Pants! Let me give you the skinny on jeans!

Yesterday I posted Build an interchangeable wardrobe with key pieces! And I am going to reiterate on that some today.

Pants are a key to any outfit. Most of the time they are the first thing someone notices when they first see you. They are also a necessity unless you're wearing shorts, overalls, or a romper (please don't wear a romper). There are a few different types of pants, you have jeans, chinos, khakis, slacks, suit pants and workout pants (including sweat pants). I'm going to dive into this and talk a little about these.

Jeans:

Jeans are a staple of every man’s wardrobe. Jeans have been around for many years. There are many different brands, colors, fits, and styles. I prefer skinny jeans. I recommend having a few different colors and styles. I recommend owning a black pair, dark blue pair, a distressed pair (can get different colors), and I love a pair of white jeans. Some guys are apprehensive to step out of their comfort zone especially with white jeans but I recommend to wear what you want and step out of your comfort zone. You can dress jeans up or dress them down. I like to wear my jeans (all of them) with a t-shirt and my overcoat it shows that you are not afraid to step out of the box. They also look great with a leather motorcycle jacket (especially the white jeans and some boots).

Chinos:

Chinos are a great addition to your wardrobe. They are actually a necessity. They come in a rainbow of colors. They also have a many styles, fits and looks. I prefer a skinny chino. I own many different colors but if you are trying to find your style choose a black pair, blue pair, grey pair or a tan pair would be great. I really love the “loud” color chinos, such as cobalt blue and burgundy, even yellow ones look good. As you get more comfortable with your style you can experiment on colors and incorporate more into your rotation. These are great to dress up and dress down. You can wear them with a jean jacket, leather motorcycle jacket, overcoat the list goes on.

Fit is the always the key and it will make or break your outfit. It’s a good rule of thumb to get all your pants tailored but if you can’t afford that just find a brand that looks good on you. Some guys like skinny fit, slim fit, relaxed fit or supper skinny but that is their personal preference. Just whichever fit or color you choose just wear it with confidence!

Slacks:

Slacks are a necessity if you work in an office environment or have a business casual always remember to dress up not down. With slacks I recommend black, navy blue or charcoal. You can get them in different patterns such as, pin stripe, window pane, plaid, houndstooth just to name a few. They need to be just long enough to touch the top of your dress shoes and like all the other pants the fit is key. I like a crease down the front of my slacks, because it gives them that “well put together look”. Slacks look great with dress shirts, polo shirts, sweaters, and you can even pull them off with a t shirt or hoodie. They pair well with dress shoes, dress boots, or Chelsea boots. You can wear sneakers with them also to dress them down.

Roll techniques:

Pants look great when they just touch the top of your shoes, this shows your shoes off a lot. Some even crop them a couple of inches above the shoes, but I'm not into that but if you think you can pull that off try it. You can do about a 1 inch cuff roll. You grab the bottom of the pants at the hem and turn them up once about an inch and roll them again and it gives you about 2 inches shorter. Pin rolls look great and show off your sneakers. You can roll any pants not just jeans. The following is a pin roll technique:

How to pin roll your jeans:

1. Starting with one leg, pinch a section of fabric on the inner seam to make the hem appear tighter around your leg

2. Fold the pinched section of fabric against your ankle to create an overlap.

3. Holding the overlapped fabric together, cuff and roll your jeans up an inch or two.

4. Roll them once or twice more to reach your desired hem height, but be careful of creating too much bulk.

5. Finish by smoothing out creases.

Care for your pants:

Your pants will last a very long time if you take care of them. Only wash your pants when it is necessary. Only when you spill something on them or you get a stain on them. You can wear pants multiple times between washings. When you do wash them turn them inside out, wash in cold water and always hang to dry. I learned a trick a few years ago that if your pants start smelling bad between washings put them in the freezer over nigh and the smell goes away. I also keep a bottle of fabric refresher on hand just in case. With slacks sometimes you need to be more careful. You care for them are the same as chinos unless they are labeled “dry clean only” then you have to take them to the dry cleaners. Check the care tag carefully to see how to wash them.

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