Five Plus One is our weekly series of buyer’s guides. We pick a specific category and dig up five great options along with one that’s a little outside the norm.
Wool pants are a staple of many wardrobes, but they can be difficult to wear casually. It is a real shame – wool is a fantastic material (read Rob Lim’s thoughts why), but too often people feel locked into wearing it formally. During the winter months there is nothing more comfortable than a pair of warm woollen pants, so let’s explore how to wear them casually without feeling like your trousers are out of place.
1) 18 Waits: The Dakota Suit Trouser in Navy Wool
18 Waits is a brand that does not get nearly enough credit. Their designs are understated while still being original, and they offer a wide range of products. Based on their name, you might assume the Dakota Suit Trousers are super formal, but they are actually surprisingly easy to dress-down. Sure, they’ll look great with a matching jacket, but they also work with boots and a casual shirt.
Available for $100CAD from 18 Waits.
2) PS by Paul Smith: Slim-Fit Mélange Wool Trousers in Grey
When I think of a perfect pair of casual wool pants, I picture PS by Paul Smith’s Slim-Fit Mélange Wool Trousers. While they are easy to dress up, their highly textured and speckle-colored fabric also make them an ideal candidate for casual wear. The narrow leg opening allows these to be worn with dress shoes, but also with sneakers and other sleek footwear.
Available for $310 from Mr. Porter.
3) Officine Generale: Paul Pants in Olive Loro Piana Flannel
Often times wool pants are only available in the basic colors: black, grey, and navy. And by nature of the fact that Office Generale’s Loro Piana Flannel Paul Pants are olive, a non-traditional color, they are instantly easier to wear casually. This pairs modern cut, texture, and color all help it to be cohesively worn at varying levels of formality.
Available for $463 from Need Supply.
4) Wallace & Barnes: Drawstring Suit Pant in Grey Check
People generally assume that wool pants will be designed as trousers, but that’s not always the case. More and more pairs of drawstring wool pants are starting to emerge, and they look better than you might expect. Wallace & Barnes Drawstring Suit Pants are a classic example – they are made from a fine suiting wool, which would ordinarily be made into a lightweight suit. They might seem a bit strange at first glance, but pairing lightweight suiting material with a jogger-esque design is quite an interesting concept.
Available for $148 from JCrew.
5) Gant Rugger: Comfort Flannel Pant in Blue
A lot of the products on this list so far have seemed a bit non-traditional, but that doesn’t mean more traditional wool pants cannot be worn casually as well. Gant Rugger‘s Comfort Flannel Pants are much more similar to regular trousers, which allows them to be worn fairly formally; however, their soft flannel fabric also makes them an ideal candidate for everyday wear.
Available for $150 from Nordstrom Rack.
Plus One – Engineered Garments: Knit Leisure Pant in Grey
Engineered Garments is known for a lot of things; high-quality knitwear and originality among them, so their Knit Leisure Pants might not come as a surprise to some. Sure, they are far from traditional. And yes, they will be hard to wear as anything other than lounge-wear. But, as is the case with all warm clothing, they look comfortable and soft enough to make me seriously consider buying a pair, even if I have no idea what I’d wear it with.
Available for €510 from Frans Boone.
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