Non denim? cords, work pants, chinos, etc..

[soultek]

I'm looking for some non denim (gasp!) quality pants. Like really well made work pants, cords or chinos. something along those lines. Are there equivalents for these like high quality denim? Something that would get better with age? What do you guys think. Everything I've seen is all distressed to hell, or got a funky wash to it. Maybe some repro vintage stuff?

[leviathan]

Dockers K1 Chinos. Can't get them in regular Dockers stockists, actually not sure where you can get them now (maybe others do) but they're good trousers - the best ones are shrink to fit and wear beautifully.

[darknworn]

the k1 pants can be found in dockers' european premium collection, see dockers.com for more info. they look nice, but don't know why they're not available in the US. what a positively stupid thing for dockers to do.

[35mm]

You can get the Dockers at:

http://www.aeroleatherclothing.com

Bill's Khakis makes a nice vintage style chino. I've seen them at Nordstrom.

http://www.billskhakis.com/

[M4TM]

i still can't touch dockers - all due to their advertising campaign when they first launched. i hated it.

strange highs and strange lows

[Yakboy Equals Nurturer]

After spending two years living in Boston for grad school I don't think I'll ever be able to wear chinos.

[giantreptile]

To Yakboy-- A- friggin'- men.

the blue shirt and khaki pants is the boston white collar worker uniform. who would have thunk frat boys would extend their unoriginality into the professional world?

[darknworn]

hey, don't forget the blue blazer w/ gold buttons as well. 'tis true, but boston is a fairly conservative city. the international crowd definitely dresses better as a whole here. not all frat boys are satorial ignoramus. but you see, why bother w/ clothing when you can just shop for the entire outfit (pre-arranged on a mannequin, i might add) from jcrew, abercrombie or AE. there are more important things in frat life, i.e. booze, football, and chasing frat girls ...yep, i was a frat boy once, but never did and probably never will own an article of clothing from abercrombie. who knows, i probably would've gotten more tails if i did .

[ABELnyc]

Cords: best pair i ever had that wore in to perfection was Banana Republic. A tiny bit of a boot cut, but great fit and weight, 5 washings in I was nearly living in them. Regular fit. Thin wale is the only way to go. I have seen some vintage Levi cords in the same fit, at Nom de Guerre. A perfect pale grey/blue and they were only sort of expensive. Which reminds me Rogan may make some good ones too. But expect those to be worn in almost a bit too much and expect to spend luchini.

Chinos: Stay away unless you're wearing them somewhat baggy with old tennis sneaks (Stan Smith, Rod Laver) and you don't mind stains NEVER coming out of them. Chino cotton is soft but susceptible to everything. This gets worse the lighter the color too. I have a soft spot for Polo. OG shit only, not Jeans Co. or Chaps etc. Always in a variety of cuts/styles and you can find them on sale everywhere. Not flattering per se with their cuts, but if you had chinos in boot cut or cut to your body, you look gay. So if you are and you're goin for that, word. otherwise watch out b/c it's def fratboyjockrapistgoestochurch steez.

Work Pants: If you're going neo-forward utilitarian expensivo steez, trying fucking with Dunderdon. They go the extra mile when it comes to strong durability. Tried and true. Carhartt Ducks are great...in fact so is pretty much everything Carhartt makes. They've only recently started marketing to skaters, so a lot of their shit is sorta overally/flannel/fishing shit. Within that framework you can find some gems. Also Double RL has dope stuff in this realm, classic 1930ish repro style (check ebay). L.L. Bean is another true one. But with these outdoorsy workwear brands, you have to be creative to get stylish with it. OshKosh (ebay), Lee, BigBen, etc. also have lots of old well made heavy canvas/denim items that wear in well. If you can find 70's stuff, you're golden because it looks great right now.

~multiflavored RodLavers~

http://abelnyc.com

[dunkin deeznuts]

dickies....

www.wellbred.org

[soultek]

haha, dickies. Got a pair of course! I'm in LA! that's an Angelino classic. I think I still have a pair of Ben Davis too!

I saw the K1's after my post. They look neat. Although I too have sort of a negative connotation associated w/ dockers.

Bill's Khaki's I heard of this, will check for it.

ABEL, I too have a soft spot for Polo (from back in the day!) I know chinos can be the really bad, I haven't actually worn a pair in over 5 years.

I'll keep an eye out for the 70's canvas stuff too.

The main reason I'm asking is that I have to go in to do work on projects at semi-stuffy corporations. And I COULD wear jeans, but dressing a little more professional can help justify my rate if you know what I mean.

I hate to just go out and get a gap corporate 'uniform' (shudder).

I'd prefer to get something I could rock outside of work.

I feel you all on the chinos-being-gay thing. But I've occasionally seen chinos that were cool or at least rocked cool.

I actually have a pair of Dunderdons, they're pretty cool. 5 year warranty, damn! Fit great.

Thanks for the input people. I check out some of that stuff.

[hahnstch]

surprisingly, when it comes to chino, khakis etc, everyone here seems to stick to the more 'mainstream' stuff huh. it's surprising that someone is yet to mention brands like stussy, PAM, silas, or supreme.

anyway, dunderdon looks very well-made, even though i have yet to own a pair.

how about generra, rogan, mason etc ie. the higher end range?

[ABELnyc]

i don't mention those brands in this thread (Stussy et al) because they are not dedicated to construction, fit, durability and classic stylings as much as they are to youth marketing, graphics, logo parody, irreverent reputations and maintaining cult appeal. bigger brands don't have to give a shit about that stuff (you never see any magazine interview 'Ralph Lauren, the man behind the brand") and because they been in the game for so many years, they know what works and what doesn't with respect to both quality and style.

Go to Supreme, pick up any pair of pants. Tell me you would want them as much without the Supreme tag. If so, you're either completely ignorant to fashion design or you're lying. They outsource that shit anyway. Not much work goes into that shit. Why? Because they don't have to. They maintain their appeal through other ways...decks/reputation/holier than thou staff/collabos with artists/limited production/inflated ebay auctions etc.

i think the reason the mainstream stuff has more appeal to me is for the very reason our friend here is talking about. you want to go to work where you can't nec rock ripped up Engineered Levis let's say...but you don't want that cookie-cutter midtown nyc loser look, right out of some kenneth cole ad. but, when it comes to fits, cuts, flattering casual-yet-respectable styles etc., some of the older and well known brands reign.

Girbaud did some sort of dress jean, it was like a dark ash heather with slash pockets, but very flattering cut and always looked good with a sweater or tucked in oxford. nowadays, they seem to be on some garish eurotrash shit. but i think if you went to some higher end spots, MFG has some nice stuff for the office.

Marc Jacobs is also very good. Also Michael Kors. Both expensive, but think about it: if you buy a mid-range sweater, say from The Gap, or something A/X etc. and you sorta like it, it was only like $68, but you never really wear it. Contrast this with buying a sweater that was $245, but you absolutely love it because it was practically made for you. It looks good with everything. It's long lasting, good material etc. because a lot of time went into making (and designing!) it. In the end and from a utility standpoint, which sweater was really the more expensive one?

Sure, you pay for the name too. But many times, people don't earn a name because of 'cool' (read: Stussy, Supreme)...other times, they earn a name because they are downright dependable labels. Which reminds me...when I say Calvin Klein i am NOT talking about 'CK' and when I say Donna Karan I am not talking about "DKNY". Stick with the top level shit, and you'll see that if you have a somewhat normal body frame, these people WANT to make you look good. They don't care if you bought the new limited t-shirt with Neckface on it, because that's not what they're selling to you (an idea of cool). They want you to come back to their label not because they did a Heineken Dunk crossover, but because you have an impt dinner or function to attend and you want to look sharp and on point...and they want you to associate their name with a time when it's important that you look fucking awesome. (dapper baby! as they say you can never be too overdressed)

i know, comparing Stussy Supreme etc. to Polo is apples and oranges. Just trying to say that sticking to 'cool' 'streetwear' or whatever brands no matter what, because you feel loyalty to them, because wearing their shit makes you feel like you stand out somewhat and are more in tune with what's cool than many of your friends, well then you're cheating yourself out of some really good gear.

It's like any fix-it guy will tell you. It's all about the right tool for the job. If you needed a tux and Supreme made one would you buy it? If Old Navy made skate decks, would you buy those? Hopefully no to both questions...bottom line dude, if you need work (office, profession etc.) gear, go high end. Smaller is not always better just because it's hard to find in stores. There are exceptions, a

[Guest]

Hi, I'm new to the board.

I wear jeans 90% of the time (lately PRPS, Rogan, Helmut Lang) but I also have been looking for something to wear as an alternative now and then, just to change things up.

I picked up a pair of PRPS "motorcycle pants" that are really nice. Tough but comfortable cotton canvas in a grey/green/khaki color. They have enough interesting details (belt zipper, snap belt loops, reinforced knee patches) to give them a little more personality than your basic GAP/Dockers khakis, but can still pass as being a little dressier and more corporate than jeans or cargos. I imagine they are on the expensive side and I don't know where you can find them. I got mine via ebay.

Oki-ni also has a whole section on their website for 'trousers' that might have some viable high-end choices for pants that exist somewhere between jeans and your run-of-the-mill khakis. I have been looking at the 'Canvas Pants' and some of the 'Fake London' collaborations. Does anyone have any exerience or can offer any commets or advice on these pants? They seem pricey but a lot of people speak very highly of the stuff on oki-ni, so I'm tempted.

[Serge d Nimes]

I am obsessed with Levis white tab 70's short pyle 517 cords. They fit and look great! I have 3 pairs that probably cost me $10 all together. they are made with a different dye and fabric than what is in use today. They fade and distress really well. Wear them with some Rainbow flip flops in the summer and let 'um drag!

Carpe Denim!

[MilSpex]

more than not I'm in W)taps BDU pants or shorts. look good with anything. got about 8 pairs. I like their helicrew pants and shorts too. love the detail. The buttons are vietnam war era replicas. the label on my favourite pair in addition to the usual 'Educate, stop the bullet' etc has the caption "transform Nam '64". I love it!

2000AD Hectic Homeboys Lace Themselfs on a Daily Basis

Be Advised: Morgan Nixon AKA Moman631 AKA Moman6040 is a fraud.

[soultek]

Dude, just realized I really agree with you. Thanks for summing up my thought for me, I never heard it put so susinctly.

I'm surrounded by the California technical professional look: khaki's and polo shirts. All day everyday. Even if I bought a GAP uniform I'd be better dressed than everyone there, but that's not the point. As Abel illustrates. I think Stussy (which I actually like) and those other brands are not the right thing for my job. Even though corporate types usually don't have much style, they can still tell if you are rocking something that was designed for cool teenagers or what have you. You don't want to give them an inkling that you're running around in the streets at night (even though you might be).

I agree w/ Abel, classy shit is the way to go. A GAP uniform is disposable. It's about getting very good high end basics.

I'm still going to check out the K1's though. but 30 GBP's for shipping from Aero! damn!

[M4TM]

i actually have a pair of wim neels cords that i really like. nice detailing, but definitely not the standard workpant.

i also recently purchased a pair of a|x cords that aren't bad. usually i avoid a|x, but i needed something to wear in colder weather over the winter (was in london). check them out - basic, but that might be what you're after.

strange highs and strange lows

[rhythmandsound]

cords: i'm w/serge: white tab 517's or straight-leg 519's are the best. too bad they stopped making them. i also got them for like 3.99 a pop brand-new when they were blowin them out around 93. all my pairs are too slim for me these days tho.

work: i love Polo Ralph Lauren stuff in general. i work in a highrise downtown and pretty much just wear the flat front chinos and classic fit button-ups. denim jacket and leather irish wallabees to try and eek out at least a little style.

[rhythmandsound]

by the way, what i'd like to be able to find more of are dressier military fatigue-style pants (non-bdu's). would be nice to find these new more often in surplus stores. anyone have them online? seems like it's all bdu cargos and stuff online.

actually part of what i've always liked about Supreme is their fatigue style pants...use of details like herringbone and adjustable waist buttons...65/35 poly-cotton blends that are actually comfortable, etc... stuff that seems like it's been pulled from a bygone era

Edited by rhythmandsound on Apr 23, 2005 at 08:28 PM

[merzbot]

margiela and dries vannoten pIants.

good feel on the legs.

[Lazylinepainter]

Quote:

Dockers K1 Chinos. Can't get them in regular Dockers stockists, actually not sure where you can get them now (maybe others do) but they're good trousers - the best ones are shrink to fit and wear beautifully.

--- Original message by leviathan on Apr 22, 2005 01:27 AM

I've just got a pair of K1's off ebay. No mention of dockers, strictly levis. Quite heavyweight cotton nice relaxed fit too. Anyone know anthing about these - don't think their LVC. Here's a picture:

Edited by Lazylinepainter on May 30, 2005 at 03:58 PM

[stickykrylon]

levis vintage cords. can't go wrong.

dig.

[urban sprawl]

just bought a canvas one w/cinch back at memes nyc: post overalls. nice fit and nice fabric.

also i like my margiela ones.

Edited by urban sprawl on May 25, 2005 at 01:46 PM