The right pair of pants.

The right pair of pants.

It’s pretty effortless to put on a pair of pants.  Regardless of the fit, it takes about ten seconds to get a pair on and buttoned up.  So if it doesn’t take any more effort, why not wear a pair of pants that are going to make you look good, rather than just be an ambiguous covering for your legs?

Photo credit: Katy Weaver

The modern fit is one that is fitted through the hips, thigh and straight in the calf.  The fit through the calf can vary; from the super-skinny, to just a straight fit that drops down from the knee.  In this picture, art student and fellow blogger Kyle Holzkamp wears a conservative pair of medium wash jeans, with a subtle cuff at the hem.  Visit his blog, Collared Times, for great suggestions on style, wine, and art.

OSU student and singer Brian wears a pair of slim jeans that he seems perfectly comfortable in.  His entire outfit is simple, yet very classy.  The relatively dark wash of the jeans looks good on everyone, and is a safe bet for casual occasions, or more formal engagements.  Next time you head out to the bars or a club, try a pair of slim, dark wash jeans.  Couple it with a casual button-up or a v-neck tee and finish off the ensemble with a nice pair of shoes.

Take note of another pair of skinny jeans worn by student composer and singer Josh.  Too many guys associate skinny jeans with a high school punk or skater look, a look which is easily avoided by making the right ensemble choices.  Josh accomplishes this with a bold scarf and an urban, military-inspired jacket.  The first step to mixing and matching a stylish outfit is to get rid of any concept of stereotyped articles of clothing.  I’ll continue to expound on this concept as this blog progresses.

Here is an example of a pair of jeans that aren’t skinny, but still have a good straight fit in the leg and calf.  It goes to show you can fashionable without wearing skinny denim.  Plus, check out the boots.  A very handsome pair of shoes; the Clark’s Desert Boots are available (and affordable) almost anywhere you look.

Wait.  Pants that aren’t jeans?  Khakis, chinos and pants are no longer the realm of “business casual”.  Yeah, they are certainly are a little dressier than your average pair of blue jeans, but there are a plethora of ways to dress down a nice pair of pants.  In this picture, OSU student Andres dresses his pants down with his casual shoes and brilliant red cardigan.

Photo credit: Katy Weaver

Cuffs! A relatively recent phenomena has been the advent of cuffed pants, especially cuffed denim.  While the perfect length of pants is still a solid look, showing a little sock or ankle has become very popular as an opportunity to show off a different color or texture and add just a little something to the ensemble.  Cuffed pants also draw attention to the shoes you are wearing, in this picture, I am wearing a pair of Timberland chukkas.

It’s all in the details:

Choosing a pair of pants is actually incredibly simple.  The first step is to know your measurements.  This is as simple as knowing what size of pants you wear.  Be aware that slim and skinny pants tend to fit a fair bit smaller than their straight counterparts.  For example, I typically wear 32 waist, but if I’m buying skinny pants, I usually bump a size up to the frequently elusive 33. 

 

The next step is one that many guys tell me they have a problem with, and that is the trip to the fitting room.  Most of us feel better taking to trip to the fitting room with a girlfriend.  That way, we can protest and say that they’re “dragging us”. But don’t worry about it! Ensuring your clothes fit is essential, because I know you don’t want to sink $30-$80 on a pair of pants that don’t fit.

Once you’ve tried on the pair of pants in the fitting room, take a good look while you’re in there.  There are a number of things you need to consider.  Start at the top and work your way down.  

1.)    Did you struggle to get the fly buttoned? If so, you might need to consider sizing up.  Now, that’s not to say you should buy your pants to “grow into”.  That’s an adolescent attitude, and it’ll show.  Bad, bad, bad!

2.)    After  the waist, move to the pockets.  If they are bulging or stretching out a lot, this can be bad.  This can also be a persistent problem for those of us with muscular legs.  If this happens and is fairly obvious, it might be time to try a different brand.  As a penny-pincher, I hate to say this, but I’ve noticed that as I go up in quality (and consequently, price range) I tend to get a much better fit in this area. 

3.)    After the pockets, work your way down.  I look for fitted, yet comfortable in the thigh and calf.  Painted-on pants are hard to pull off in the best of circumstances, and get even harder as the color/wash gets lighter.  A tighter thigh fit can be forgiven if the pants don’t taper in the calf as dramatically.  There’s nothing wrong with very skinny jeans, but care must be taken to build the outfit around them.

4.)    Finally, the last thing to consider is the fit of the hem.  Buy too short and you can be boxed into one look.  Buy too long?  Same thing.  Plus, when your pants are too long, you risk damaging them if they drag.  The perfect length will meet the back of the heel, and will fold with one crease on the front of the shoe.

Now, where do I find them?  

I find that Levi’s 514 and 511 jeans give a very comfortable and consistent fit. For example, take a look at this gentleman sporting 514’s:

Not too tight, not too baggy. And importantly, they don't distract from the statement articles of business major Chuck's outfit; the pink shirt and checkered tie. While hardly a statement article on most people, these are a solid pair of pants to build an outfit around.   

However, wear what works for your body type!  Aside from a few brands, very few people can tell or care what brand of pants you’re wearing.  That being said, you get what you pay for to a certain extent.  If you buy generic Lee jeans over a pair of Sevens, you might end up being disappointed.  On the other end of the spectrum, dropping $100+ on a pair of pants might leave you disappointed when they aren’t significantly better than your middle-of-the-road pants.

If I could leave you with one piece of advice, it is this:

Find a look that you like. Make that look work for you.

What does that mean?  Well, there are a lot of little choices that happen on the way, but the trick is to stay open minded and creative, and open your eyes to everything out there that you see online, on the street, and on campus.

Next article: three beers I hope you haven't heard of.