I am needing a few more pairs of dress pants, and would like them with flat fronts and a slightly lower rise than most suit pants (I don't need a pair of suit pants, as those come with my suits ). My first option may have been just having W.W. Chan make me a pair. That might end up being the direction I'll go (anyone know how much that costs?). But in lieu of Chan, I was looking for either a good value or spending a little more for a premium good (purple label quality, etc., which I'd hope to find at a Last Call or NM sale, etc.). Obviously places like Banana or J. Crew make these, but for the regular price they are still steep for what you get, you know. But it's really tough to find flat front pants that aren't from fashion houses like DKNY etc. Anyone have any more ideas? I did see a guy selling RL Chaps on Ebay for $25 a piece. I thought maybe that would be an idea. I'll probably go try on a pair at a dept. store before bidding though. If Chaps are too poor of quality, please tell me. I need probably 2 pair and would like them to be at least a decent investment piece.
Try Yoox. I have a pair by Emporio Armani and another by Incotex, both of which cost about $50. When you go the designer route you might want to double check how their sizes run by trying something on in a department store, but if that checks out you can do pretty well on Yoox.
I have the WW Chan mailer on my desk. With the cloth from their "specials" selections (the ones that yield a $733 suit), slacks are $219/pair, coats are $514. WW Chan makes a nice pair of slacks, but I consider my work day slacks to be a much more "consumable" item than a suit, and spend accordingly. IMHO, you'd be better off buying three pairs of BR flat fronts, and using the savings to buy a pair of shoes.
Agreed. I think you have to decide what you value more, quality or wearability. They shouldn't be mutually exclusive, but I don't have enough really nice pants to wear them every day, and sometimes I just want pants I can throw on and not worry about if I spill my coffee. In that respect BR has treated me pretty well, and their stuff goes on sale really cheap. It's probably also worth checking out your local Filene's Basement/Nordstrom Rack etc. Good finds aren't always common, but if I only pay $40-$60, even if they're good quality I'm not worried about them (bad logic, but there it is). Also, the oft-maligned Kenneth Cole usually has wool or wool/lycra stretch pants in standard colors for relatively inexpensive. Just look out for cargo pockets and other "creative" details. HIJACK: Is anyone else consistently annoyed by YOOX's format/layout/design? Their visual concept is weak... I get so frustrated there when I can't search accurately, and I don't like looking at spiked naked people, at least not while I'm shopping. I guess if it turns people like me off there's more bargains for the persistent... Â
oxxord, incotex, gucci, brooks brothers, borrelli all make good flat-front wool dress pants. I'd avoid RL Chaps if you can afford to. If you're looking to keep the price down, buy used slacks on Ebay. Great deals abound. For example, there are always used Oxxford slacks for sale -- pants that were $400 being sold for $50.
I've found some nice pants at www.sierratradingpost.com - I picked up a pair of Ballins from them a while back in a very soft worsted wool (they almost feel - and drape - like silk) for under $60 (they list at $195), and I just ordered a pair of Rivieras from them in a 70/30 wool/silk blend for $99.95 (these are pleated, but they're offering the same pants in an unpleated version). I expect these to be quite a bit heavier, but am thinking of them for Fall/Winter use. I like Rivieras; I bought a pair of winter-weight pants from them in a wool/cashmere blend a couple of years ago that are the most comfortable "heavy" dress pants I've owned so far.
Incotex, Mabitex, Valentini, Rota, Zileri, Kenzo, Etro, etc,etc,... need I go further? I really don't think that it is all that difficult to find, the important thing to look for is the fit. How do you like it? Looser or slim fit?
While certainly not "trendy", flat front dress trousers can be found at J. Press (stores and catalog). Â J. Press
JN3, I personally found that Chaps was (surprisingly) more of a low-rise than I expected when I last tried on a pair. But it sounds like that is what you are looking for. These were at a department store and in the $60 range if memory serves. And I don't think anyone has mentioned Land's End yet, which I think most would find to be more than acceptable for "everyday" wear. This assumes you would like the fit, as T4phage pointed out.