Building business wardrobe: Pants

[djs5150]

I am just starting off on building a business wardrobe and have been following the advice here: http://www.styleforum.net/a/how-should-i-start-my-business-wardrobe. But I couldn't find any information about pants, other than length. I've been picking up everything else as they come available but I'm lost with pants. Here are some of my specific questions that will hopefully clarify my confusion.

1. The one thing I have found is to buy some wool dress trousers, in charcoal and a lighter grey. Something like these: http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/nordstr...=2375500&fashionColor=CHARCOAL&resultback=292. Am I leaving anything out here (colors, fabrics, etc)?

2. Should I buy some chinos like Brooks Brothers Advantage Chinos (http://www.brooksbrothers.com/Milano-Advantage-Chinos®/345R,default,pd.html) or something like Bills Khakis (http://www.billskhakis.com/original-twill-m1-pant?bk_color_product=3036)? Or, are they totally separate in terms of style etc? Can I even wear my Oxford shirts with something like the Advantage Chinos? So lost here....

I know there is a lot of information here and a lot of it is probably easily understood by the majority of you, but I am new and want to make sure I'm building a really solid wardrobe.

P.S. I apologize if this information is located somewhere, I could not locate it.

 

[YRR92]

Gray wool is good. Worsted could work, but gabardine is another good choice. Flannels are my favorite, but those are harder to find and only for cool weather). Khakis are good, too, but more casual. I prefer them in darker "British Tan"-type colors. If you're just starting out, you don't need much more than that. You might consider a pair of tan wool trousers. Dressier than chinos, but they need to be drycleaned rather than laundered.

The Brooks Advantage chinos are non-iron, which may be helpful. They will be fine with oxford shirts. The Bills will need pressing after you launder them. It's a non-issue if you send them out. That said, Bills cuts a rather loose trouser, and Brooks has some more-tapered options.

The most important thing is fit. Buy pants you can try on. Even mall brands like Banana Republic, J. Crew, and Lands' End sell fine pants, and I'm happy with mine. Just educate yourself on how pants should fit, and try to find pants that work for you. Don't worry too much about the length being spot on, since a hem is so easy to have done. You'll probably have to try on a few brands before you find something that's right for you.

 

[joelmax]

Jomers launches tropical wool next week. Epauletnewyork has some great pants. I have worn them for a few years. Top notch.

 

[mensimageconsultant]

Bad color choices: black, white, anything unusual.

If navy, wool is better than cotton. Minimize beige if very long-legged.

No patterns for now.

The recommendations for lightweight and heavyweight fabrics are sensible depending on climate. Also, consider some corduroys or moleskins if the climate is not tropical or sub-tropical.

 

[ter1413]

I would skip khakis.

When you go to get the pants hemmed/altered....make sure you wear/bring proper shoes with you.
Don't go to the place with sneakers/flip flops/etc on.

 

[philosophe]

It's hard to go wrong with well-fitting gray wool pants. You can dress them up with a sport coat or down with a sweater. For variety, try twills and flannels as well as worsted and gabardines.

 

[SirReveller]



twills and flannels as well as worsted and gabardines.

I still don't know what these are and don't want to invest time finding out given I recently blew my brains out learning about various welted [or not! :S] shoes. That being said, I'd def begin w medium wool grey followed by medium wool navy. You probably own deece khakis already, non? At least, good enough for Fridays? Next step is light grey blue and khak for summer/dark grey blue khak for winter. Not a big fan of office pants w prints on them but you may go in this direction vs seasonality.

 

[SirReveller]

*At pant #4 or 5 black is OK in my books. Esp if you like black shoes. W white shirt can look pimp tho many think you're looking like a maitre'd at this point lol
**Also I suppose cotton over wool for hotter weather purpose ones? I don't really care much here. Let the sale price decide Just don't get any% polyester!

 

[philosophe]

Rule #1: no black pants at work unless you work in a fashion-driven field or are a waiter. Overall, black is a basic for women at the office, but not for men.

In addition to gray pants, darker shades of tan are quite useful.

 

[johng70]

What is the dress code where you work?
Where do you work geographically? You're going to find that dress "norms" and fashion sense can be VERY different throughout even the US (I assume since you linked to Nordstrom you are US based).

I have a corporate job that is business casual. I've gone through quite a number of different pants over the years. I really prefer wool - I wear Brooks Brothers Gabardines right now - they drape better than cotton

Navy, Khaki, Olive, Charcoal and yes even Black are all in play. Khaki and Navy are the most flexible colors and should be the basics. A key is to have a good rotation so you're not wearing the same few pants. Try to build up to 10 pairs or so just to help with wear. But start with at least 5 pairs.

I completely second the notion that you need to try pants on to see how you like the fit It's important to get the right fit for your body type so a style or brand that works for one person might look terrible on someone else. You don't have to spend $200 on a pair of pants to look good - you need to get pants that that fit your body type well and keep them in good condition.

Now, a couple other points:
Whether cotton or wool - do NOT overclean. You're not working in the dirt hear. Nothing degrades the life of clothing like over cleaning.

Next - even though you didn't ask - do NOT put your phone in your back pocket and, in fact, invest in a front pocket wallet or money clip. Nothing makes a good pair of pants look like crap like the worn imprint of your wallet or phone on your back pocket.

 

[SirReveller]



Rule #1: no black pants at work unless you work in a fashion-driven field or are a waiter. Overall, black is a basic for women at the office, but not for men.

In addition to gray pants, darker shades of tan are quite useful.

Negative. Black wool pants particularly in winter look great with a variety of shirts. *Esp. if he happens to like a black pair of shoes he owns*

The anti-black bias of SF is over the top.

 

[EliodA]



Negative. Black wool pants particularly in winter look great with a variety of shirts. *Esp. if he happens to like a black pair of shoes he owns*

The anti-black bias of SF is over the top.

What jackets do you wear with black trousers?

 

[Academic2]

I hope the original poster understands that it’s easier to combine a darker jacket with lighter trousers than the reverse.

Cheers,

Ac

 

[ter1413]



What jackets do you wear with black trousers?

Who says you need a jacket?
Duh!

 

[chogall]



Negative. Black wool pants particularly in winter look great with a variety of shirts. *Esp. if he happens to like a black pair of shoes he owns*

The anti-black bias of SF is over the top.

Black jeans are great. Black wool pants are not. Unless you going for the Dior homme or Prada type of looks, not business.

Oh, and black shoes looks great with dark brown, navy, and gray pants already. Why get a pair of pants for a pair of already versatile shoes?