Cargo pants are a piece that we really appreciate at BonneGueule, because they bring a welcome variety to jeans and chinos.
I had already talked about it at length during our collaboration with Three Animals : I like the practicality of this piece thanks to its pockets, which give an adventurer side.
That said, we do not spend our daily lives in a jungle but in an urban environment. We therefore wanted to add a touch of elegance .
(Small moment of emotion on this piece: I personally had fun on the creative side, since I had to design the side and back pockets from scratch).
The whole challenge of these pants was to place side pockets while preserving the cut at the leg level.
Wool flannel cargo pants
Why use wool flannel on pants that are usually made of heavy cotton (often gabardine)?
For two reasons :
- This is very practical for winter temperatures;
- This creates an interesting contrast between an elegant material and military-inspired pants.
A Vitale Barberis Canonico woolen cloth
You don't change a winning team: we took a flannel from Vitale Barberis. With the modest experience we have in "material sourcing", this iconic spinning mill seems to us to be one of the best quality/price/creation ratios on the market.
So it's true, we also talk a lot about English and even Japanese drapers, but prices are skyrocketing. Unless you can/want to pay more than €250 for your pants...
Vitale Barberis, with the hindsight that I am beginning to have, succeeds year after year, generation after generation, the feat of offering excellent material quality, pleasing to the eye, with competitive prices thanks to its vertical integration (mentioned in the presentation of the flannel pants ).
To return to our cargo pants, we used a flannel of the same weight as that of our gray pants: 340g/m². But in a different color, heather khaki green .
Heather khaki, interpreted by Vitale Barberis 🙂
Vitale has always had very good taste in the colors of his flannels; they aim right the first time. You're welcome, it's still quite a job to find the right shade.
It is a purely creative skill. Unfortunately, the people who decide on the color and hand of a fabric are often in the shadow of the garment designer, even though they are largely responsible for the final appearance of the piece and how it hangs ( the famous “velvety” of VBC flannel).
BonneGueule x Vitale Barberis Canonico on our cargo pants!
In short, they found the perfect balance in my opinion: not too green, not too workwear, not too heather...
Discreet details... but important!
There are two details that you don't necessarily notice, but which were essential for me.
The first is that there is no pleat in the middle of the leg like most flannel pants: I like to mix the elegance of a flannel with a cut more relaxed, without too formal elements. We have a fit that is closer to that of chinos than dress pants.
We carried out tests with prototypes with a fold on the leg, but the result was not convincing...
Removing the pleat on the leg gives a more relaxed look. Also note how the side pockets don't affect the leg line.
Then there is the design of the side pockets. We focused a lot on the proportions of the flap and the size of the pocket. They have generated endless debates, because everyone has their own idea of the “pretty” length of a flap.
And we finally opted for a closing system with invisible buttons , more elegant and discreet.
They do not have gussets in order to keep a continuous leg line. This is very important so that a piece is easy to place in a formal outfit!
Here is the closing system, which avoids having visible buttons on the outside and allows for a beautiful flap. Yes, the buttons are made of horn!
Finally, we had to decide on the design of the back pockets. Here too, I wanted to offer something other than a piped pocket, an avenue that we had already explored on our gray pants , our Schoeller technical fabric pants , and our suit pants .
So I took inspiration from pockets that I had already seen on certain cargo pants, slanted (and which are more ergonomic), with a flap. This brings more dynamism to the design than classic piped pockets.
The back pocket and its slanted flap, a little nod to military inspirations...
A fitted cut
If our flannel pants have a more classic cut, here we wanted a more fitted cut at the leg level . Several back and forths of prototypes with the design office in charge of our patronage were necessary.
Overall, the waist measurement remains exactly the same as that of our gray pants , but we have slightly slimmed down the leg. This involves changing the leg opening, a very important subject for some of you...
We wanted a fitted leg line, but without looking too slim.
What leg opening for these pants?
If our gray pants had an opening of 19 cm, particularly to be worn with Richelieu or derby type shoes, here we decided to make a more fitted cut, more suited to frankly casual shoes.
We therefore opted for an opening of... drum rolls... 17 cm !
(I should point out that obviously, the opening widens as you go up towards the calf then the thigh, the pants do not have a 17 cm thigh circumference!)
Contrary to what one might think, an opening of 17 cm is not synonymous with a "skinny" cut.
You can have fun with casual outfits. With an opening of 17 cm, it goes very well with sneakers, especially running shoes!
But as you will see in the photos, a leg opening adjusted to the ankle also allows you to wear high-top shoes .
The usual finishes: only top of the range, no amalgamation!
This is the same closing system as our gray pants: a YKK zip, a hook and a horn button.
Like our gray pants, the fly is a YKK zip topped with a horn button 😉
We also find the V comfort at the back of the belt, which provides comfort, and the stopping points on the side pockets to reinforce them.
Our usual comfort V, which adds comfort after a good meal.
Little anecdote: the snap buttons on the back pockets come from the manufacturer Prym , the oldest family business among industries in Germany, since it was created in 1530.
Basically, it was a company that sold metal equipment for sewing (needle, hook, etc.). It experienced a second wind with the invention of the press stud in 1903, by Hans Prym.
The back pocket flap is held in place with a Prym branded snap button.
What size to choose?
Remember that the waist measurement of these pants is exactly the same as our gray flannel pants, and the material is the same weight. So take the same size!
How to wear wool cargo pants?
Even if you might think that cargo pants are only reserved for very casual outfits, you will see that the khaki wool flannel allows them to be worn with more dressy pieces (the Pitti did not suit us in any case). expected to offer a slew of them every winter ).
Given its cut, its material and the patch pockets, you can easily complete the cargo with dressier pieces. Florian chooses a chambray shirt for contrast, and ankle boots in the same palette as his look. ( BonneGueule shirt - Japan Line , Ly Adams blazer, Mark McNairy boots)
A beautiful mix of colors, and rich variations of materials!
Following the same principle, Luca opts for a Prince of Wales pattern vest. His tie subtly echoes the verdigris reflections of the pants and his jodphurs complete the ensemble, without altering the harmony of the colors and the pieces between them. Note the refined leg line with the cut of the pants. ( BonneGueule shirt , Howard's tie, SuitSupply vest, Paire & Fils ankle boots)
In a more casual spirit, Florian swaps the double-breasted blazer for a teddy and the boots for low-top sneakers. The camo pattern of the jacket adds texture and avoids a too flat look, where the white of the sneakers and the shade of the shirt bring light to an otherwise somewhat dark look. ( BonneGueule shirt - Japan Line , teddy Roseanna x Monoprix, Adidas sneakers)
I'm starting on a similar basis, but emphasizing the casual side more by rolling up my sleeves. #TIP (Naked & Famous puncture-proof shirt, Lanvin sneakers, Catherine Michiels and Anonyme-Paris bracelets). Important: I am often between two sizes on pants, I chose here to take the larger size because I already have quite a few well-fitted pants. That said, I could very well have taken the size below, and enlarged it at the belt for a more fitted look.
Geoffrey expresses more streetwear influences by opting for a pair of high-top sneakers, highlighted by the cargo cuffs. He opts for a simple gray t-shirt, always making sure it fits perfectly. His tattoo is almost an accessory: it brings a very graphic dimension, which contrasts with the sobriety of the other pieces. (Benjamin Jezequel T-shirt, BGNS-02 sneakers )
How to order wool flannel cargo?
It is now available!
Here are all the clothing links from this new BonneGueule line:
