The air grew warm this past weekend. Temperatures were in excess of 80 degrees F (27 C) even on the normally cool coast, and they brought cream colored trousers to mind (we speak of cream rather than white as the lanolin in wool yellows it over time even when it begins life as white).
Now a man can certainly wear cream, or winter white, in cool weather but the color really comes into its own on sunny days. And in the popularity race among wool trouser colors it probably follows only the ubiquitous gray flannel.
The literature from the 1930s speaks of white flannel trousers but, appealing as they sound, the reality is that, like Scabal's excellent 11 ounce gabardine, they are better suited for shoulder season than high summer. The cream colored trouser of choice for me is heavy linen.
A little harder to find than linen is cream fresco. Smith's Woolens has one in the Finmeresco book and one is all we need.
Add cream colored trousers to the list of good things, like ice cream and watermelon, closely associated with the warm days of summer.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Ice Cream, Watermelon and Trousers
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8 comments:
Amen. I look forward to finding (or ultimately bespeaking) the perfect pair one of these days. I can see such a colour being overpowering on the brightest of days, so I can appreciate your seasonal recommendations
B
This is one of my favorite photos (I originally garnered it off of Shuman's blog). The sleek silhouette and short length of the jacket are incredibly stylish to me. It begs for a Will post on the virtues of the shorter jacket - consider the short jacket.
Talking about Scabal: have any of you tried the Scabal "Made to measure". I have been told that the result is not bad at all and you can get personalised your suit in many ways for around 1.200€. Any thoughts?
I am still in need of the perfect linen trousers as well, and wouldn't mind perfection in cream-colored wool, either. But looking at that photo, I've got to agree with Mark—love that jacket.
Great picture that brings up a lovely image of the past...
A great irish linen suit in cream and you'll have the trousers you want...The jacket can be used with jeans(eech!) or gray or blue slacks...
The suit worn as whole is getting tougher to wear all over the world...even in Panama. Pity, it's an elegant suit.
JRL Said...
Will: In looking at the photograph under the heading "Ice Cream/Watermelon/Trousers" - - I don't know where you found it - - I get the impression that the young man pictured is Clark Gable (possibly late 1920's, sans moustache, very thin). Any chance I'm correct? Thanks.
The photo was taken at Cannes years ago by one of the Seeberger Brothers. I don't know who it is but it's not Gable.
I found a nice pair of off-white Bobby Jones brand flannel trousers, but they are cotton flannel, not wool. Would anyone care to comment on this material as an option, since ready-to-wear white white wool flannel appears to be nonexistent?
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