Luxire Trouser Guide

After making the guide to shirt fabrics I’ve had quite a few requests for a similar guide to trouser cloths. This won’t be as exhaustive (there are simply more choices to make for trousers) but I hope it will provide a decent recommendation for every major category.

For practical reasons, I’ve made categories for the two 4-season staples, cotton chino and worsted wool. Other cloths are collected in either Spring/Summer or Autumn/Winter categories.

I’m focused here mostly on the house cloths, since you can find information on branded cloths elsewhere, but I have included some options from the big mills.

All these reviews are from actual garments and customers. They’re by me, or else contributed by users from Styleforum (see bottom of the list). The guide was designed entirely independently of Luxire, but one contributor, Paddy (PO), does work for the company. All contributed writing is marked by initials in brackets at the end of the paragraph. All photos taken by the reviewers.

Chinos

General advice: check the weights and the descriptions. Heavier weights generally drape better, but are warmer. My pet theory is that the descriptor ‘soft’ implies a brushed cotton, but I’ve not proven this.

New Copper Chino

A replacement for the striking dark tan chino which caught people’s eyes near the beginning. This one is lightweight (7 oz) but prone to creasing.

Cotton Twill: Dark Wilmington Tan



A lightweight (7 oz) twill chino, crisp and breathable. A genuine tan colour, but much less saturated / orange than the copper chinos. These are, I think, a bit more versatile. Soft but wrinkly. A great option for warm weather.

Beige Cream Twill Chinos



A fairly heavy (10 oz) brushed twill, resists creases thanks to the weight. Extremely soft to the touch, feels more expensive than it costs. Fairly hard wearing, an excellent choice for Autumn/Winter though you could probably wear 3 or 4 seasons in a country like the UK. Neutral, versatile colour.

Light Tan Twill Chino



A medium weight (7oz) mid-beige all-rounder.

Very wrinkle resistant and robust enough for all but the hottest days. In my opinion these are the best “khakis” for the value. Must buy! (PT)

Army Khaki Twill Chino



Great shade, an earthier beige particularly useful middle ground between the pale beige tones and true brown or green. A bit more weight (9 oz) but should be wearable all year in temperate climates. Irons well. A cloth for all purposes.

Barvarian Cream Chino



Something a little different to round out the beige spectrum: these are medium weight (8 oz) premium chinos, another versatile but slightly darker tone, and a step up the price scale.

Good drape and weight mean they can be dressed up for slightly more formal occasions; they pair well with a navy sports jacket, for example and will hold a crease throughout the day. However, the weight isn’t significant enough to discourage you from wearing this cloth in a warmer climate. All in all, a classic darker beige that is a wardrobe staple. (PO)



Cream Twill Chino

Moving to other colours, this is another lightweight (7.7 oz) chino, in a ‘true’ cream (ie., just off-white, not a beige). Worth lining because they can be a bit transparent.

Off-White Twill Chino

Another paler option, this time a bit heavier (9 oz).

Super soft but more white than off-white. I tried making these into a formal pair of trousers but the softness means the fabric hardly holds a crease. Would make a great pair of super casual trousers however. As a black dude I have not found these to be transparent as long as you wear underpants similar in tone to your flesh. (PT)



Navy Twill Chino

Expect a little fading and shrinkage over time but that’s part of the charm in my opinion. Because they are on the lighter side (6.9oz) they don’t drape as well. A no-nonsense value-friendly cotton fabric. (PT)

Dark Army Green Cotton Twill



Fantastic deep green colour, light to medium weight (8 oz) twill chino. The colour is perfect, deep enough to be obviously green, but still subtle enough to work with navy, grey and tan jackets. The hand is a little wrinkly and papery. I’ve only just started wearing these, so I’m hoping that they’ll soften up in a few months. I’ll update this when I know.

Wool

This section is for worsteds — smooth, thin wool cloths suitable for formal trousers and for suits. Most of these come in a range of colours.

Wool Rich Grey Pants



Probably the most popular of the ‘house’ wool cloths, the ‘wool rich’ series are machine washable, drape decently, and feel great. 70% wool 30% polyester, but no static cling or plastic feel. Not as soft as the more expensive and finer wools, but cheaper and more convenient to clean. Medium weight (8.5 oz) but comfortable in all but very cold weather. Hard wearing in my experience.

A wide range of colours are available. Pictured above are the light grey and dark grey (frankly more of a mid-grey), both useful tones. There’s also charcoal, taupe, navy etc. which are popular.

A second opinion: Light enough for spring/summer and being able to wash them at home is a huge plus. Not the smoothest fabric ever but they still feel like pure wool. A definite workhorse for everyday wear. (PT)

Vitale Barberis Canonico Super 120s 2-Ply

This is the recommended step up from the wool rich cloths to 100% wool. Softer and smoother to the touch, nicer drape. 8 oz medium weight. Like all untreated pure wool, it’s not machine washable. Also available in a wide range of colours.

Colour shown above is rust: drapes well and seem fairly crease-resistant, a really lovely shade. (SC)

VBC Prunnelle Super 110s Twill



Prunelle is a simple twill weave. This is another solid 8 oz option from VBC.

Wears well and light, great for a grey odd trouser as it is the right shade between charcoal and dark grey, looks fabulous with dressier blue blazers. Light weight, great drape, holds crease well and wrinkles hang out over night. (BB)



Dugdale Light Grey Plain



Another step up the price ladder, a medium weight (9 oz) woven-in-England worsted wool with some nice heathering.

Drapes well, durable (2 years going strong), holds a crease well, and has enough visual interest to separate itself from an orphaned pair of suit pants. Must buy! (PT)



Minnis Fresco



Now we’re at the pricey, high performance end of the worsteds. This is a heavy (15oz) Fresco (Fresco is the HFW brand name, but refers to a high twist, open weave cloth).

Wrinkle resistance and drape perfection! They should be for the price. Breathable enough for summer, and heavy enough for all but the coldest days of Chicago weather. I wear mine 4 seasons. Absolutely bulletproof. Note these are 3 ply rather than 2 ply hence the wonderful drape and cost. (PT)

More varieties of Fresco above in various greys.

Top to bottom: 10oz, 2-ply medium gray; 8/9 oz, high twist medium gray; 8/9 oz, high twist light gray. The 10 oz is very hearty. All my pants are unlined, but these are the one pair I sometimes wish was lined in the front, not for comfort, but warmth. When it’s hot, I wear the 8/9 oz pairs, flannels when cold, and these when it’s cool. But wind goes right through them. The 8/9 oz pairs are excellent in the heat. Possibly better than linen. Very durable too. But I don’t have a suit in 8/9 oz. I’m told jackets in that fabric wilt a bit. I do have suits in the 10 oz and love them (EM)



VBC 4 Ply Tropical Wool



A poor(er) man’s Fresco, a fairly heavy (13 oz) formal wool for hot weather, at 50% less cost.



I have 3 suits in VBC 4 ply (this, as well as a midnight navy and a charcoal) as I found they are very durable without the usual disadvantages of a heavier cloth. Their weave means they breathe very well and the subtle texture means they work well as odd trousers (the navy and indigo also work well as sports jackets). Some people do fine the hand of the cloth a bit rough; though I think the word ‘crisp’ is more accurate and have had no issues with it. It holds a crease through the trouser very well and does not need pressing much at all (perhaps once every few months). A wonderful cloth. (PO)



Dugdale Fine Worsted - Fine Black Dogtooth



Finally an English worsted by Dugdale from the New Fine Worsted collection. 9 oz, billed as 3-season cloth. Fairly accessible price for English cloth.

An interesting trouser cloth, but also works well as a suiting or even odd jacket cloth. Like all the Dugdale Fine Worsteds, they are exceedingly durable (I’ve had my suit in this cloth for 7 years and the trousers show no signs of slowing down) and have a nice weight, while still being a 4 season cloth (in most countries). I’ve worn the suit year round in Sydney, but did find the jacket a bit warm on 28 C plus days. At a distance, this cloth recedes to a mid gray and is surprisingly versatile. (PO)

Spring/Summer

This section is mostly linens, but also has a couple of blends. These are all good seasonal alternatives to chinos but many will also make good dress trousers. As with chinos, heavier weights perform better but are… heavier.

Linen: Ecru Herringbone

Great colour and texture, but prone to wrinkling. 8 oz. No problems with translucency. (JA)

Linen: Natural Ecru

Another fine choice on the lighter end (7/8 oz), shown here above the heavy vintage hopsack (see below for link).

Great … I occasionally iron and leave them unrolled/uncuffed for tropical “formal” wear w/ a Hawaiian shirt or Guayabera. (EM)

Linen: Grey Pants



Nice variegated light grey shade, lighter weight (7 oz). A little scratchy, but don’t be tempted to line and lose the coolness. Be careful when washing, easy to shrink.

Cream Linen Pant



Slightly heavier (9 oz) Irish linen, drapes nicely from the extra weight, but still breathable. Versatile and works formally and informally. Good value. (CF)



Linen: Natural Ecru Heavy Vintage

Seriously heavy (13oz) linen hopsack, the kind of fabric you don’t often find now. Also consider Linen: Off-White Heavy Vintage at a similar weight.

I really like these - so much so I got Luxire to make me an unstructured jacket from the same fabric. Heavy, rumpled, great body from a fairly tight weave giving great drape, classic colour. (SC)

Probably my favorite pants from any maker. I got them with 1.75" regular hems and usually wear them rolled up once. (EM)



Apple Fresco Cotton

This is an unusual one: a lightweight (7oz) gauzy cotton with similar properties to linen, but being cotton, a bit cheaper. Two slightly divergent reviews:

Very lightweight, although not transparent. Wear reasonably cool, but creases if you just look at it wrong. This may work better in a more casual trouser. (SC)

Super airy but opaque and good drape, wrinkle resistant because fresco, holds a beautiful crease and comes in a great, great colour. Looks great with a navy blazer and even casual with a polo. (CP)



Linen Cotton Canvas

Rounding out the summer section is a heavy (11 oz) linen cotton blend in a good range of colours. Better crease resistance and drape thanks to the cotton content and weight.

Peach shade: all the coolness of linen but with a slightly sharper look due to reduced creasing a subtle shade so on a sunny day with a darker jacket it’s not overwhelming. (SC)

Also consider: Brisbane Moss Cotton Canvas

Autumn/Winter

These are mostly wool flannels (softer, rougher wool — worsteds are combed before spinning and weaving whereas flannels are not). There are also some great casual cotton options for A/W: cords, moleskins and the like.

Grey Wool Flannel



Perhaps the best known of Luxire’s ‘house’ cloths. A heavy, hard-wearing wool / nylon blend flannel. At 11oz, this is best for outdoors, or if you have especially cold winters. Machine washable thanks to the nylon, so long as you wash cold and are careful. A bit scratchy when new, and best lined to the knee. Great value and very robust.

Vitale Barberis Canonico Flannels (heavy)

Like the VBC Super 120s, a recommended step up from the house flannel. Still heavy (11oz) but pure wool, softer and less scratchy, nicer drape.

Vitale Barberis Canonico Flannels (lighter)



A medium weight (9 oz) flannel in a range of colours. Pictured: light grey and grey.

I used to believe that only heavyweight flannels were worth buying, but these have withstood the abuse of cycling to work, drape better than a 9oz cloth deserves to, and wear fine for everything but the hottest London weather. Highly commended. (SC)



Loro Piana: Grey Herringbone Tweed



A lightweight (6.6 oz) Italian tweed flannel. Good weight for 2-3 seasons, cool enough indoors. Soft, even spongy, as comfortable as sweatpants, though still fairly scratchy to handle. Great texture and pattern.

The downsides: not cheap, and not durable. lightweight flannels are fragile, and they get weak when wet. If you happen to break a sweat, and they rub as you walk, that’s enough to cause damage. A joy to wear, but if you are heavy on trousers it’s a bad idea. Ask your doctor if lightweight Italian flannel is right for you.

Loro Piana: Dark Blue Twill Flannel



These are the trousers from my flannel suit. Another lightweight (6 oz) Italian flannel. Great soft hand, rich colour (a bit darker than the photo, but certainly a dark blue rather than a navy). Not cheap, but a really luxurious cloth. Smooth, rather than spongy. Since it’s a twill rather than an open weave, it should be more robust than the herringbone tweed (I hope…).

Minnis Flannel

Heavy (14oz) English flannel. No fooling around. Heavy, pricey, luxurious, and still made in Huddersfield. If you can tolerate the heat and the cost, this is the way to go.

The perfect winter fabric. (EM)

Choco Brown Needle Cord 20 Wale



Coarse cords have a tendency to bag, and in the UK they can look like gentleman farmer costume. I like the finer 20 wale cords since they’re a bit more modern. This pair are a rich brown colour, and hold up well to wear and machine washing. Good value.

Beige Brown Corduroy

The cloth is extremely soft and the color is a very nice dusty mushroomy beige. It will slide in easily as winter khakis. Beware though, that they do have a certain archaeology professor-vibe to them. Great value at $90. (CR)



Olive Green Moleskin



Another great winter fabric. The olive green is a great deep shade, and also cheaper than some of the other colours for some reason. Cotton moleskin is less dense than wool flannel and smarter than cords, but comfortable and easy to wash. My pair tore at the fork after I wore them to death over a couple of years (hence the old photo) but nonetheless a strong recommend.

Credits

I hope there’s something for every need and price point, but let me know in the comments if there are other recommendations you would like, or if you have any of your own.

Contributed reviews and photos are used with the kind permission of the following members of Styleforum:

HML — H.M. Larsson

JA — J. Andersson

SC — SimonC

CP — Clapeyron

CR — CDRiis

PT — patliean1, @the_outfitter

BB — Bookbrother

EM – emptym

PO *** Paddy, Luxire employee.