Beyond mall brands pants upgrade help
I know there are many many posts with this general question (I've looked through many) but I feel kind of stuck on shopping for better pants to find the right combination of fit/color/formality. I'm honestly considering just finding a tailor and getting whatever I buy taken in at the waist so I can get the fit I want.
For some context: Currently in my rotation I have 2 pairs of J Crew 770 chinos and 3 pairs of BR rapid movement chinos (athletic taper). I'm really starting to get tired of how slim and tapered the BR chinos are, and I'd rather move away from stretch fabrics. The J Crew 770 chinos fit reasonably well on the slim side, but the quality is sort of subpar in my opinion and they aren't holding up well.
What I'm looking for: straight leg 100% cotton 5-pocket pants or chinos in the $150-200 price range. For instance, I really like the look and colors of Rogue Territory's Officer Trousers, but they are just too skinny if I choose a waist size that will work for me. The complication is that I have a 29-30" waist (depending on rise) but need at least a 23.5" thigh for the pants not to look super skinny, which rules out quite a few of the more premium chinos that I've seen out there. For color, I'm looking for charcoal, or something in the neighborhood of ochre/umbre/caramel/brown (this would be sort of ideal).
Another avenue I'd like to explore are wider fit trousers, would appreciate any "entry level" price point recs to see if I like the fit.
Basically wondering if anyone has done a similar search in their progression beyond the mall brands and for some potential leads to continue comparing my measurements.
20 Replies
Some brands that I think won't work out for me:
Asket (would be too skinny)
Bill's Khakis (don't sell my waist size)
Bonobos (quality)
Charles Tyrwhitt (lean more formal, stretch material, quality?)
Epaulet (they don't sell my waist size)
Hiroshi Kato (super skinny)
Jack Donnelly (limited colors, would probably be quite slim)
Norse Projects (waist too large on their smallest size)
Rogue territory (too slim)
Save Khaki (rise is too low)
Stan Ray (not really my style)
And a few that might work, but that I'm lukewarm on for one reason or another:
Universal Works Military Chino
Casatlantic El Jadida
Wythe Rustic Plainweave Chino
Taylor Stitch Camp Pant>)
Ben Davis Co
Original Ben's Pants - Black
For nearly a century, the Original Ben’s pants have been the quintessential work pants for hardworking individuals. Crafted from high-quality poly-cotton blended twill fabric, these pants have proven their durability and reliability time and time again. Designed with a regular fit through the hips, thighs, and knees, a
Bronson Mfg. Co.
1944 USMC Officer Trousers - Navy
Based on the 1944 "USMC officer's Trousers." It is made of 11 oz. cotton twill, feels soft and warm, has strong texture, medium and high waist straight pants type, loose and comfortable upper body, pure cotton bag cloth, printed with the sign of shrinkage, and no shrinkage problem after washing, a total of four colors, each characteristic, suita...
The Ben Davis gorilla cut would be a good baggy alternative to the OG cut
Naked and famous strong guys are also a decent cut you might be interested in for jeans. They are marketed as a “baggy” cut but they are really a slightly wide straight after a wash or two
https://www.selfedge.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=2561
I wouldn’t buy these from self edge and they are a little out of the price range you stated but I’ve heard really good things about the Gibsons
All of these are going to fit wider in the hem than the examples your gave but all good options you can wear with most things
This is really awesome, thanks for putting these together! I signed up for the restock notification on the Bronson Trousers - seems like a good entry into this wider fit. I'll dig into the others as well.
As far as jeans go, for anyone in my predicament reading this post, I have a pair of 90s Levis 505s that are a perfect fit. I've also had success with sugarcane, particularly their 47 and 66 cuts. Will check out N&F when I feel the need to grab another pair.
I think you’ll find sugar cane to be a better option actually hahaha, I don’t think I’ve heard a single bad thing about them and if you already know their cut work for you I would probably veer on the side of caution with N&F. Their cuts are kind of awkward for some, although I do like my strong guys as a not so expensive non tapered jean for selvedge. This being said, the strong guys could be a 200 dollar gamble lmao
If you are looking for something a bit wider than the sugar cane 47, I’d look into the Oni 200
Sounds good, will keep in mind. I guess on the chinos topic, for reference, this is how my 770s fit. They are definitely slim, but in a comfortable way. Any recs for pants that might fit closer to these (or just a bit wider)?
Honestly I’m not the one to ask for this particular cut, I think the slimmest pants I’ve owned for a while are some Levi’s 550s
Ben Davis has a trim cut and Dickies 874s fit similar to the pictures I believe but a bit wider
Gotcha. Do you feel these fit alright here? Or am I clinging to my cold dead mid 2010s college fits?
It’s always nice to branch out and try new things tho you might like wider fits or something in the middle so I would definitely experiment with more budget options to see if those kinds of fits are for you
Sounds like a plan. Just completed a full wardrobe audit and excited to start upgrading and experimenting. Thanks again for all the advice!
Yeah of course!
These are skinny chinos dawg
I can’t imagine wearing 100% cotton that skinny
The pictured chinos are too small for you, you can see the waist pulling and the outline of the pocket bags.
I have a small waist and big thighs. I size up and wear a belt.
Proper Cloth has a good selection of pants and an athletic fit
i know you said "no mall brands but abercrombie is a not terrible option atm.
jack donnelly is a little higher but has a variety of fits
Jack Donnelly
Shop All
All our products are patterned, cut, & sewn at our production facility in Los Angeles, CA. We exclusively source materials from the USA and Japan. Built to last season after seaon.
I’d also recommend J. Crew’s classic fit chinos, even though they’re a mall brand
https://www.jcrew.com/p/mens/categories/clothing/pants-and-chinos/chino/classic-chino-pant/BE611?display=standard&fit=Classic&color_name=stone&colorProductCode=BE611
J.Crew
Classic chino pant
Shop for the Classic chino pant for men. Find the best selection of men mens-categories-clothing-pants-and-chinos-chino available in-stores and on line.
I used to wear their 770 chinos before I tried a double pleated pair of these. They redefined what I considered to be comfortable pants
Even though I consider them straight fit, they’re wider than the 770s and 100% cotton. It’s wild that they get away with calling the 770s “straight fit”
Thanks for the recs everyone. I think I need to get out to some stores and experiment with better fits.
Hiltl
Incotex
Rota
All these can be had on a good sale on yoox and are 10/10 for pants