Hi Woof!,

Yeah I remember that you've attested of this before (and with a marvelous picture of your be-hind ). But, should I opt for the regular fit or the slim fit? I have had bad experience with Orvis customer service before. I asked for the specific size of one of their donegal sweaters and when it arrived it was much larger than promised. I hope you understand my hestitation, normally I would ask them for the exact measurments of the garment if it not had been for this previous experience.

Last edited by DuluthandBackAgain (2022-02-24 14:10:11)

I think I saw an email or something recently that Orvis are closing their UK shops, so I guess they're going to just trade online, TBH whenever I went into their shop on South Regent St they never had anything in there that was of interest to me, certainly couldn't find the the ultimate chinos,

I visited that London Orvis store to buy a shawl collar cardigan in a sale.
The salesman checked and said it was still available at their other store (Manchester?). I said I would buy it and he agreed to get it for me but I could tell he decided he would buy it for himself because he suddenly said it was no longer available. Me paranoid?
I never went back

That'd make sense ,
back to trousers, I'm still on my mission to find some that fit , as mentioned on another thread ordered,received and returned a couple of pairs in the last couple of weeks, on Wednesday in JS I tried their Stephenson chinos, again waist ok but too tight round the butt & thighs, found some in Gant ( shock, horror), that fitted well, but I can't bring myself to buy anything full price from Gant as everything goes on sale with them eventually,

Spendthrift - I never have problems with trousers being too short.... it's me that's too short, I never had any real problems when I was buying 34 waist trousers everything else fitted, but having dropped to a 32 waist everything else has stayed in proportion to a 34 !, The Gant's were OK but I'll probably end up back at Cordings for some summer chinos, in the meantime I've washed 5-6 pairs of 34" trousers which shrink them up and with a tight belt stay up and don't reveal my boxers ! On the subject of Gant shirts I've bought them since the '80's, (before their own shops & external labelling), always thought they were well made and good value, but even if I could find some with no external labels the collars are always too short, I'm still clinging onto 4 ' Yale Co-Op' shirts from 10-12 years ago, they were very good apart from the gorilla length sleeves !

For big thighs and I know I sound like a broken record about them..... Lands End traditional fit?  I had one pair from them, quality okay but too wide in the thighs.  They might be right therefore for others.  I don't like them with front crease either but I let that fade out over time.

I'm essentially set now on Peter Christian - drill jeans/moleskins and Next - summer bashing about cotton chinos.  Will try others, but like lots of us - I haven't found one brand on the summer end of chinos that I'm really taken with.  I've tried loads of brands and they are all still there to wear in the cupboard, but I've recycled too many ones I've tried in a new brand to bother keep looking.

Last edited by An Unseen Scene (2022-02-25 04:32:38)

My problem is my legs are visibly shrinking as I get older! In my teens I used to joke that I had the perfect 501 figure, 30W 32L. These days I'm 32W 30L. Which I suppose isn't too bad going.

Gant collars generally work ok for me. They are quite variable though. Those Yale Co-Op ones were great. I dithered over four or five in TKMaxx a few years ago. When I returned the next day all were gone apart from a green one.

Spendthrift I ended up buying the green Yale Co-Op Gant

Robbie - I did grab the green. But was disappointed that the blue, yellow, tattersall and, I think, white had gone.

AUS - I saw that RL. But one green shirt’s proved to be one too many for me

Orvis sizing is geared to the generously apportioned sportsman.

The Ultimate Chinos are the best deal around at the moment if you're picky. And as someone said above, the "slim fit" in Orvis terms merely means "less voluminous."

The Lands End untreated chinos are my go-to from May through October. Unlike most outfits, LE allows for a specific inseam, which makes a hell of a lot of difference for guys like me. I was never tall but at 5'9" I wasn't short either. Alas, the recent physical revealed the hideous truth -- I have shrunk to 5'7" and change. The shortest inseam usually available is 29 inches, and even that is rare. WHich is why you see so many people walking around with great puddles of fabric around their ankles.

Orvis will give you a specific inseam too. So it's a question of price and quality. I wear chinos the way many men wear jeans -- automatically. SO some are suitable for use with a jacket and tie, and others are just comfy, fairly sloppy pants.

Also, now that I am 60, I don't give a damn anyway. And get off my lawn.

Last edited by Patrick (2022-02-25 06:11:41)

'Locarno ballroom', one assumes.  Very sensible approach: very much like that of Patrick.

‘Get off my lawn’ is an American expression not really heard in the UK.

I assume there are no fences to inhibit trespass, though white picket fences are supposedly typical of certain American communities.

It sounds like the front of some British council estates. Though you wonder who would want to loiter on your lawn and why.

Foxes and cats are the biggest trespassers on my lawn. I don’t mind if they put in the effort and climb a fence but wandering in through a hole in the hedge is annoying. Squirrels are another nuisance, visiting bird feeders with great ingenuity. Parakeets also.