How the hell do you guys deal with your cotton pants in the summer?

Patek · Jun 23, 2011

So, I guess for truely casual wear and weekly air travel, wool slacks and jeans are the way to go--until I can pick up some BB Advantage pants.

When I travel, I take only a little leather and wool duffle bag so I have to plan what I bring carefully it is usually: Two pairs of shoes (one worn), running shoes, gym clothes, two-three pairs of pants (one worn), 4-6 shirts, underwear and socks, toiletries. This is for 3-5 day trips usually flown from East Coast to West Coast usually with multiple stops. Regular chinos look like ass after the first day and there is nothing like getting stuck somewhere sans pants.

bluesman528 · Jun 23, 2011

Originally Posted by Patek

Now, thanks to SF, I'm starting to add more chinos and cotton pants into the mix. However, I find that they are only good for one wearing as they get wrinkled and show dirt. They are a pain to wash and iron and I can't be bothered to take them to the cleaners all of the time.
I perfectly understand that argument and that's the reason I skip on chinos. I like the look (without wrinkles -> within the first five minutes of wearing them) but they have zero practicability. The "casual" in casual wear also means that you don't have to think too much about what you're wearing and how to care for it. Chinos fail horribly in that category.

Rolex Luthor · Jun 23, 2011

Originally Posted by rolledcollar

The wrinkles lend cotton trousers a certain amount of casual informality. I view that as an asset depending on the situation. Avoidance of wrinkles at all times in all situations seems like a popular view on men's clothing forums and I feel that view is misguided. If you don't want that informality or just don't want wrinkles, choose a more naturally wrinkle-resistant material like wool.

^ this. I loathe the look of treated wrinkle-free chinos. I'd rather have a little bit of the rumple in my summertime look.

acecow · Jun 23, 2011

Cotton pants are casual, so wrinkles are OK. I quickly iron mine before every wear and cease giving a damn after that. Also, I don't wash them after every wear. Only when they get dirty.

Gus · Jun 23, 2011

Originally Posted by acecow

Cotton pants are casual, so wrinkles are OK. I quickly iron mine before every wear and cease giving a damn after that. Also, I don't wash them after every wear. Only when they get dirty.

+1

jrd617 · Jun 23, 2011

It's called a travel iron! Or if you're a bigtimer traveling businessman, get a hotel valet service to press them!

TRA8324 · Jun 23, 2011

Also, heavier cotton will generally wrinkle less than lightweight cotton.

Holdfast · Jun 23, 2011

Originally Posted by acecow

Cotton pants are casual, so wrinkles are OK. I quickly iron mine before every wear and cease giving a damn after that. Also, I don't wash them after every wear. Only when they get dirty.
This, except I don't even bother to iron them between wears.

(However, I don't live in a high humidity climate, nor do I walk miles in them, so I suspect that impacts on just how wrinkled they are at the end of a day).

NAMOR · Jun 23, 2011

i just go pantless

JamesX · Jun 23, 2011

Originally Posted by Viral

not sure what you do in your cotton pants, but my pants are just fine form regular wearing. I tend to wash mine when needed - try it sometime.
+1 But I do live in a Desert (L.A. Area)

Patek · Jun 23, 2011

Well, a travel iron is a "no" for a variety of reasons. The first one being that in the US, all hotels have irons in the room. I use the irons and am always disapointed when I travel overseas as you have to request one.

Hotel valet are available at some hotels but many times I am in a Hilton or Marriott motel chain as that is the best lodging available so that is out of the question. In addition, late arrivials and early departures make that option impossible.

Recoil · Jun 24, 2011

I've learned to embrace them to a certain point. It's expected with cotton. I wouldn't tolerate any wrinkling with wool but with fabrics like cotton and especially linen, it's inevitable.

MyOtherLife · Jun 24, 2011

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Jangofett · Jun 24, 2011

Originally Posted by TheBurnOut

Try linen pants. They never wrinkle.

On the contrary, linen wrinkles like crazy. Certainly more than cotton.

Jangofett · Jun 24, 2011

Originally Posted by Patek

Now, thanks to SF, I'm starting to add more chinos and cotton pants into the mix. However, I find that they are only good for one wearing as they get wrinkled and show dirt. They are a pain to wash and iron and I can't be bothered to take them to the cleaners all of the time.

Err, how do you iron your shirts?

Its the same thing. Just toss the cotton pants into the washer, hot iron it and good as new.

If you are a true SFer, you would iron with a cloth on top of it. But remember to always iron on the same side of the cloth. If not, the dirt etc of the cloth will be transferred to the cotton pants.

If you are a true card carrying member of SFer, you would iron in one direction only, from up to down.

The same would apply when you stay at hotels. Ask for a hot iron and iron it with the cloth.

How the hell do you guys deal with your cotton pants in the summer?

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