A Guide To Contemporary Men’s Trouser Lengths
The Secrets Of The Trouser Hem
There are few things more important in menswear than fit. Regular readers will be well aware of FashionBeans’ obsession with it, and any new visitors won’t be far behind. Alongside confidence, the way you wear your clothes and, of course, the garments themselves, fit makes the biggest impact on your personal style and any outfit you choose to put together.
In the most basic sense of the word, this relates to making sure that your clothes fit YOU perfectly – i.e. they are the correct length/width/size, as well as the right cut and style for your specific body type.
Yet fit relates just as much to alterations, which allow you to change the way something fits to make it completely unique to your personal style. These modifications can help turn the mundane into the exciting and will dramatically alter the overall aesthetic of any piece of clothing.
Trousers are an excellent case in point; even the most minor of adjustments to leg length can often be enough to separate your look from the crowd…
The Modern Suit Trouser
Few would argue against the suit being THE defining expression of menswear. More than anything else, a suit is the one thing we men can truly call our own.
It is also one of the only items that has clearly defined rules, particularly with regard to fit. Unlike casual trousers, shirts, t-shirts or coats, there is an accepted standard within suiting that creates a clear division between a suit that fits, and one that doesn’t.
Traditional tailoring guidelines dictate one break at the front of your suit trousers and straight down at the back, with the hems just brushing the top of the heel, ensuring that the trouser drapes properly and maintains its shape.
But with each passing year tailoring evolves. Reiss, Zara, Topman, HE by Mango and Suitsupply are just some of the labels producing contemporary suits that are identifiably more skinny, and often shorter, than the fuller cuts of eras past, meaning the old rules and guidelines are becoming less relevant and, in some cases, obsolete. Besides, rules are meant to be broken.
