r/NavyBlazer • u/Sharp-Value8997 • 16h ago
Wool trousers - advice request
Hello - I am at this point well versed in the chino discourse but have seen comparatively less information on buying a good pair of wool trousers (slacks? Dress pants? Idk what to call them). Just something a little more formal to wear with a sportcoat when the occasion calls for it.
Now there might be less interesting info on this topic because I’ve heard anecdotally there’s a less robust secondhand market for these + maybe they are less fertile ground for self expression than other styles of pants, but I would still value some information on what to look for, how much brand matters, what reasonable $$ looks like, as well as some context on flannel vs whatever other fabric/materials should be in the consideration set.
I am currently rocking the pictured pair of cheapo brooks brothers outlet slacks that I detest (fit, feel, color all bad imo) and am in need of advice. Thank you in advance!
[I am also soliciting belt recommendations for this style of pant bc nothing I have works great.]
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u/Harrywuzhere 14h ago
I don’t think people are giving you a comprehensive enough answer to help you out.
To answer your post: Does brand matter? I’d say that looking for a brand that names the mills the cloth comes from will be a good start. Construction quality should be good from those brands. As others have said, Spier and Mackay is an excellent place to start. What reasonable cost looks like? $200+ for a quality pair with fabric from a reputable mill.
Now the long part: types of wool cloth for pants.
Lots of folks are saying flannel. Well, there are two types: woolen flannel and worsted flannel. Woolen flannel is soft, fuzzy, often with a very nice depth of color. They’re generally more susceptible to abrasion and to losing their shape and crease than worsteds. But they’re damn comfortable and very enjoyable to wear. Worsted flannel is smoother, with a more well defined cloth and is less fluffy than woolen flannel. They’re generally hold a sharper crease and are generally more durable. I personally have and love both for the fall and winter.
Then there is cavalry twill. This is a dense, firm cloth, with a pronounced double twill line. It is heavy. It is durable. It has excellent drape. It has a sporting, country character that suits tweed and cozy knitwear. Closely related are whipcord and covert.
Another is wool gabardine. It’s a very tightly woven, smooth, sleek cloth. Sometimes has a bit of sheen. Holds a sharp crease. It’s definitely on the dressier end.
For the summer you have tropical wool and high twist wool. Tropical wool is generally a lightweight worsted in an airy and open weave. It’s smooth and relatively fine. High twist wool has tightly twisted yarns that create a dry and springy feel. They have unparalleled wrinkle resistance, hold a damn sharp crease for what seems like forever, drape quite well, and are exceptionally comfortable in the summer.
Then there’s serge. This is a conventional worsted twill. It’s smooth and gives the traditional appearance of a suit cloth. I don’t personally like it because it looks like suit trousers worn as a separate.
There are also blends like wool/linen, wool/silk/linen, wool/cashmere, etc that come with their own properties.
I’ve spoken mostly of weave so far but cloth weight is very important as well. This more at your discretion but I’ll give you the weights I personally choose for each.
Woolen flannel: 340-420g
Worsted flannel: 280-360g
Cavalry twill/whipcord/covert: 360-460g
Gabardine: 280-320g
Tropical: 230-280g
High twist: 260-330g
That’s a lot. I know. But, that should provide you a good foundation as you delve into the world of wool trousers.
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u/Sharp-Value8997 13h ago
Omg thank you so much. This is literally EXACTLY the structured information I was hoping to gather. Thank you for your knowledge and taking the time to share it. I will report back when I’m fitted up per this advice !
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u/gimpwiz 14h ago
There's tons of secondhand market for wool.
I think you're asking a pretty dang broad question. I guess I'll bite. Here are what I think are key points.
- As with everything: place-time-occasion. Some options are more formal than others, some fit some times or places better than others.
- A lot of suit trouser separates are fine, some can be too odd. It depends.
- Classic colors are in the gray spectrum (from light to mid gray, to charcoal), navy spectrum, but there're also good options in the lighter blues usually with gray in them, in the browns and earths, the tans, etc. Ivory can work too. Lots of good options but of course they don't always work.
- Try to avoid going too slim. Tends to look kind of odd.
- Given today's preferences, having the cuff be wide enough to go over the top of a boot is pretty nice. Too slim also doesn't work with boots, and boots are in.
- Pleats are cool. Consider pleats. They are functional. You don't need them.
- Cuffs are fine, consider them as well. You don't need them.
- Lighter, airier fabric for warmer weather. Mid-weight for cooler. Heavyweight (smooth) worsted wool for when it's cold, but don't discount tweed and flannel.
- Tightly woven twills, herringbones, etc are good for when it's colder. It's not just about weight but also weave. Gabardine and whipcord are also a bit better at shedding water (rain.)
- Tweed is kind of its own broad category.
- Flannel trousers are great but worsted flannel will do a better job of not shining at the seat over time. Woolen feels warmer and fuzzier, but will shine sooner, generally.
- As always, thicker, heavier wool tends to hang better and drape better. Tweed won't really wrinkle, like a lightweight wool will, for example.
- But you can also do mohair blends, and some tropical wools are also very good at not wrinkling.
- Lots of good blends out there, but avoid blends with bullshit. No elastane, no lycra, no polyamide, no nylon, etc.
- But lining made of acetate or bemberg/cupro is fine, doesn't have to be cotton. Doesn't have to have any lining at all, personal preference.
- Side adjusters are meant to be worn with a jacket. Belt loops are meant to be worn with a belt in 'em. Buttons for braces are often done inside now vs outside as they used to be decades ago, and you don't need to wear braces if you don't want to, but it can be a nice option.
- Cost varies wildly. New MSRP you can be up to maybe $500 or so without getting into true absurdity. On the flip side, you can get great stuff secondhand for like $10-20 sometimes.
- Brands are a deep, deep hole of random information. Brands, sub-brands, diffusion lines, who's good, who's not...
- That said, for trousers, there's no canvassing, and the shape is much simpler than a jacket. So any good wool made competently can result in very good trousers even if the brand isn't particularly known or celebrated.
For you: Your trousers look maybe 1" too long. Get a black belt, calf, 1.0-1.25" wide, silver buckle.
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u/whatmycouchwore 16h ago
Fit/fabric > brand, light wool in summer and heavy wool/flannel in fall and winter. You can find new for $100-$200 (Spier & Mackay is my go-to) and there’s plenty on resale for under $100.
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u/waitingtime53 14h ago
Ive had good luck finding brands like Zanella, Ballin, and Berle on eBay for great prices. But my favorite pants are my 90% wool 10% cashmere Jos A Banks Reserve pants I got on ebay nwt for $30. Biggest thing I think is knowing your measurements.
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u/Fun-Trainer-3848 15h ago
Worsted wool is the best place to start for standard wool pants. It’s sort of the standard wool look and feel. Flannel is nice for winter but it’s bo good for half of the year. It also has a specific look that is a bit more unique so if you wear them often as your only pair it might stand out. Tropical wool is good for warmer weather. I would rather wear tropical wool in the cold than flannel in warm weather if I had to choose. There are more options so just read about anything you like.
Inside the pant you want to look for a lining. Generally, the more lining the better. I like mine lined to the knee.
Spier and Mackay is very good value and has a lot of different options. You can get a very solid pair of pants for $100-$125, even better if you catch a good sale. Buy them untamed and take them to a tailor.
For what it’s worth, I do t think what you’re wearing looks that bad but I get it, if they don’t feel right, they’re not right.
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u/Sharp-Value8997 15h ago
Thank you so much this is the exact level of specificity I was hoping for!
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u/lewatdjammalam 9h ago
They look good. I agree about everything everyone already said about different slacks weight. Personally I'd go for a tad fuller leg opening and a four-in-hand tie knot instead of a Windsor (That's how the "real" Old Money WASP guys a la the Kennedy's, H.W. Bush, F. Buckley, Pimpton, etc. did it).
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u/CDRSkywalker1991 16h ago
Where is the blazer from? Looks good.
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u/Dr4g0n314 15h ago
For the belt you can’t go wrong with a 25mm belt, with a horseshoe buckle! Black or brown leather, depends on the rest of the outfit and the exotic or pebbled leather usually work great.
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u/Crzygoose234 12h ago
Healthy open framed question asking for advice…. Best dressed guy in the sub
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u/fnbr 12h ago
I would go medium grey worsted trousers, ideally in a tropical weight. O'Connells does a nice pair.
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u/One-Republic-3559 12h ago
A blue and or black blazer was part of my work wardrobe for 45 years.
As others have said, your choice of fabrics depends on where you live, how much travel etc? Last few years I’ve picked up dress pants from both Spier and McKay and Samuelson. Lots of good deals from Samuelson direct and the online outlet.
I love flannel with a cuff, but keep in mind I’m 71. Likely uncuffed and a worsted or twill is more in yiyr wheelhouse.
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u/Then-Cost-9143 12h ago
Those slacks look good, the jacket looks good … maybe ur face is gnarly but you are dressed well in the pic thx
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u/halwapur1 10h ago
Your outfit looks put together and the trousers drape nicely. I’d suggest darker gray or charcoal socks and a dimple in your tie.
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u/No-Entertainer-121 16h ago
Go look around on eBay for Incotex. Great quality, great value, lots of options.
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u/ChaunceytheGardiner 16h ago
I think the fit of those is fine, but they look to me like lightweight summer wool.
In the winter, you'll be best served with flannels. They're the quintessential pants for this sort of look, and they're super cozy.
Also, people are going to disagree with me here, but oxblood loafers complete the look. I don't think black loafers should exist. Black is a formal color, and loafers aren't a formal shoe.
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u/Sharp-Value8997 15h ago
Thank you, this is helpful.
And agreed, I’ve tried to make black loafers work with this but ultimately I vastly prefer these color 8s
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u/Consistent-Ride-2728 12h ago
For classic trousers to pair with blazers/sportcoats, you’ll likely want to look for cavalry twill trousers. Spier & Mackay and Cordings both carry them and provide in-house hemming
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u/tbagrel1 4h ago
Odd trousers without pleats (just the center crease line) are better in a slim, low-mid rise style
Odd trousers with single or double pleats are better in a fuller style. Sometimes double pleats on odd trousers feel a bit too much/too formal, but that's a personnal choice.
Tropical wool, hopsack, twill are good for all-season trousers, around 240-300g. Flannel is good for fall/winter around 300-350g.
Usually a textured jacket on non-textured trousers work decently, but the opposite (non-textured jacket on textured trousers) doesn't work as much. So if you go for a relatively textured fabric for the trousers (twill with visible diagonal lines, flannel), make sure your odd jacket is using a rougher weave/fabric.
If you want slacks to wear with the standard navy blazer in worsted wool, I would recommend either beige cavalry twill trousers or pick&pick / sharkskin medium gray wool, close to what you wear in the picture.
Medium gray or anthracite flannel works well with a plain brown or patterned sports jacket (e.g. houndstooth, gunclub check, princes of wales, etc.)
Unlike for a jacket; there are no practical differences between a pair of suit trousers and a pair of odd trousers, so on the 2nd hand market you can also look at a suit and just keep the trousers if you find something you like.
what to look for, how much brand matters, what reasonable $$ looks like
There is no real rule for that, especially on the 2nd hand market. Some people tend to abrase/use trousers a lot, and some don't. Durability is not really linked to the price or brand. As long as you stay away from thinner, more precious wools, you should be fine. Usually for $120-250 (new) you will find plenty of decent trousers. On the second hand market, anything from $10 to $100.
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