alternative to denim?

[matadorpoeta]

i need some new pants. i'm working with a relative to get a small food business going so i can't dress up. all i have are dress pants and 2 pairs of jeans. i've never really liked jeans, though, so i want to buy some pants that i won't mind getting dirty, but that are not jeans and aren't chinos or khakis. any ideas? i'll be wearing them with polo and short-sleeved button front shirts.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Aside from jeans,chinos, and khakis, you are stuck with the following:

knickerbockers,
The Utilikilt,
"M.C. Hammer" pants,
adult diapers,
clothing made from Duct Tape,
and tights or leggings.

Thats it.

 

[montecristo#4]

Cordoroy. You can get them cut like regular trousers (very trad), or cut like jeans (can actually come off as a pretty cool look). Not great for the summer months, though.

 

[Kent Wang]

Some people like cargoes. Not me though.

 

[matadorpoeta]

tokyo, how about lederhosen?

i did consider cargo pants but i'll be turning 30 this year and i don't want to go backward in my clothing style.

i can't think of anything.

 

[j]

The only things I can think of are those checked or striped pants that chefs wear, and Carhartt-style non-jean colored canvas pants or painters' pants.

 

[Matt]

bordering on khakis, i have some cotton pants in a jeans cut (front and back pocket style), i quite like them.

A notch more casual than the sort of pleated dressier khakis id wear to work...

 

[johnapril]

Brown denim

 

[T4phage]

Brown denim

Expensive though at 60 000 yen...

 

[dah328]

Moleskin for the winter months although you probably don't have too many of those in LA...

dan

 

[johnapril]

I was thinking chocolate brown, but I also like like T4's suggestion.

 

[Brian SD]

Yea, brown denim or corduroy. A lot of popular denim companies make cords (Sevens comes to mind first) and they are usually on sale because no one ever really buys them.

 

[Kent Wang]

Corduroy is very un-summer though. Not just in terms of comfort but also aesthetically. Can one of you guys show me a pair of summer-appropriate cords?

 

[boston]

summer cords are tough. summer moleskin does not exist.

For summer, try chinos (in non-khaki colours, like dark brown or green if you must), tropical wool, and beige seersucker.

in the winter, cords, flannels, and moleskin are your best non-jean bet.

-boston

 

[johnapril]

Corduroy is very un-summer though. Not just in terms of comfort but also aesthetically. Can one of you guys show me a pair of summer-appropriate cords?

Thin-wale cords are a nice summer look, especially when in appropriate colors/tones. I found some at Ferragamo a few years back in lime.