A few years ago, I wrote a post where I explained the two aspects of trouser fit that I had determined were most important to me. The first was the rise. Like most guys, I wanted low rise for a long time. It was the look being pushed by the mainstream clothing companies in the 2000s and early 2010s. Then I discovered the benefits of higher-rise and wanted everything with a higher rise.
The second aspect was less obvious, though: the knee measurement. It had taken me years to discover why I felt that certain pairs of trousers were flattering on me, and others—with nearly the same measurements in the thigh and hem opening—felt dumpy. And it came down to the knee measurement. A slightly trimmer knee keeps the silhouette of the leg flowing neatly, instead of letting the thighs bag out at certain angles; a trimmer knee gives your leg a little more shape when you’re leg is bent a little.
Some time later I was talking about my preferences for trouser fit with a friend of mine who’s a tailor. I mentioned how I didn’t love 100% linen trousers, in part because of how linen has almost zero natural “give” to the fabric. Whereas wool or cotton naturally stretches a little bit when you bend your knee or sit down, linen does not. Which means pants made from linen have to be cut a little more fully everywhere—including the knee.
He replied, “I always tell clients that if they want to know how properly tailored trousers should actually fit, they should have a pair made in linen.”
Circling back to the SuitSupply Roma suit in tobacco linen and my post earlier about its looser pants: Every person’s body is different, and these ready-to-wear pants may be cut a little looser for some dudes’ bodies in any given size, or they might still be a bit too slim for others. But the “baggy” fit that someone in my comments felt these pants had is actually how properly tailored trousers look. Some may quibble with the hem opening being narrow for their tastes; I don’t want a wider hem than these have personally. But in most other respects, these were just about right on me.
I still have a preference for a bit trimmer knee, but the minimum measurement for me has definitely gotten wider as I’ve gotten older (and wiser…and a bit heavier).
Trouser Shops I Recommend
Here are the places I shop for tailored trousers, and/or recommend others try
Spier & Mackay (my personal go-to most of the time)
SuitSupply (the Sortino is the higher-rise that came with the “Roma” suit, I believe)
ProperCloth (you can make your own trouser fit based on your own needs)
Cavour (Model 3 only)
If you love my content, please consider supporting me and help me get to next Pitti!
(If you buy stuff through my links, your clicks and purchases earn me a commission from many of the retailers I feature, and it helps me sustain this site—as well as my menswear habit ;-) Thanks!)
Shop my clothing from this post and every other post on the Shop My Closet page. If you’re just getting into tailored menswear and want a single helpful guide to building a trend-proof wardrobe, buy my eBook. It doesn’t cost that much and covers wardrobe essentials for any guy who wants to look cool, feel cool and make a good impression. Formatted for your phone or computer/iPad so it’s not annoying to read, and it’s full of pretty pictures, not just boring prose. Buy it here.
The SuitSupply trousers don’t look baggy, but they do look a bit long. I don’t know if they were on loan from SS, and thus couldn’t be permanently hemmed.
Same width with minimal break would look dramatically different.
Agreed
How does Natalino’s high rise pleat trousers with side adjusters compare fit wise to Spiers?