Cover photo from Igarashi Trousers Instagram.
The easiest and most fashionable answer these days is, "However wide or narrow you want. You do you." In a free country, however, this adds nothing interesting to the conversation. Furthermore, what would that say about me as a curator of fine menswear if I had no thoughts on the subject? Being judgemental is an inherent trait in humans whether we like to admit it or not. As long as we're careful not to use small bits of information to draw broad conclusions or assert our views as the end-all be-all, it's innocuous. If calling it "discerning," makes you feel better about it, go with that.
So I hold that there is a right answer to the question posed in the title that is classic, current, accentuating, and comfortable. It's a cut that most readers will find agreeable and will never go so far out of fashion to appear anachronistic. That answer, in short, is a slight taper. It deserves more nuance, though, because "slight" is ill-defined, and actualizing your intended shape can be more difficult than it initially seems.
Before moving on, if anyone still thinks a skinny or straight cut is best, let the following photo disabuse you of this.
While the pants on the man on the left are more common these days, the cut is clearly too skinny for anyone seeking respectability through their clothing. It looks juvenile, showy, pretentious, and like his wife bought them for him. Furthermore, there's no way pants that tight could be comfortable unless they have a significant amount of elastane or other synthetic fibers to give the fabric stretch. Let's not be too quick to ridicule this man, though, because that would be assuming an amount of consideration in his clothing choices that is likely not there. Folks like this land on their style somewhat subconsciously through a desire to fit in with their social crowd rather than a deliberate effort to develop their own preferred look - we can't expect everyone to be as interested in classic menswear as we are.
The keen menswear enthusiast might recognize the man on the right. He's someone that I think has made many positive contributions to menswear, but the sheer volume of his pants isn't one of them. He's directionally correct knowing that most men wear the pants on the left, but he takes it too far. He could be forgiven because his cut is classic to a certain time period, but not all that's classic is necessarily good. The goal on the right is uninterrupted drape, but one doesn't need that much fabric to achieve this. In this case, there's so much excess fabric that it even bunches up in the back, negating its original purpose. While not technically wrong, I think most people would view these trousers as objectively too roomy, which is why they have long gone out of style even among the most classic and respected bespoke tailoring houses. The jacket looks great, though.
Now onto examples of the slight taper perfectly executed.
The first is a photo, pulled from Charles Yap's Instagram account, of Takahiro Osaki, the Creative Director at Liverano & Liverano. The next photo shows Austin Pollak modeling for J.Mueser in their Waverly Suit (which should be available at OPH by this spring).
What I find notable about these cuts is that there is a taper, but at a glance, they both almost look straight due to the generous hem openings. Rather than trying to achieve a tapered look, these display a natural look that alludes to the general tapered shape of the leg from thigh to ankle while being generous enough to maintain a crisp straight line that smooths out the undulations in our anatomy.
That is, in essence, the goal of a bespoke tailor or shoemaker - to enhance the flattering aspects of the human form while smoothing out the finer details and hiding unflattering ones. You've probably noticed this in shoes too. The most aesthetically pleasing shoes are the ones that follow the general contours of the foot but minimize less sightly details like joints, bunions, and hammer toes. You can see what I mean in the juxtaposition below comparing a relatively blobby Allen Edmonds, a bespoke pair that I recently made, and an orthopedic shoe.
While the only big problem with going wider on trousers is aesthetic, there are a few problems with pants that are more tapered than this.
- They’re less comfortable
- When it comes to comfort in natural fabrics without stretch, the more roomy the better.
- They’re less likely to drape well and hold a crease
- When it comes to drape, more fabric is generally better, but as mentioned earlier there is a point where this rule reverses.
- The factors that remove a crease in the front and back of your pants are heat and pressure (like an iron), so the more room you have between your legs and your pants, the more likely you are to maintain your crease even through multiple wears.
- They’re less proportional
- Even if the taper is not so extreme that the pants would be considered skinny, too much taper can make someone appear top-heavy, especially if they have broad shoulders or a belly. The picture of me imitating Tony P. below illustrates this even on trousers that most would not consider skinny.
- Men with narrow shoulders and trim torsos are an exception to this.
- Durability
- Yes the cut actually does factor into longevity. If your pants are too tight, they will ware out more quickly in high stress areas. Friction under tension is more damaging than friction alone.
One final note, when it comes to your journey to achieve slight taper, make sure to keep in mind your body type. This look isn’t necessarily achieved through a simple ratio like leg opening/thigh width. For me (someone with thick thighs), a slight taper might actually mean that my ratio is smaller than yours.