Put This On

This, from The Silentist, is a nice illustration of what a little tailoring can do.  The author spent $25 at the tailor and got a whole new pair of pants.  Well done.

It’s On Sale

Howard Yount Tropical-Weight Wool Pants in Mid-Gray

This is an excellent product at a superb price.  Staples like these are worth spending money on, and with Howard Yount, you’re getting a $250-quality product at a $150 price point.  Yount has a pretty sizable sale going on, you can check out other options here.

$135 from $150 at HowardYount.com

It’s On Sale

J. Crew Urban Slim Fit Lightweight Essex Pant

One of a couple hundred items that just went on sale at JCrew.com

$49.99 from $69.50 at JCrew.com

Q and Answer: Matching Shoe Colors with Pants Colors

Adam writes: Is it acceptable to wear dark colored slacks with dark brown shoes and a brown belt?  Usually I pair black with black and tan with brown while my dark blue slacks sit in a corner and slowly decay.  What’s the protocol here?

Earth-toned pants and suits will generally look their best with brown shoes.  We all know that.  But what about grey, or navy?

In England, the tradition is that black shoes are worn for business.  That means that traditional business colors, like dark gray and navy, are paired with black shoes.  If you’re English and work in a bank, it’s fine to leave it at that.

In the United States and Italy, the two other poles of the Western men’s style world, the rules are much less strict.  Brown shoes often look quite lovely with navy - see the gentleman at right in the party scene above.  It’s a slightly more casual look, certainly, but outside of bankers and lawyers in court, it’s tough to think of a suit-wearing daytime situation where it would be inappropriately casual. 

Gray is a similar situation.  Black is perfectly appropriate for situations where you want to tend towards the careful.  If you like a little more flair, though, brown can be a wonderful companion to gray.  Take a look at the fellow running for the taxi.  Black is more conservative, but brown a bit more dashing.  Perhaps because it suggests the more flavorful Italian version of men’s suited style.

Q and Answer: Can Pleats Be Removed From Pants?

James writes: I have two suits that I bought on sale a few years ago.  I still love the fabric and the cut of the jackets, but the pants are pleated, and I find that I am not wearing them because I don’t enjoy wearing pleated pants anymore.  I feel like if they were flat-front pants I would have two more suits in the closet.  Can a tailor take the pleats out of pants?

Yes, a tailor can take the pleats out of pants.  It’s pretty major surgery, though, so I would only trust it to a solid tailor, not an alterationist. 

For reverse pleats (those whose mouth opens to the outside), this involves removing the waistband, opening the pleat then re-cutting the side seam and pocket.  For forward pleats, it’s even more complicated.  Some tailors will replace the pleat with a dart, which is pretty weird.  We’re not really cool with that, frankly.

Because it’s such a complicated job (you’re essentially having the tailor re-cut the pants), it generally costs about $50-75.

thisfits:

How to Fit a Suit Jacket - How to Fit Mens Pants - Esquire

A very reasonable guide.

With jackets, you should also note whether the lapel is flush against your shirt, and whether the back covers your rear end.  Sleeve length as well, of course, but that is alterable.

Q and Answer: Shorts for Summer?

Dean writes: Okay, you’re the one men’s style blog that never seems to have an off day, and I have a question.  In the summer - it gets hot here - I tend towards shorts, and realize it’s not a good style move.  As the weather gets warmer, is there any stylish way to wear shorts?  My problem here isn’t the shorts themselves, but the choice of shoe, and sock (if any.)

First of all: good work on that “never have an off day” intro.  Flattery will get you everywhere.  Leaving that aside… as the weather starts to warm up, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about summer, uhm, legwear.  So here’s my spiel.

First of all, you’re right in thinking that shorts will always look less elegant than pants.  The fact of the matter is that shins and knees are weird-looking, especially on guys.  That’s just reality.  When I lived in a climate that accommodated it, I didn’t own any shorts.  It’s very easy to look lousy in shorts.

Then I moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and found that one of the many downsides of the move was a sudden pressing need for hot-weather legwear.  I really fade fast in the heat, so I have to really be careful not to overdress when it’s hot outside. That meant I had to buy some shorts.

So here are some guidelines:

When you don’t need shorts, avoid them.  If it’s in the 70s or 80s, you have lots of other options.  Lightweight chinos, cotton trousers, linen pants, even tropical-weight wool.  You can roll the hem up a bit if you’re not afraid of current trends and go without socks to enjoy the wind on your ankles.  Unless you’re on a boat or at the beach, you can usually keep those legs covered.

If it’s just too hot, keep it simple.  Clean lines are your friend when it comes to shorts.  Length can vary somewhat according to preference, even among the style-obsessed.  What’s important is that you avoid the baggy, cargoed look that shouts “I’m another schlubby American jackass.”  If you have trouble finding shorts you like, don’t be afraid to have a tailor hem a pair of pants for you - it’ll cost you ten bucks.

As far as footwear, save your sandals for the beach.  Lots of shoes can work well with shorts, but the classics are simple canvas sneakers, worn sockless (or with no-show loafer socks).  Loafers work fine, though they can look a bit Tommy Bahama / dad on his day off if the rest of your outfit doesn’t look sharp.  Boat shoes are also classic, though at this point, at least here in LA, they have very nearly passed from hipster-ubiquitous to just generally ubiquitous, so I might hold off on those.  Canvas boat shoes are a nice compromise there.  Even bucks or saddle shoes can work. 

The central challenge of wearing shorts is a bit like the challenge of getting dressed when you’re fat.  You don’t get the benefit of the doubt.  You have to prove that you’re not a sloppy mess.  Your game has to be tight.  But it can be.  Have faith.

I’m almost upset with Greg from Knoxville.  Because he looks so at home, crabbing on that dock.  And also, so impossibly elegant.  Often, practicality and elegance go hand in hand.

Q and Answer: How much should my pants break?

Darren writes: When you write about pants slacking due to excess fabric, how should they be tailored?  I have some shoes that fall lower on the ankle than do others, so I am wondering if there is a certain point on my leg where my pant leg should rest or should it be based on a standard type of dress shoe?

It’s exceedingly important to wear the type of shoes you’ll be wearing with your pants when your tailor is fitting you.  If you don’t, and if you don’t wear your pantwaist where you intend to do so in real life, everything your tailor does will be guesswork.

Now, how should your pants be finished?  That’s a matter of personal taste.  Here, however, are a few guidelines.

Cuffs or no cuffs?

Casual pants, like chinos, should be finished without cuffs.

Dress pants can usually go either way.  The classic rule is cuffs with pleats, and plain hems with flat-fronts, but that is anything but hard-and fast.  The great advantage of cuffs is that they add weight to the bottom of the pant, which helps them hang straight and true.  This is particularly important if there are pleats, but it’s important if there aren’t pleats as well.

Pants without cuffs are generally seen as cleaner and more “modern.”  This is not to say that cuffs are old-fashioned, but leaving them off gives a more stripped-down appearance.  Cuffs have their origins in sports and outdoorwear, but they’re also generally considered (at least in the US) more formal than plain hems.

I personally prefer cuffs whenever they’re appropriate, and like my cuffs big.  I’m tall, and I find that at less than 1 3/4”, my cuffs look weirdly small.  I often wear 2” cuffs, which are, frankly, a bit exaggerated.  Some shorter men believe that cuffs, by breaking the vertical line, make them appear shorter, but some look great even with large cuffs.  Certainly, though, be aware of proportion.

How long should my pants be?

Length is very much a personal preference.  The influence of Thom Browne’s exaggeratedly shrunken styles has led pants in a shorter direction the past five years or so, towards no-break and even high-water pants, particularly in summer and in casual trousers.  That said, if you prefer a break, you won’t be seen as curmudgeonly or out-of-touch while the too-long pants scourge continues to afflict most American men.  The picture above is a classic medium break - I’d hesitate to go past this, but if this is your preference, you’ll look great.

For uncuffed pants, I tend to err a little bit on the shorter side, with only a slight break or even no break at all.  Typically, a fuller pant will call for at least a bit of break, while a narrower pant will look good with less.  I also usually ask my tailor to put a little bit of slant in the hem - to make the pants a bit longer in the back than on the front.  This gives me a bit more coverage without making my pants bag.  Many quality pants also come with a bit of same-color fabric “tape” which can be sewn into the hem to lend it a little heft.  By all means have your tailor do so.