The most tiresome garment in the world to buy. Particularly if you are High Street Man and do not like shopping as an activity.
You have try them on and to do so you need to use the changing rooms.
As a consequence it is easier to load up on other items - shirts, shoes, jackets etc.
Problem is I would like some trousers for wingtips. Minimal break which is easy as an alterations job; but also the right width which is more difficult to judge.
Anyone else think like this - or are you happy to make the effort ?
Im with you on this one. I have had very limited success with trousers. They never seem to fit right. If I ever find the perfect brand I will buy a dozen pair so I never have to be bothered again.
Trousers are the hardest garment to get right, I agree.
I'm very happy to have discovered Incotex for chinos.
Anyone care to suggest a nice pair in the bottom feeder price range? Even heavily discounted, Incotex can still be pricey.
I've had good luck with Bean classic fit jeans. Slim throughout with room in the thigh (I'm 6 ft, 185 lb) and the high rise works for me (for tucking in shirts with short tails).
In another thread, good things were said about the Brooks Milano fit pants. Never had 'em myself.
I'd say my personal beef with pants is the leg opening. I have some pants that fit very close in the thigh but practically cover my whole shoe.
I've never had any complaints in the trouser department...
I tend to stick to the same names, H&M, C&A and Meyer. The given size always fits and I don't even bother trying them on.
Those Bean jeans seem to only be worn by people who don't post pictures of them doing so, and I think I understand why now. I'm sure the fit is kosher and all but when I just zoomed into them on their site, the appearance of the denim fabric left me screaming for mercy. Well not literally. Carry on.
1966, if you're curious, I'll do my best to get a picture up. I have them in "khaki." I don't know what it is about the Bean website, but the colors look miserable compared to how they appear in real life (nondescript instead of hideous). There's a store near me, so I've fondled a lot of the stuff in person.
Even the unappealing washes are not at the Mom Jeans level the website makes them out to be.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/10333/saturday-night-live-mom-jeans
All right - thanks. Not the first time I got lead astray by digital images. The buggers.
I think that in general if you care about fit and style, shopping for any item of clothing can be a frustrating experience.
I have trouble with trousers, jackets, shirts, overcoats, etc. Just occasionally something will plonk on and need no alteration, but more often than not I find myself visiting my tailor for a quarter of an inch adjustment here or a tweak there - perhaps just moving a button! Even then, once I have worn the thing a few times back it goes again for another minor tweak.
It could be enough to make you give up and focus on shoes, sox, pocket squares, or do what most men do and live in t shirt and shorts!!
I heartily agree. trying on trousers is a real drag, and it is tough to find a good fit. It can also be a singularly depressing experience, if you have a less than ideal physique.
I like the J Crew "Classic Slim" or whatever they're called for jeans and chinos. There is a cheesy discount chain called Daffy's here in NY, and I have actually found some very nicely cut, cheap pants there--always some Italian brand I've never heard of. They even stock Incotex on occasion, but usually in unhelpful colors, like pale orange or bright red.
66 where do you get incotex from
i can't find them in london, im with you on this one..although i also find shoes hard as well
^ Local outlets, so far. I have a couple of their "comfort chinos".
I once bought an additional pair online with a nice micro houndstooth that turned out to be a different model and way too snug. If you're pretty slim and a 32 waist give me a shout.
Trousers are tough. I'm a 36 x 29, more or less, but I really need a longer rise than the usual.
But because I am also The Man With No Fanny, the longer rise leaves me with yards of extra material in the back.
LL Bean jeans in any color other than blue are pretty good. Miles away from Mom or Wal-Mart Grandpa jeans. Same with Lands End.
I really don't like blue jeans, but other colors are okay.
But they won't fit, so what difference does it make.
Best-fitting pair of pants I have are a pair of tan Faded Glory jeans, the Wal-Mart house brand. I have never seen a non-denim pair since I bought these in 2002.
And the best-fitting chinos are still the old untreated LL Bean Double Ls. If they brought those back I would buy 30 pairs. Perfect leg opening for use with loafers, I mean perfect. And they came in a 29-inch inseam, which is not usually the case. Damn the hegemony of 36 x 30.
Feelings of awkwardness and exposure aside, here are a few shots of "classic fit" Bean jeans, in khaki, size 34x32. Due to confines of space, I'm doing a couple of awkward things: leaning back, tilting the camera down, and using a pretty short focal length. Just something to keep in mind if you buy pants based on how they fit a strange man you met on the internet.
http://picasaweb.google.com/dbrande/20090604?authkey=Gv1sRgCNDT2MfGm9K1LA&feat=directlink
Last edited by devin (2009-06-04 17:39:00)
Clothes can fit so differently on each individual... I like the J Crew classic but that doesn't help you much does it? I have the same problem with shirts. For the money I pay for alterations on a good shirt, I may as well buy custom (which I have for a few dress shirts.) Custom khakis seem so fussy. Kind of missing the reason for wearing khakis in the first place.