HOW TO AVOID THE WRONG TROUSERS
As Prince William has shown, if your legwear is an afterthought, it can let down your style, says Stephen Doig
It’s a vignette that only men of a certain degree of silliness (of which I am one) could find themselves involved in: a yellow cab in rush-hour Manhattan, a swish event in a townhouse on the Upper East Side, and my industry colleague fretting about his breeks. Being very tall and slight, his trousers are something of a preoccupation, he explained, and he was worrying about the length and where they sat on the waist. Which struck me, because they’re a pretty fundamental item of clothing that get so little attention. The volume of men who hear my job title of “men’s style editor” and ask about suiting, jackets, shoes, shirtings is staggering.
But trousers?
Not one.
Until recently. A colleague at this fine establishment recently remarked that so many cuts of trousers in stores these days are painfully narrow, while at the same time my partner mentioned his triumph at finding a low-cost bespoke service – the peerless Spoke London – to fit trousers for his rather short legs. And in the hubbub around the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s royal tour of Pakistan, while his sherwani drew a great deal of attention, his trousers are the same standard beige and khaki numbers that he’s worn ad nauseam for years and, without being indelicate, they’re rather snug. The prince has clearly landed on a pair he’s comfortable with, and stuck with that formula regardless.
You can’t blame him; trousers are often the afterthought of a man’s outfit. It’s even trickier in today’s fashion climate, where trousers come super-shrunken and fertility-defying or, at the opposite end of the scale, voluminous and clownproportioned. So what should we look for south of the waistline? An entirely unscientific canvas of industry insiders turfs up some pearls of pantalons wisdom. Length is a tricky one for a lot of men, including myself, but don’t be tempted to roll up your hemlines and be done with it – this cuts the leg off and only serves to shorten already stumpy legs. And if you possess extra bulk and are short on stature, don’t opt for a wider leg, because it will increase your bulk. In terms of fit, a lot of what’s termed “loose” in today’s parlance is all relative – don’t be put off by the terminology, because in relation to “slim cut”, “loose fit” can often just mean comfortable and straight-legged. It’s also important to try trousers on with the shoes you’ll be wearing them with.
If you favour a leaner cut, be wary of tight trousers if you’re muscular – it can look straining and a tad uncomfortable. Tall and willowy types can also experiment with wider styles that look elegant on slender silhouettes (with the exception of Jacob Rees-mogg, who opts for a far too baggy, shapeless style), whereas skinny trousers on skinny legs can look rather spidery. As Prince William branches out in terms of his style – perhaps the trousers department will be overhauled next.