I've had a voracious passion for pants for two years.
I talked about it in my 2019 style review . This is still relevant in 2021.
Two triggers gave rise to this obsession.
The first is a pragmatic observation: my old pants were becoming too tight for me .
They weren't comfortable enough for me. Some even ended up ripped at the crotch .
I have pretty good thighs. Although they are not huge, they are bulky enough to be compressed into slim fits like those found today.
This cargo ( Balibaris ) suits me... but it still squeezes me. Photo from 2016
The second is the discovery on Instagram of a pants enthusiast : @thezanification .
I remember being amazed the first time I saw these high-waisted, pleated pants with elaborate waistbands and surgical leg lines.
It was obvious: I needed pants in this style.
This is how my pants epic began.
2019: launching pad
1. A first conclusive test
The first pants in this style that I tried was an Officine Générale , Pierre model.
It's summer 2019.
These pants belong to Benoît and are lying around the office. I put it on and we take photos to illustrate Michel's nuggets .
And there something happens, or rather three:
- The high waist and volume in the thighs are very comfortable for me
- I really like the leg line
- I appreciate the details that give character and elegance to these pants: the integrated belt, the two pleats on each leg, the cuffed bottom
Officine Générale pants, Oliver Spencer shirt, GAT (German Army Trainers) sneakers
Officine Générale pants
The waist is high, there is a lot of volume in the thigh but at the same time, the ankle tightens slightly
2. I take action
During this summer of 2019, I started to take an interest in the Yoox site.
I spend a lot of hours on it. I only look at pants.
I see that there are pieces from the Officine Générale brand there. I'm going ahead and buying one.
It is navy blue, made of wool flannel.
Its cut is close to the model shown above:
- Tall
- Loose at the thigh
- Slightly tightened at the ankle, approximately 19cm
When I put them on and even before looking in the mirror, I already knew that the pants suited me.
And I was right: I feel very comfortable, I like the high waist and the darts at the front.
I'm holding something.
Officine Générale pants, BonneGueule t-shirt, GH Bass moccasins
3. We push a little further
In fall 2019, I purchased a pair of beautiful Bleu de Paname pants in herringbone wool.
These are more workwear pants because the material is quite raw.
The cup :
- High waist, a little more than at Officine Générale
- Very ample thigh, 36cm to give you an idea
- Slightly tightened bottom, around 19cm
Bleu de Paname pants, LodinG belt, Moonstar sneakers, LIP watch
These pants are quite impressive , both for their cut
Although very loose in the thigh, the slightly tightened ankle allows the pants not to appear gigantic.
My 2019 pants review
It was during the year 2019 that I learned my skills and found what suited me on many points of the pants:
I like pants that hit close to or above the navel. We can talk about mid-rise and high waists.
Being tall (1m88), you might wonder why I wear high waisted pants because I don't need to look taller, have longer legs.
The answer lies in two points.
First of all, I have a long bust. With mid or low rise pants, my legs don't look short. On the other hand, my trunk seems very, too long for my taste.
Large + low rise pants = normal legs but very stretched bust. Photo credit: Gentleman Gazette
Then I think it's cool . Behind the high-waisted, baggy pants, some people see a slightly ridiculous silhouette, which I can understand.
This meme that Nicolò used in episode 15 of Sapristi made me laugh a lot
For my part, I see something very harmonious, quite powerful stylistically .
Scott Fraser represents what I mean very well:
I wear my pants next to my shoes, without them touching them.
From my point of view, this is a fairly universal length.
- The correct thigh width
I need it to be wider than average, but not hugely so either.
This point didn't really bother me. From the moment I take out the adjusted volumes, my thighs fit and feel good.
- The presence of darts and a central fold
Here is the difference between a dart and a pleat:
Informal pants
I find that the pleat is an aesthetic detail that dresses the pants beautifully.
I now feel empty when I see or wear pants without pleats. If you wear a blazer without a pocket even though you're used to having one, then you also know that feeling that something is "missing."
The central pleat, in addition to being aesthetic, has a practical benefit which is to slightly pinch the pants at the front, allowing better distribution of volume around the leg.
It prevents the pants from "spreading" too much on the sides and appearing even wider than they are.
2020: ever wider
1. We are turning a corner
I've been wanting some fairly loose pants in cold wool for some time and this opportunity presented itself with this De Bonne Facture model.
Its cut :
- Mid-rise
- Loose thigh
- Wide bottom, we exceed 20cm for the first time and we arrive at 21cm of leg opening
De Bonne Facture pants, brogues , BonneGueule shirt and jacket
I feel very good in this volume, which I find quite flattering for my body shape. It's loose but not too loose.
2. More blue pants
I went to Brut Clothing to try on some pants and fell for a vintage British army pair.
It's a bit of a duplicate with the pants above but it's still distinguished by its lighter heather color.
I appreciate its original belt assembly with belt loops but also side tightening tabs.
Its cut :
- Tall
- Loose thigh
- Wide bottom, we now arrive at 22cm
The clamping tab is visible here
Deep tweezers the way I like them
It's baggy but I still feel good in these pants. A slight taper is possible. I don't think I will.
3. Did I go too far?
I appreciate the Mr.P brand collection and I was tempted by these pants which are described as wide -leg .
For once, they didn't make fun of me because these pants are really loose , more so than anything I had tried so far.
The cup :
- Tall
- Very ample thigh, I float a little in it
- Very wide bottom, 23cm leg opening
Mr.P pants, J.Girdwood belt
I'm not going to keep these pants : they're too baggy.
But this purchase was useful because thanks to it, I was able to realize my limit.
My 2020 pants review
What I mainly did in 2020 was look for pants with a looser leg opening.
From 19/20cm in 2019, I went above 20: I tried 21, 22 and even 23cm.
I pushed my limits on this point and I must admit that it was a lot of fun.
It was like a game for me to always take things wider, to see how far I could go.
Improbable pants because they are so wide. But I'm glad it exists! Scott Fraser Collection
I also remember that I went there gradually: I didn't go from 17 to 22cm all at once, the shock would have been too brutal.
2021: return to reason
1. Green chinos with character
Conquered by the cut of my De Bonne Facture cold wool pants, I repeated the experience with the brand by taking their hiking pants, the volume of which is similar and suits me well:
- Tall
- Loose thigh
- Loose leg bottom at 21cm
I think we all need a good pair of green pants and I would even go so far as to say that they are more versatile than beige pants
On the same note, I really like the Swedish Tailor Pant offered by Brut Clothing, but it is not available in my size.
2. The replacement for pants that are too wide
I said above that I didn't plan to keep the Mr.P pants, which were too wide for me.
He has already found his replacement with this Oliver Spencer model, whose volume is reasonable and very interesting:
- Mid-rise
- Slightly loose thigh
- Lower leg at 20cm, it's a good compromise for me
These pants are neither very high waisted, nor very loose in the thigh, nor very loose in the calf.
And it suits me very well like that.
My pants review for (mid) 2021 and conclusion of this article
After going a little too far in 2020, I see that I am returning in 2021 to more reasonable volumes.
If I take a step back, I realize that in the 10 years that I have been interested in clothing, I have explored a lot of cuts : from very slim through the carrot cut to very or even too loose volumes. .
And it is with all these experiences and these tests that I found what I needed.
The two pants shown for 2021 correspond well to my vision of pants currently: with a mid-high or high waist, a good width ending on a lower leg between 20 and 21cm and a pleat on each leg.
And what would your ideal pants look like?
To go even further on pants and the quest for style
Wide pants: brand recommendations and inspirations (2/2) – CDL#52
🎬 All the tips for wearing wide pants – Gimmick #3
🎬 Finding your style is an Odyssey – VLOG #3
What six years of stylistic development have taught me
