Too little is worse than too much.
Great looking chinos. A 17" taper seem a little conservative, but this all depends on things like shoe size and overall size. However. the look of these chinos while not quite the ivy trousers everyone dreams is probably the ideal silhouette for me.
I like them and i think he is nearly there.
My own thoughts:
idea is very good, but - as mentioned before, the cuffs are too high/broad/wide (how is it called in english?), 2" is too wide (wide?). 1,5 - 13/4" maximum, but to be honest: that material should have been plain hemmed with stitching, military hem.
We cannot see the bottom and the fit at the bottom, as well as the back rise - the much more important rise than the front rise. I suppose the back rise isn't right, because the trousers seem slipped down a bit in the pics. 11,5 front rise with the right back rise sits higher in the waist and doesn't slip. 12" front rise wih the right back rise sits even higher... etc. Also the silhouette isn't quite right to me - the right way they sit differently on the waist, more like a "barrel" - there should be a light taper, hard to explain for me.
BTW, IMO chinos are something casual - for me a megahighrise isn't casual (that said I do have great chinos and casual trousers with a pretty high rise, mostly NOS stuff from the 80s and 90s and they are great as they fit very comfortably). But that's me (and many folks in the 60s, as the rise went down a bit for a reason). If the trousers are constructed well every kind of rise works except an ultralow hipster rise, that is uncomfortable and awful. Trousers should sit high in the waist for dressy occasions (and for military) and if the back rise/front rise ratio is right they sit there even without a belt and on the hips with a medium rise for casual use. If the medium rise is done well it also has a higher back rise and they don't slip down below the hip bone.
I know medium rise is kind of blasphemy for most on here but I know I am not the only one (12BarBlues didn't favour a very high rise, too)... if it's done right it works, no question!
Conclusion: not bad, pretty good but not good enough for custom made trousers - and for the right Ivy look there is something lacking (to me)
Last edited by Leer R. (2016-03-08 04:53:46)
Oh, well - thank you - the most important part is that you are happy with them. They do look good anyway and fit pretty well! Anything I did critizise is on an extremely high level, so... wear them in good health! :-)
The idea that these trousers don't need cuffs and a high rise is nonsense. In fact, didn't you (Leer) agree with me recently about how good Delon's look is at the start of Plein Soleil? That was wheat Levis - obviously a hell of a lot more casual than the trousers in this thread - and they were cuffed and looked superb. Cuffs were standard ivy until the early or mid 60s, and they only disappeared because trousers got too tight.
As for high rise - on a pair of jeans maybe not but those trousers would be infinitely worse without a high rise.
Last edited by Leer R. (2016-03-08 14:01:05)
It is a matter of what is worn, too. Loafers and BD: definitely higher rise. Vans and Lacoste Polo: mid rise...
Rugby shirt, chinos, boat shoes or camp mocs, rain jacket: mid rise...
Turtleneck, aviator leather jacket, desert boots: both is good...
Remember: only personal preference, nuff to do with Ivy or not. Ivy is classic, and a classic rise starts slightly below the navel...
They're not rolled up, they're folded up. It's a more casual cuff but essentially it's a cuff.
345 quid might seem a lot for chinos, but they do have a lot of buttons so I for one have already ordered a dozen pairs.
If you are in the US, I've found a dark horse option for high rise trousers.
They are sold by.........the dreaded Jos A Bank.
JAB has a "slim" fit available in Short, Regular, and Long sizes (which does refer to the rise, not the available inseam length - although it might affect available inseam length too). So, it's the Slim/Longs I speak of here.
Bear in mind that the cut is not extremely slim....they are really a trimmed up classic fit, with about a 8.5" leg opening (which is exactly what I like). They are similar to Lands End tailored fit (which I'm a fan of), but with a higher rise. The fabric quality is middle of the road - it's pretty agreeable, but certainly not primo. Much better than Lands End Year Rounders wool for example (which I find very thin and cheap), so it's not bottom of the barrel.
Right now there are some on clearance...they were previously around $40, but now $78 - their prices seem to bounce around. They have other Slim/Longs outside of the clearance section too that'll surely be cheaper during upcoming black friday and xmas sales.
http://www.josbank.com/joseph-slim-fit-trousers-clearance
Last edited by alkydrinker (2016-11-03 12:38:32)
I see The Armoury NYC is now offering some "high rise" trousers. Anyone with about $400 for corduroy or cotton high rise pants may want to browse their site.
https://thearmoury.com/catalogs/shop/tailored/trousers/ring-jacket-corduroy-amp03-trousers-blue