt loops. Or the late 20's/30's versions that are similar but with a fuller cut and belt loops. The 1933 model even has a repro NRA tag! How cool is THAT?!

 

[dancinggods]

i looked at some repro levis, they don't look that attractive to me. i'm not normally one to wear jeans.... plus i don't like the wash on those pants, the "already worn look" is silly, since i like my pants looking as crisp as possible, i usually retire them when they start looking very worn.

 

[mike]

i looked at some repro levis, they don't look that attractive to me. i'm not normally one to wear jeans.... plus i don't like the wash on those pants, the "already worn look" is silly, since i like my pants looking as crisp as possible, i usually retire them when they start looking very worn.

I agree, the preworn look is silly! But they make them unworn too!

here's me in a pair of 'em...

 

[dancinggods]

oh hey, not so bad in that dark wash. and cute dog!!

 

[mike]

thanks! here's me a few pounds heavier about a year and a half ago gaining access with Ranger Mike to the actual exterior set for Mr Blandings Builds his Dream House! Wearing a pair of black Wahmaker pants purchased through Gentleman's Emporium.

 

[dancinggods]

it seems like the wah makers might be my best bet. they look pretty good on you, are those just the canvas ones? my girlfriend is worried i will look too "costumey" if i wear some pants like this with some custom amish made shirts i have and braces, which is fully my intention. after seeing your picture i don't perceive them as "costumey" as the gentlemen's emporium pictures lead one to believe.

i had trouble finding sufficient info on the 1901 and 1933 style levis on their website, any good resource to look into those more thoroughly?

 

[Edward]

OT use heavy grey flannel, Edward, but only for jackets, not trousers.

That's a shame.... I'll have to look further into what they do offer.

 

[skyvue]

thanks! here's me a few pounds heavier about a year and a half ago gaining access with Ranger Mike to the actual exterior set for Mr Blandings Builds his Dream House!

Mike, where is that?

 

[mike]

it seems like the wah makers might be my best bet. they look pretty good on you, are those just the canvas ones? my girlfriend is worried i will look too "costumey" if i wear some pants like this with some custom amish made shirts i have and braces, which is fully my intention. after seeing your picture i don't perceive them as "costumey" as the gentlemen's emporium pictures lead one to believe.

i had trouble finding sufficient info on the 1901 and 1933 style levis on their website, any good resource to look into those more thoroughly?

I think the best bet is just doing ebay searching for visual references of Levi's various year repros.

The Gentleman's Emporium pants are their regular Vigilante pants. As a side note now that I'm looking at their site... their new-ish Higgins suit looks be great! I wonder how the fit is....

 

[mike]

Mike, where is that?

Malibu Creek State Park, north west of Los Angeles. It used to be where a lot of the studios went to shoot scenes that needed to have a wide open rural setting! A few of the many: How Green was my Valley, Love Me Tender, Planet of the Apes and even Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House