The right trousers?

May 28, 2007 1:51 AM

'Smart casual' trousers, what alternatives are there for men?

I'm in search of some 'smart casual' (I hate that phrase, but can't think of a better one) trousers for work wear other than khakis/chinos etc... would prefer something a bit more fashionable, that can also be worn in a hot climate. Any suggestions of what & where to go for them???

posted by MrC to clothing, beauty, & fashion (13 comments total)

Depends on your income and location. Zara, H&M, Salvation Army, Holt Renfrew, whatever. Go shopping, man. Even better, have a flamboyant gay friend go shopping with you. Ignore almost everything he suggests. Usually, you'll find what you want right beside that. Or, to cut through the bullshit, have a lesbian friend go shopping with you. Whichever. Just never listen to the cute salesgirl.

By the way, Khakis never look good. Sorry.
posted by converge at 2:08 AM on May 28, 2007

There are tropical weight wool trousers out there, I think that would be the alternative to cotton pants. It would seem that flat-front is the way to go with all men's bottoms. I personally don't think khaki pants always look bad...
posted by objdoc at 2:27 AM on May 28, 2007

Fashion Kilt!
posted by chuckdarwin at 2:48 AM on May 28, 2007

You definitely want to go with flat front.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:58 AM on May 28, 2007

There are plenty of pants out there that fit what you want, though I'm struggling to find any easy way to categorize them. The trick is to look for a more fitted, structured look than what you typically think khaki/chino refers to. Slimmer legs + less room in the crotch = more fashionable. Find fabrics that deviate from the normal black or khaki (though black really is always fashionable, natch).

Your latitude here depends largely on what "work" means to you. If dealing with a pretty regulated businessy dress code, it's all in the fit. Slim it down and you'll be far and away the most fashionable bloke in the room.
posted by wemayfreeze at 2:59 AM on May 28, 2007

If you're in N. America, you can't beat Banana Republic for men. It's fashionable, wearable trousers galore there.
posted by meerkatty at 3:29 AM on May 28, 2007

Google-image-searching for something to disprove "Khakis never look good," (too easy) I came across the Kenneth Cole site, and, therein, my first thought: linen! Corduroy (lightweight) is underrated.
posted by kmennie at 4:26 AM on May 28, 2007

The answer is always Banana Republic.
posted by milarepa at 5:17 AM on May 28, 2007

Yeah, avoid Khakis. Only men who wear glasses and eat paste should wear them. (And if you don't wear glasses and eat paste, wear khakis if you want people to think you do.)

You left your profile city empty which makes it hard for people to recommend places. If you're in Toronto, try Grrreat Stuff and Decibel, both on Queen West.
posted by dobbs at 5:23 AM on May 28, 2007 [1 favorite]

No, definitely don't want Khakis, and have never owned them. Am currently in Kathmandu, Nepal, so perhaps I shouldn't have asked where to get them- am more looking for ideas/websites with pictures that can be used as inspiration and possibly taken to a tailors.
Thanks!
posted by MrC at 8:07 AM on May 28, 2007

How bout some Nautica drawstring trousers? Very comfortable. Ignore the sandals in the photo.
posted by The Deej at 8:35 AM on May 28, 2007

We've done this before, sort of.

I'd be looking for linen/corduroy, or the equivalent that the Kathmandu tailors can provide: probably a cotton twill, but if you're feeling brave, perhaps a flat-front heavy seersucker cut horizontally to resemble Lindland's Cordarounds?
posted by holgate at 8:48 AM on May 28, 2007

Whatever you do in Kathmandu, and I had clothes tailored there with various degrees of success, is make sure that the fabric you end up using is pre-washed so it doesn't shrink after it's been tailored.
I splurged on linen/cotton dress shirts and they usually turned out well. I only, however, got two good pairs of linen pants because of the shrinkage issue.
So I'd steer clear of the tailor at Babar Mahal. There is a linen shop in downtown KTM that supposedly is much better at tailoring. I'd go with a pair of pants or one shirt first before ordering a bunch of things.
Linen pants are perfect for the monsoon if you want to avoid wearing shorts.
posted by AArtaud at 2:23 PM on May 28, 2007