HOW TO BUILD A CORE WARDROBE FOR MEN: PANTS

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a bit about building a capsule wardrobe. It's a question I get a lot: "What items go into building the perfect wardrobe?"

Ideally, you're going to build a closet based on the types of items you need. My corporate guys need different stuff than my tech entrepreneurs in the bay area. But, there are some core items that every guy can use that pair with nearly everything.

Filling the closet with basics makes things easy. It's like stocking your pantry with eggs, salt, and butter. You know that those items are going to be used quite a bit in whatever you make.

So let's go over the core items I'd add to any wardrobe, and best of all, I'll show you where to get them from good quality brands that should fit you well. Remember, you ideally want to buy the best you can afford here. These are the building blocks to some great outfits.

Let’s start with pants.

CHINOS

Chinos are simply cotton pants. They're a great year-round option alternative to jeans and come in a variety of colors. I like the ones from Alex Mill for a good all-around chino with a good price point that you can tailor to meet your preference.

Bonobos stands out with their chinos, which sort of point them on the map, mainly for their various fits and sizes, meaning that nearly everyone can find a pair that fits them well off the rack (especially with free shipping and free returns). They also have a good amount of stretch if that's your thing.

Finally, the RRL officer chino and these ones from Sid Mashburn are great, but they are going to get you at the highest price point. And about the highest I'd be looking at spending on chinos. Anything over 250 is going to give you diminishing returns.

As for colors, navy, charcoal gray, and slightly darker khaki (no cubicle vibes here) are your classics.

JEANS

Jeans are one of my favorite items to wear and can be used for a variety of occasions. You can wear them with something as casual as a tee, but the right pair can be dressed up to be worn with something as dressy as a sport coat.

If you really can't spend much on jeans, Lucky or Levi's (especially vintage Levi's), but I'd encourage you to do a bit more. For the price, it's really hard to beat Uniqlo's Selvedge Denim. Uniqlo always makes great quality basics, and these jeans are no exception. In fact, their regular slim-fit jeans have a good stretch and hold up great.

AG, Nudie, and Paige are my go-to for guys who just want a good pair of comfortable jeans. You can get these at most mid-high end department stores (Nordstrom, Saks, Bloomingdales), and hot tip - they'll tailor them there for you (and ship them back to you for free). They also have a few different fits and multiple colors, so you'll find something that works for you.

After that, if you're a denim nerd like me, we start getting into some cool stuff, but it might be overkill for the average guy. Check out IronHeart, Pure Blue Japan, and 3Sixteen.

For color, dark wash blue should be first on your list. Probably two to three pairs. You can dress it up or down. Then, followed by black, gray, and then a mid-wash blue. You can wear the black and gray colors with nearly everything (grayscale pairs with everything) and then then the lighter blue can be worn more casually with stuff like a t-shirt.

DRESS TROUSERS

You might call these slacks, suit pants, etc. But really, they're just a trouser (usually made from wool or a wool blend) that you're going to wear more formally.

However, I like to break these up a bit and instead pair them with a nicer polo or sweater rather than just always wearing them with a dress shirt. You can use these more frequently in your outfits than most guys end up using them.

We'll start with an easy go-to, Suit Supply. Suit Supply has incredible fabrics that would typically cost you much much more, but because of their business model, they're able to get a huge markdown on those fabrics, and you get the benefit.

Next up, we have J. Press for right around the same price point. Well-constructed trousers from a brand around since 1902.

Finally, to go a bit higher end with it, I'd be looking at Sid Mashburn again and Canali.

For color, gray, gray, gray, ideally mid and dark gray. After gray, get a pair of navy. Get a pure 100% wool for something dressier, and then a wool flannel for something just a touch more casual. My gray wool flannel trousers from Suit Supply get a ton of use.

5-POCKET PANTS

5-pocket pants are simply that - pants constructed with 5 pockets but can be made with any fabric. To put it simply, they look like, and are constructed like jeans, but they're not jeans. Technically, jeans are a denim 5-pocket pant. Make sense?

So, this versatility with fabric gives you a lot of options. But 5-pocket pants should remain casual. I like to mix up the fabric and colors a lot here for variety.

Start with Todd Snyder here. A good all-around cotton pair from a staple brand. Todd was the old head of menswear at J. Crew, so you'll get a similar aesthetic with this brand. Billy Reid has a similar pair, and I'm a big fan of the brand (which can be found at Nordstrom, usually).

Spier and Mckay have a great affordable canvas pair. Canvas has a great weight to it and looks especially good during the fall months.

Finally, we'll go for a higher-end look from Brunello Cucinelli with a great cream corduroy pair.

As you can see, there's a lot you can play with here between color and fabric. For colors, I like to go for a cream or off-white pair, an olive pair, and a darker brown. You can also add whatever fun colors you want to here.

SWEATS

Whether you're lounging at home or just running some early morning errands, it's always nice to have a good-looking pair of sweatpants. You really don't need more than 1-2 pairs here. You want to make sure they aren't made from a big bulky fabric, as they tend to puff out your leg. We want a nice trimmer fit with a lightweight fabric, ideally in a dark gray so you could pair it with anything.

Buck Mason has a great comfortable pair here. They also make tees and sweaters I'm a fan of.

Reigning Champ has a beautifully made pair here. A great brand for other sweat-like stuff.

And finally, if you want to get really cozy and a little bourgeois, go for cashmere. And if you're going to do luxury cashmere, you do it from Loro Piana (but here's a Vince alternative if you don't want to drop that kind of cash for sweatpants).

There you have it. A full closet of pants you can mix and match with ease from great brands in all the colors you need. Stay tuned for next week when we talk about the other items you'll need to build yourself a high-quality, easily pairable, core wardrobe.

x Patrick