Welcome to the second part of our guide to men's basics . A sartorial road trip in which we give you concrete advice to help you build your stylistic identity, starting by mastering the essentials .
After a first article devoted to the highs , we will now talk about the lows. In a few moments, jeans, chinos and formal pants will no longer have any secrets for you.
Want to learn the basics of costuming? Click here . Do you want to know everything about the must-have shoes? Click there.
1. Good, sturdy, durable jeans
Like the t-shirt, jeans are an essential basic in the men's wardrobe. Well chosen, it accompanies you for all seasons and for all life.
HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR JEANS?
To be sure you choose the right one, you should focus on three key elements:
- The waistline: it must be slightly tight because jeans relax afterwards (unlike pants), especially after washing. In theory, you should be unable to fit more than the thumb between the jeans and your waist. If you can fit more fingers in, the jeans are too big for your waist size.
- The crotch: this is the length at the crotch level. To make sure the jeans flatter your figure, the crotch should have a slight drop to elongate it.
- Leg opening: This is the circumference of the bottom of the leg of the jeans. It will be between 17 and 19 centimeters for a standard-sized person in a classic style. Once the jeans are worn, make sure your legs are sufficiently free and not too tight.
In this regard, Jordan released a video giving advice on choosing the size of jeans .
You do not know where to start ? Turn to jeans with fitted or “semi-slim” cuts . These are the easiest cuts to wear on a daily basis: they do not involve a big stylistic risk, and will easily mix with the rest of your wardrobe.
Here, the three criteria are met: the waistline is perfect, the crotch does not bother the wearer, and the legs are adjusted just right.
After the cut, we can also judge a good pair of jeans by relying on their fabric, with two criteria in particular: quality and weight . To become an expert on the issue, click here .
For color, start with a dark blue canvas tending to indigo, slightly faded. It is the easiest canvas to match with other clothes . However, nothing prevents you from opting for a more faded canvas (known as "bleach") or, conversely, a darker canvas, for a more raw appearance. It’s up to you to choose based on your preferences.
Keep in mind that quality jeans will be an essential part of your wardrobe and will serve this role for many years. Choose it in a relatively thick canvas that will naturally fade over time and which will eventually display a unique patina .
It's certainly a significant investment, but you won't regret it . It is always a good idea to calculate the annual price of an expensive purchase:
HOW TO WEAR JEANS?
Keep it simple, jeans are easy to wear. To put it concretely: it goes with absolutely everything. The most obvious silhouettes:
- With a light shirt (light blue, beige, pale pink, etc.) under which you have slipped a white t-shirt and a pair of sneakers.
- With a chunky knit and a pair of leather shoes, to play with textures.
- With a t-shirt and a mid-season jacket (biker jacket, light jacket, vintage-style denim jacket, etc.).
- With a blazer, for a casual chic feel.
OUR BONNEGUEULE JEANS
Passionate about beautiful fabrics, we have developed our own jeans:
OTHER ADDRESSES WHERE TO FIND GOOD JEANS:
- Naked & Famous : unbeatable value for money for a good basic pair of jeans.
- Artisan studio : for purists! A completely raw canvas, neither washed nor soaked. Please note that the jeans will shrink 1 to 2 sizes after the first wash.
- Momotaro : a Japanese brand specializing in high-end jeans. Their pieces are incredible, and so are the prices.
- Fullcount: beautiful Japanese denim, with a rather wide offering. High-end prices.
- Mister Freedom: a Californian brand with a strong style. Very heavy jeans with very raw fabrics.
Passionate about history, or just curious? We have created the biography of American blue jeans , available just below.
2. Pants, more formal than jeans
THE MAIN FAMILIES OF TROUSERS
Let's start by distinguishing the main types of pants that we will talk about today:
- chinos . Most often made of cotton canvas, chinos are the ultimate all-purpose pants.
- suit pants . By definition more formal, suit pants are much more versatile than you might think.
What about cargo pants and pleated pants? While these pieces bring real added value to a wardrobe, they are less easy to master for beginners - and therefore do not fit into the list of basics.
HOW TO CHOOSE A GOOD PANTS?
For chinos or suit pants, the main guarantees of quality are:
- the material used (favor natural materials!).
- thick pocket bags.
- stopping points on the edge of the pockets.
- buttons in natural materials and strong zips.
When choosing the size, make sure that there is no excess material at the thighs , and that the belt follows the lines of your body . The pants should flatter you, show off your figure without molding or hindering your comfort.
For the length, make sure that the bottom of the pants
If your pants are too long, you have two options:
- you can ask a retoucher for a hem (sewn hems cost around twenty euros on average).
- you can make a cuffed hem yourself.
For dress pants, the ideal hem length is between 3 and 5 centimeters.
To become an expert on the right length of pants, this is where it happens . And to go even further, we talked at length about the hem right here .
HOW TO WEAR TROUSERS?
Chinos
When it comes to style, chinos are truly an essential piece. It is lighter than jeans, but above all very versatile . It fits just as well into a casual or dressy outfit .
To start, we advise you to favor beige, brown and blue. Despite the wide choice of colors offered by chinos, strong color combinations can be complicated when you're starting out.
Suit pants
More formal , suit pants offer several stylistic possibilities:
Without a jacket, it can be worn with a shirt, t-shirt or polo shirt. Technically, suit pants will be the strong piece of your look, so you need to choose a top that won't clash with your bottom. Once again, it's all about measurement. On your feet, a not too formal leather shoe (loafers or light boots, for example) or a pair of light-colored sneakers.
With a jacket, the possibilities expand: you can pair your suit pants with a blazer (certain color combinations are very effective, such as navy/light beige, navy/grey, or burgundy/ecru), without too much of risks.
For an even more creative outfit (and made with basics), you can replace your jacket or blazer with a jacket or a parka . The only condition is to make sure that the color combination is not too random .
When T. Michael, co-founder of Norwegian Rain, combines parka with dress pants. A super effective look, which combines technique and elegance.
OUR BONNEGUEULE CHINOS
Versatile, timeless, super practical... Fascinated by the multiple advantages of chinos, we have developed ours:
OUR BONNEGUEULE TROUSERS
And to flatter your legs as they should, we have also developed our own pants:
OTHER ADDRESSES WHERE TO FIND GOOD TROUSERS:
- Berg & Berg : a Swedish brand offering elegant, well-made (in Italy) pants with impeccable fits. A small reservation on the price, but the quality cannot be negotiated.
- Barena Venezia : an interesting range of basics, which mixes casual pieces and more formal pieces, that we want to wear on Monday morning.
- Old Joe : beautiful dress pants with Japanese know-how behind them. High price.
- Rota: high-end Italian brand offering chinos and dress pants, always with a very refined style, and with fabrics with relief.
- Salvatore Piccolo: pinnacle of Italian style. Relaxation, elegance, 100% wool, quality, everything is there.
THE FINAL WORD
And There you go ! You now know the right basic pants to get, how to choose them and how to wear them. Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list, and everyone may have their own definition of basic .
Next stop on our journey into the happy world of basics? The costumes !
In the meantime, don't hesitate to ask us any questions you have in the comments, we will be happy to answer you.
- To view Part 1 (the tops), click here .
- To view Part 3 (the costumes), click here .
- To view Part 4 (the shoes), click here .
