Alright, gents, let’s talk about corduroy. Corduroy pants, to be specific. Many of you may feel that corduroy, in general, is old-fashioned, something of the past that needs to be left there. And honestly, there are some pretty legitimate reasons you feel that way. For instance, the fabric was initially created for and fit perfectly as workwear in the 1800s. It was tough and flexible, making it a desired garment for factory work. Then, it was adopted by the military in WWII (namely by the Women’s Land Army — you’re welcome for that point at trivia night).
However, it rose to fashion prominence when anti-establishment advocates wore it in the 1960s and 1970s. People like Woody Allen, Bob Dylan, and Pablo Picasso made it famous. Even The Beatles were said to have singlehandedly saved the fabric by England’s President of the Board of Trade. So, being loved by that era makes us feel that our fathers and grandfathers own corduroy, but as you already know, we are living in our own era of “What is old is new,” and we have to learn how to wear corduroy the right way today. Here is how you wear it the way those icons of the past did.
Types and styles of corduroy pants
First, let’s talk types of corduroy pants. Not all corduroy is the same, but knowing what it is and what it is used for will go a long way to ensuring that you wear it the right way. First, let’s talk about the fabric. There are three different kinds of corduroy fabric, and they mostly come down to the texture’s width.
- Standard Whale is the kind you know, most likely. The lines in corduroy are known as wales; the standard is eleven wales an inch. This is the original fabric used in the factories and is seen as a more casual fabric.
- Pincord is the evolution of the standard. This version thinned the wales for a more streamlined look and subtle texture. There are (on average) about sixteen wales per inch. This is typically your more elevated or dressy corduroy. Other names for this variation are pinwale, needlecord, and feathercord. You may find Pincord is more of an umbrella term to define any corduroy that is over eleven wales per inch, with the other names corresponding to different number ranges. Either way, these are the dressed-up versions.
- Dyed corduroy can be found in either of the above styles and changes the entire feel of the outfit. If you choose a brighter and more contemporary color, you will move away from the fabric’s more classic and English feel.
Now, let’s talk about the cut of the corduroy pants. You can find these pants in a similar cut as your dress pants. If you want them to have the classic look and feel, feel free to opt for pleats and cuffed hems. Remember, this will be a particular style and may go in and out of trendiness. The other cut will be the five-pocket version, which is essentially cut the same as your denim and should be worn as such. If you want to stay consistent with the above information, the former dress cut should be of the pincord variety while the latter five-pocket should fit into the standard wale.
Dress them up
We all remember sitting in No Time to Die and loving seeing Daniel Craig rock the three-button corduroy suit with the denim dress shirt as James Bond, right? Or are we the only nerds here? In any case, Bond made corduroy mainstream cool again, and now you can dress it up and wear it like it is made for luxury, not the factory. However, there are some things to remember to ensure that you look elevated and modern instead of outdated and sloppy.
- Be sure you have the right corduroy type: You will want to stay under the Pincord umbrella, so the texture is subtle. It will give the outfit depth and not steal the attention.
- Don’t go too crazy with the formality: If you are wearing corduroy in a dress outfit, you will already be on the lower end of the formal spectrum, so ensure the rest of the outfit is similar. Go with cotton or an unstructured wool sportcoat. Try a button-down collar for the shirt. And a knit tie is better than silk.
- Stay classic: Ditch the crazy dyed colors. Dressing up is meant to put the right attention on you and what you can do. If you go all out on the dyed corduroy, you can distract from what you can do and people will only remember the pants. Stick with your typical dress pant colors: black, brown, gray, blue, etc.
Keep them casual
Finally, corduroy was built to be a casual garment, so this is definitely where it thrives. While the above styles will look great (James Bond always teaches), these casual outfits are where corduroy gained popularity and will likely come back strong this season. It is built for fall, after all, and here is how you can wear it well without looking like your grandfather (unless your grandfather was a sartorial genius then in that case, follow his lead).
- Stick with the classic: This is where that eleven-wale-an-inch pattern needs to come into play. This is how corduroy was meant to be worn, and this is how you will keep it alive.
- Ditch the jeans: The five-pocket corduroy cut will work the best in this scenario. In any outfit you are wearing jeans, swap out for the corduroys and see how the look treats you. It will likely elevate the ensemble with a subtle pop of texture.
- Let the cords speak: Corduroys are your statement piece this season. If you can help it, don’t combine many other textures or patterns. Let the corduroys do all the talking. This is also the time to break out the more unique and fun colors.
The Beatles may have saved the corduroy industry, but six decades later, we are here to keep them alive in the most stylish way possible.
