Week Long Expose': How to Buy a Suit Part 3

The Pants:

You think there's nothing to pants? Think, again. There are numerous combinations that you can put together for pants, and I'm here to lay them out for you. First, let's go through some common terminology used regarding suit pants, so that when they're thrown out by tailors/salesman you don't just nod along saying "uh huh, sure" like a dumbass.

Waist: this is pretty self explanatory. The waist is the part of the pants that go around your waist. The band (generally we call it a waistband) that has those loopy things for belts? I think they're called belt loops? Okay, let me stop, as I'm being facetious. We all know what a waistband is and what belt loops are.

Seat: when tailors/salesman refer to the "seat" of the pants, they're referring to the fabric area that covers your ass. On the back of the pants, this generally starts at the fabric directly below the waist band, encompasses the rear pockets, and stops right around where your thighs meet your ass cheeks.

Inseam: this refers to your pant length. Generally it is measured from where your waist starts down to where your foot ends.

Bottom: the bottom of the pant leg, usually accompanied by "hem" i.e. 'how would you like the bottoms hemmed?'

Break: the amount of slack your pant bottoms have against your shoes. Refer to below.

As I did with part two, I will start from the top of the pants to the bottom and describe the different styles/features associated with suit pants. It is also important to distinguish the difference between suit pants and slacks. Suit pants will have three separate methods of closure: inside button, hook and eye, outside button; these go from left to right. Slacks on the other hand, simply button and zip like jeans.

Pleats: pleats are folds in the pant fabric where the waistband meets the rest of the garment. If you are striving to look fashionable, modern and contemporary, pleats are an absolute no no. Why men still insist on having pleats I don't know, perhaps they don't know what else is out there. There different types of pleats: single pleats, double pleats, triple pleats, and reverse pleats. These simply refer to the amount/orientation of the "folds" that make up the pleats. I personally feel pleats add unnecessary bulkiness and heft to your pants. Imagine wearing a double-breasted jacket with quad-pleated pants. Is all that extra fabric necessary? Really?

   Flat-front: also referred to as plain front, this is the style for today's suit (and my personal preference). Flat-front pants are exactly that, they are flat in the front. No folds in the garment, no excess fabric, nothing. Just a clean, streamlined silhouette. That's the way it should be.  


















Cuffs vs Plain Bottom...the bottoms of your pants can be hemmed one of two ways: cuffed or plain. Cuffed pant bottoms (also called turn up or turned up) have part of the fabric (usually 1"-1.5") rolled up, creased, and finished that way. Plain bottoms (non-turn up) are hemmed exactly that way, plain. Generally, cuffed bottoms are found along with pleats, and plain bottoms are found along with flat front. You normally wouldn't intermix the four facets, however pleated pants have been seen with plain bottoms. However you see fit, if you go with what I mentioned in part one (bespoke), you can have your pants done any way you want (though I prefer flat-front, plain bottom).

Finally, let's discuss the break on your pants for a bit. As aforementioned, the break is how much slack the bottom of your pants have on your shoes. There are three styles of break: no break, mid/half break and full break.


No break gives the least amount of slack as possible. Your pant bottoms will stop right before touching your shoe with no break so that there is no "break" in the silhouette of the pant. General perceived rule of thumb: having no break is okay, and sometimes even preferred if your pants are of the slim fit variety. If they are standard fit dress pants, having no break may give off the high waters vibe.

The mid/half break gives slightly more slack, and is considered preferable when getting your pants hemmed. This is the mid-point where the pant line starts to break ever-so slightly, but not too much to be perceived as overly baggy, and not too little to be perceived as high waters. The mid break is the Toyota Camry; the sensible, safe choice, and my personal preference.

The full break should be avoided at most, if not all costs. Full breaks give the most slack, and the most noticeable "break" in the pant line possible. Again, you might get away with it if your pants are slim fit (because there's less fabric in diameter) but if they're standard fit pants you will look sloppy. The pants will look baggy and give off the impression that you're still in middle/high school sagging with your waistband hanging halfway down your ass. That look doesn't flatter anyone.








Putting it together: pair a nicely fitted, tapered 2-button, double vented peak lapel jacket with flat-front, plain bottom, mid/half-break pants, and you've got a good foundation going for suiting up. Tune in tomorrow for the finale of this week long expose', where we will cover the rest of suiting up: shirts, ties and accessories. As always, thanks for reading and being part of the Style & Swag Nation!