The Right Fit: Are Those Pants For You?

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

The Right Fit: Are Those Pants For You?

How would you know if your pants are the perfect fit? Read on the final installment of my pants series. These are the things I've come up with. Feel free to comment below if I have missed anything or whatever.

OVERALL

Your pants should be snug around your waist, but not too tight, the hem should touch your shoe, but not cover it, and the shape of the pant should  be appropriate for your frame.

 

THE NATURAL WAIST

It's just below your belly button. If your pants sit any higher, you'll officially be wearing "Dad pants."

THE JEANS WAIST

Jeans are meant to be worn a bit lower and closer to the hips than other pants. Think old Levi's and Toughskins. But no matter how much juice you think you have on the streets, leave the low-rider pants to the B-boys.

THE HEM

One of the keys to good style is knowing what suits you. And part of this is coming to terms with what the good Lord has (or hasn't) endowed you with. If you're tall, then you should consider cuffing your pants. If you're short, lose the cuffs (and the Cuban heels, for that matter).


THE BREAK

The break is where your pants touch your shoes. The lower the break, the deeper the horizontal crease that sits on your shoe. The three different types are: medium (your pants will fall midway between the top of your shoe and the top of the sole), full (which
drapes fabric over the shoe top and sweeps it back to a quarter inch above the floor in the back), and short (pants are worn high on the leg with a quarter inch of swing between the bottoms and the top of the shoe.) Currently, the fashion cognoscenti and designers such as Thorn Browne favor the short break. When in doubt, go for a medium break- it's the classic choice. 


PLEATS VS. NO PLEATS

Let's make this real simple: Unless you're built like John Goodman or you see yourself as a middle-management "road warrior," then there is no reason to wear pants with multiple pleats. In some cases, however, well-placed pleats, which help pants drape better and
make legs look longer, can be flattering.