James Meade Guide to Men’s Trousers

If you’re bemused by the plethora of trouser cuts to choose from, never fear. If you’re tall though, high-rise trousers are comfortable and help balance your proportions. High rise actually refers to trousers with a generous 10” of fabric from the crotch to the waist. If you like to wear flexi waist trousers with a waistband that bisects your belly button, you’re an aficionado of the ‘high-rise’ trouser. You may recall the ridicule Simon Cowell receives for his choice of pantaloons, this cut isn’t designed for shorter men! Low-rise hipsters tend not to be so flattering on the more mature gentleman – they accentuate the abdomen and can make your legs look shorter than they are. A mid-rise pair of trousers is the best choice for most of us – because the waistline splits your body at roughly the midpoint. 

Consider flexi waist trousers for extra comfort. If you have larger legs – a looser cut will be more comfortable to wear. Go for a bold colour to really lift your outfit and add an Aran sweater for added comfort and warmth. 

As for trouser length, if you have short legs, aim for a length that skims the top of your shoe – any extra cloth will make your legs look shorter. The opposite applies to tall fellows with very long legs – avoid the half-masted look at all costs! 

When deciding whether to go for trousers with cuffs, consider both the formality of the occasion and the length of your legs. If you have short legs, avoid cuffs, but if you’re of a slender build, they help to weight the hem of your trouser and so stop them billowing in the breeze. Although suit trousers do sometimes feature cuffs, we’d say formal attire looks less fussy without them. For most of us, a half break where the trouser leg creases gently on the front of the shoe is the most flattering look. 

Heavy corduroy trousers are the perfect fabric for keeping the cold out as you negotiate the breezy rooms of a stately home! A wonderfully warm garment thanks to its ability to trap air between its fibres, cord is incredibly cosy for cotton fabric. It’s also extremely hard-wearing, which is why, during the 19th and early 20th centuries, cord woven in the Lancashire cotton mills became the go-to fabric for workwear among the labouring classes. Very soon this durable fabric of the working classes grew popular with the metropolitan elite. 

The James Meade classic men’s corduroy trousers and cavalry twill trousers collection is available in a variety of colours and offers both lightweight and heavy options to suit all weather conditions.