[jenn]

I'm looking for men's pants that will hang like the ones in the pic below. I'm not as familiar with men's clothing, so I'm wondering.. am I looking for wide legged, flat front trousers? or are they considered baggy fit? are they dressy or casual? Also, if you can advise what type of material hangs like that (is it a lightweight cotton? silk blend?), I would be much obliged! Thanks so much!

[Theory]

Cotton wouldn't hang or drape that well (unless it was a blend). You are going to have to look into wool pants or buy a moleskin type of matterial and don't hem them....that's how you can get the effect at the bottom. It's not so much the material but the tailoring (or lack thereof). You defintely would need a wider leg, but not necessarily flared (you won't see the flare too much since so much material bunches at the bottom). This look can easily be found at most designers nowadays as the wider legged trouser has been in for quite some time....The pants featured are single pleated, not flat-front. Single pleated is the choice of many younger, in shape men...they don't make you look wide in the waist like regular pleated pants but offer a more streamlined look than flat fronts....The key with single pleat is that the pleat isn't set into the pant at the waistline, but starts mid-thigh.

[jenn]

Thanks so much Theory! That's extremely helpful One tiny ques though...

Where do they hide the pleats mid-thigh?

[baklanyc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Theory Cotton wouldn't hang or drape that well (unless it was a blend). You are going to have to look into wool pants or buy a moleskin type of matterial and don't hem them....that's how you can get the effect at the bottom. It's not so much the material but the tailoring (or lack thereof). You defintely would need a wider leg, but not necessarily flared (you won't see the flare too much since so much material bunches at the bottom). This look can easily be found at most designers nowadays as the wider legged trouser has been in for quite some time....The pants featured are single pleated, not flat-front. Single pleated is the choice of many younger, in shape men...they don't make you look wide in the waist like regular pleated pants but offer a more streamlined look than flat fronts....The key with single pleat is that the pleat isn't set into the pant at the waistline, but starts mid-thigh.

That's not a pleat - that's a crease from the ironing. Those are wide-legged flat fronts as you originally surmised. If you tell people at the store level that you want a single pleated pant, they won't look like the photo, because generally the pleats will begin from the waistband. There are some pants constructions where the pleat is sewn shut until about mid thigh, but you'll still see it flare out from there and the line will be different from the front - not as clean as in the picture.

But Theory has a lot of good info there - the fabric suggestions are spot on. The pants in the pciture even look like a moleskin, although they could also be cashmere. You want a heavy enough fabric that doesn't have too much body so that it flows well. And you'll want a pair that's more fitted around the waist through the hip, but it gets wider from there. A pleat is supposed to give a little room around the hips, so you really don't want one because those pants are wide-legged. You can hem them, but request that the tailor leave a very heavy break at the hem, which just means you should leave as much fabric as possible to make the drape puddle around the ankles. They'll be doing it in a way that may end up with the front of the pants slightly longer than usual for hems, because you shouldn't really keep the pants too long otherwise you'll have to deal with tripping as well as hem damage from the pants dragging on the floor and being stepped on.

[jenn]

Thank you baklanyc!! I didn't understand the pleat thing since they looked flat in the front but I get it now. I never considered getting them hemmed longer in the front than in the back...thats a great idea. Thanks again!

[baklanyc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jenn Thank you baklanyc!! I didn't understand the pleat thing since they looked flat in the front but I get it now. I never considered getting them hemmed longer in the front than in the back...thats a great idea. Thanks again!

You're welcome. It won't be longer per se in the front, but pants have been known to be angled short from the front, so this will be more straight. See what your tailor suggests though - they might break nicely enough regardless!