Dress pants, a few questions- J. Banks vs Others

[rwk5421]

I have been following these forums for a short period of time as my need to wear suits or sport coats with nice pants has increased.

I know how this forum feels about Jos A Banks suits, basically, if they aren't 70% you are probably paying to much.

Well, how about the dress pants? Are the Signature and Travelers Jos A Banks dress pants of decent quality? Is there a noticeable difference between those pants and others? If so, how can you tell by looking at them when someone else is wearing them?

What dress pants do you guys recommend?

 

[Klobber]

Dude, go back a few pages and you will find a thread with various comments on JosABank.

 

[Raralith]

It all comes down to budget, and if the most you can afford is JAB on 70% off, you are getting a hell of a deal. Any noticable differences from someone look at your pants, probably not. I'd think a poor press job by a dry cleaner would make even the most expensive bespoke slacks look terrible; just make sure to keep them clean.

I like Brooks Brothers slacks, bought 7 or during one of their sales a few years back, and I'm perfectly happy with them.

 

[OakCliff]

If you buy the Jos Banks pants for 50% off the clearance price, you can get them for around $30 each. It is a great deal for all wool pants if you don't mind full cut trousers.

 

[rwk5421]

So, what other pants should I be looking at (brands) that are of decent quality?

 

[Klobber]

It depends on the depth of your wallet. If the wallet is shy of a few bucks, you could try out Hugo Boss as an alternative to JAB. Fairly decent without breaking the bank. Brooks Brothers works as well, good trousers not too pricy. Im not sure on the quality of Polo Ralph Lauren but they do not seem to cost a whole lot. I cant imagine though that Polo would be worse than JAB. Oh yeah, Burberry as well, cheap and cheerful trousers quite a good punt for the buck.

 

[NORE]

I would PM senior member RSS on the topic.

 

[RSS]

Originally Posted by NORE

I would PM senior member RSS on the topic.
NORE ... as my mother was so fond of saying, "You should know better!"

I did get a PM ... but given that I use mostly Savile Row tailors ... with an the occasional odd trouser purchased from Paul Stuart ... I'm not in any real position to help this SF member.

That said, I did once buy a pair of Jos. A. Bank trousers after I tore and bloodied the trousers I was wearing. I needed something to get me through the rest of the day. They did not make it. Before the end of the day the crotch was unraveling. But ... that is my ONLY experience with Jos. A. Bank.

 

[otc]

Does JAB make a slimmer model? Considering their discounts, it could be an ok option...

I'd like to hop on the mabitex train but every time I see a set on B&S, the measurements scare me and I choose not to drop the cash on something that might not fit over my giant thighs...also the super low rise ones risk coming untucked when I wear polos since it is hard to find long polos (not an issue with wool pants, but I could see a polo being paired with some cotton mabitex pants).

If the JAB pants had a slim fit that was close to something like BB's Clark fit (my outer quads make the pockets in the Milano's pull open like crazy), I might try a pair.

 

[phxlawstudent]

I've always toyed with the idea of buying BB pants with their 3 for $xxx.xx and stack the corporate discount on top of it. Makes the pants significantly cheaper.

Never got around to it as my inner scrooge wouldn't fork over the cash, but if you've got the scratch and want a good pant...

 

[NORE]

 

[Mudhiker]

Originally Posted by RSS

I needed something to get me through the rest of the day. They did not make it. Before the end of the day the crotch was unraveling.

Not knowing what they were, I bought a pile of stuff at Jos A. Banks. Wore my nice new comfy chinos out the front door. The edge of a leg got caught on a piece of wrought iron handrail. Rip!! So my Jos A. Banks trousers lasted about 5 minutes.

As many point out, their dress shirts can be tolerable, and were rated highly by some Consumer magazine. If you are on a budget, Sears carries Lands' End now, and I find their clothes are on average more durable, have superior fit, and are better value than Jos A. Bank. Nordstrom also sells wool trousers that are pretty good. True, you won't find trousers at either vendor for $30 as you might with Jos A. Bank, but around sale time they can be had for $40-60. And you can touch them in the store. Every time I buy dirt cheap clothes I regret it. $17 work trousers from Wal-Mart start to pill at the crotch after eight hours of wear, before being laundered.

 

[RSS]

Originally Posted by Mudhiker

$17 work trousers from Wal-Mart start to pill at the crotch after eight hours of wear, before being laundered.
Forgive me, I'm not familiar with Wal-Mart.