Bespoke trousers are expensive, that is to say £700 ($1,100) and more in England and €700 ($1,000) or more in Naples including standard cloth like flannel and cotton drill. But most men can achieve the majority of the benefit of bespoke odd trousers at a fraction of the price, for trousers are simpler to tailor than jackets and lend themselves to sewing machine sewing. Now I am not familiar with made to measure tailors save the one I use for my clients, but I do know that a diligent search should yield trousers that cost as little as $200 plus cloth, or $300-$400 all in. If you decide to look, start with the Hong Kong boys.
Which leads us to the principal benefit of having one's trousers made, and Mr. Fellows has provided a hint in his illustration. Notice how crisp and straight the trousers fall? For pents, as my genius trousemaker friend Salvatore Ambrosi was calling them for a while, are all about line. As in straight lines.
Which leads us to the point of this essay about trouser cloth. As I wrote in November (Wear Heavier Trousers), trousers drape better when they are as heavy as possible. And that is something that is rarely practical unless a man is choosing his own cloth weights. This essay intends to remind you dear reader that Huddersfield Fine Worsteds, Holland & Sherry and Scabal among others sell world class cloth directly to the public.
What's more, each of these merchants offers to some extent heavy (15-17 ounce/450-510 gram) flannels, heavy Irish linen (14 ounce.420 grams), proper (16-21 ounce/480-620 gram) moleskins, cotton drills and cords and breathable high twist cloth for warm weather. That selection lends itself to trousers that are two to six ounces heavier than ready to wear, hang straighter and look considerably more elegant with or without a jacket.
Made to measure trousers are not as critical as made to measure shirts in the wardrobes of men who care about clothing, but they are an important step that should be considered as soon as they are practical. Have your trousers made.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Have Your Trousers Made
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11 comments:
How much cloth is typically required for a single pair of pents?
There was a very appropriate link from another blog, acontinuouslean.com, that has audio tapes of Pres. Lyndon Johnson ordering trousers over the phone. http://www.whitehousetapes.net/clips/1964_0809_lbj_haggar/ You might not want to listen to this at work b/c he describes how he wants them to fit in a bit more detail than would be appropriate for mixed company, haha.
Jeff, the amount varies with the tailor and with how large you are but 1.5 meters is the most common number.
Dear Will:
I'm a relatively young guy (30) and I work in a casual academic environment. I like the comfort of higher-waisted trousers (which I would consider having made), but they don't seem to work with an outfit that is anything less than a suit (especially since they're typically worn with braces). One might think that an odd jacket would work, but it feels incongruous with higher-waisted trousers and braces, at least to me (feel free to convince me otherwise).
Any thoughts on how I can reconcile the comfort of higher-waisted trousers with their seeming formality? Can I wear a suit sans tie (sounds unappealing)? Thanks...
Todd,
I realise you want Will's view on this, not mine... For what it's worth, though, maybe the high-waisted trousers would look better if they were covered by a jumper or cardigan? I am a huge fan of sleeveless V-necks worn with odd jackets, and sleeveless cardigans are even better (although harder to find). Of course, whether that is practical depends a bit on your climate, but it could be a nice option. They work well if you tend to take your jacket off during the day as well, as they look a bit smarter than an uncovered shirt.
What do you think?
I have almost completely converted my "office pants" collection to MTM. I like mine pleated, with cuffs, a high rise and with buttons for braces because I wear odd vests so often.
Will is right -- have your trousers made ... :)
Todd, I own only high waisted trousers. Wear them with side tabs instead of braces on less formal days. You will usually have a jacket or sweater over them so the waistband is covered.
my bespoke trousers have all been worse than the Marks/spencers trousers I buy
but I am looking for Pearl Grey flannel can't find it anywhere
Aston (via Boncompagni, next to the U.S. Embassy) in Rome has a great looking flannel in Pearl Grey. They had about 2 and half metres of the stuff left. Not enough for a suit and vest which I wanted. Scampoli. About 350 grams. I think they may have had some cashmere mixed in.
Jake & Will:
Thank you for the feedback on my dilemma. I've also thought of wearing a vest with an odd jacket as well, so I suppose that's another option that may de-emphasize the higher waist and braces.
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