September is here. Your sweaters are back in rotation, your jackets are ready and waiting, and you once again find yourself confronting a surprisingly complicated question: How the hell are your pants supposed to fit right now? The short answer? Pretend it’s the 1990s. Today’s best-looking pants might also be the most straightforward. And no decade did stylish, no-frills fashion quite like the ’90s.
Earlier this year, when I spoke with various menswear insiders about the state of pants, the general consensus was that trouser silhouettes were settling into a kind of Goldilocks territory of not too baggy, not too slim. Looking at the latest fall collections, it’s clear where the everyday center of gravity has landed for the season: straight, relaxed, and vaguely ’90s in proportion.
It’s certainly nothing new: the vibe has been percolating through designer labels like Acne Studios and Balenciaga for years now, but it’s especially risen in prevalence within mainstream menswear over the past couple seasons. Walk through your average American mall and seemingly every retailer—Gap, Banana Republic, J.Crew, Madewell, Abercrombie & Fitch—is selling some version of classic, relaxed-fit pants with names like the “1991 Loose Straight Leg.” We’re talking jeans, chinos, cargos, and just about every pant style in between.
They all look like they could have been
They all look like they could have been pulled from a catalog three decades ago: higher rises, fuller thighs, and looser legs that cut a clean, straight line toward the shoe. And yet, virtually all of them look perfectly contemporary. Fall is when proportions matter most. As the temperatures drop and layering comes into play, you’re suddenly dealing with flannels, denim jackets, chore coats, tweedy blazers, overcoats, and all manner of outerwear.
A relaxed straight leg gives all those layers something sturdy to sit on. If your pants skew too skinny, all that volume up top can make your legs look disproportionately small. Go too baggy and the entire outfit can start swimming. For years, designer Brendon Babenzien’s Noah has quietly offered something close to the platonic ideal of the contemporary relaxed-straight fit. (Perhaps one of Babenzien’s most memorable moves during his tenure at J.Crew was the industry-shifting “Giant Fit” chinos, which were, yes, pulled from the brand’s ’90s archives).
The Noah pants offer plenty of room through the seat and thighs, while the leg falls almost perfectly straight, with just enough shape towards the ankle to keep the silhouette looking intentional. They’re roomy without being baggy, tailored without being slim. If you want a similar cut with almost no perceptible taper, Polo Ralph Lauren has you covered with the label’s “Iconic Big Fit,” a style beloved by menswear’s insiders whether you pick up a fresh pair or find a score on eBay.
To turn up the bagginess dial by one
And to turn up the bagginess dial by one slight notch, Lady White Co. offers what it calls a “wide straight leg”—the same basic idea, just with a little more slouch to play with. All that said, the gigantic trouser remains a worthy style swerve for the foreseeable future. The Jacob Elordis and Harry Styleses of the world aren’t suddenly going to abandon the big, drapey fashion pants their stylists feed them.
And most style-inclined men would be wise to keep one or two purposely oversized pairs on deck for when the moment demands them. Maybe they’re cut dramatically wide like something you’d spot on the pages of Popeye. Maybe there’s enough length to pool artfully over your shoes à la Dominic Sessa in Celine. (Remember: you want gentle pooling, not bunching!) Or maybe there’s a subtle flare in the leg that makes a preppy blazer suddenly feel a little more rock ’n’ roll.
The key difference this season is that gigantic pants are becoming an option, not the default. Drew Starkey’s recent run of truly excellent outfits is a stellar demonstration of the new range. His baseline has been the relaxed-straight silhouette, but he’ll go bigger to balance an oversized double-breasted blazer, or narrower—and slightly bootcut—when the statement shoes call for it.
The silhouette changes with the outfit, rather than
The silhouette changes with the outfit, rather than the outfit being dictated by the silhouette. And that’s probably the most useful way to think about pants this fall. You don’t need to chase the extremes. Find a pair that sits comfortably at your waist, gives your thighs some breathing room, and falls down your leg in a clean, straight line. If they look like something a stylish guy might have worn in 1995, you’re right on the money.
And then, when the mood—or the outfit—calls for it, go ahead and break out the slouchiest trousers or freakest bootcut your heart desires.
Source: www.gq.com
