With the possible exception of Lady Gaga, we believe the overwhelming majority of us should wear pants on a regular basis – preferably every day to prevent stares at the morning sales meeting and to keep our legs warm.Here are a few pant-purchase pointers:
1) Know the Neighborhood: In other words, what’s appropriate for your work life? To get the most out of your dress pant dollar, ask yourself: Is your office a formal, suit-required environment, an every-day-is-Casual Friday kind of place or a jeans and t-shirt joint? Not sure? Then look around.
Notice what most of the other guys in the office wearing and follow their lead. Note what colors your officemates wear, the weight of the fabrics, the shape of the trousers, and then head to a department store to look for pants that mirror what you’ve seen in the trenches.
2) To Pleat or Not to Pleat? Ah, the old pleat vs. flat-front debate. How to settle it? Well, perhaps we’re a bit partial, but we’re big fans of flat-front trousers. They add less bulk around the mid-section, are generally more streamlined and modern-looking and don’t require cuffs, thereby adding a slight lengthening effect.
If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool pleat man, then go for small single or double pleats (just say no to triples) and consider adding cuffs to help weigh down the pants, and make them hang properly.
3) Cuffs: The Bottom Line: Cuffs are a nice way to make a pair of pants look finished, polished and pulled together. For lean guys, cuffs lend a more substantial look to the bottom half. Heavy-set guys may want to go with the smallest cuff possible or skip them altogether. If you’re on the fence, then buy trousers without cuffs so they can be added later if need be – as cuffs are far more difficult to remove cuffs then they are to add.
4) Wide Load or Slim Jim? Granted your body type will determine which type will work best, in general, wide-leg trousers can work well on the slim and/or chesty dude. For slim guys, a wider leg will give legs a fuller more substantial line. On fellows with a bit of bulk up top, wide legs can help balance out top and bottom proportions.
By comparison, slim-cut pants, not surprisingly, work well on guys who are lean as well as on shorter, beefier fellows – who’ll gain a trimmer look from the less voluminous shape of slim-cut trousers.
5) The Last Rule of Pant Club: Actually there are three to keep in mind, starting from the ground up: Your shoes should match (or can be a little darker than) your pants. Your socks should match your shoes. Still can’t keep it straight? Just think shoes+ pants and shoes + socks. See the pattern emerging?
