[never behind]

I’m considering my first pair of linen trousers. Since work has become more casual (most people wear jeans or khakis now), I don’t think linen is an issue. I was planning on a “dress pant”, like you would find at O’Connell’s. If I do a pleated/cuffed, natural/cream colored linen, can I also wear that casually? Say with a madras or cotton/linen blend button-up, or even a polo? I’d like to pull double duty, if I can.

 

[Charles Dana]

I’m considering my first pair of linen trousers. Since work has become more casual (most people wear jeans or khakis now), I don’t think linen is an issue. I was planning on a “dress pant”, like you would find at O’Connell’s. If I do a pleated/cuffed, natural/cream colored linen, can I also wear that casually? Say with a madras or cotton/linen blend button-up, or even a polo? I’d like to pull double duty, if I can.

Yes, you certainly can.

 

[John inSC]

Can’t go wrong with any of O’connells Delave linen — they feel great and wear well. It appears a lot of their new stock is slowly being replaced by a maker in Canada, assuming it’s Samuelsohn; the quality and fit is exactly how their Hertling trousers are.

 

[William Kazak]

I would stick with linen shirts. Linen pants can look rather frumpy quickly. I like linen long sleeved shirts especially. Reserve the linen trouser for a special event not for full days of work. IMHO.

 

[drpeter]

I’m considering my first pair of linen trousers. Since work has become more casual (most people wear jeans or khakis now), I don’t think linen is an issue. I was planning on a “dress pant”, like you would find at O’Connell’s. If I do a pleated/cuffed, natural/cream colored linen, can I also wear that casually? Say with a madras or cotton/linen blend button-up, or even a polo? I’d like to pull double duty, if I can.

One solution to the old problem of linen getting to look crumpled is to have a cotton/linen mixture as the material for trousers, shirts or jackets. It will still wrinkle but would look less disheveled.

 

[Oldsarge]

LOL, at my age disheveled is an upgrade.

 

[never behind]

One solution to the old problem of linen getting to look crumpled is to have a cotton/linen mixture as the material for trousers, shirts or jackets. It will still wrinkle but would look less disheveled.

I have two pair of cotton/linen blend trousers from BB. They are casual pants. I also have a few shirts in a blend. They all work nicely in the summer. Here I was looking to go all-in on an unlined linen trouser for July/August heat!

 

[drpeter]

I have two pair of cotton/linen blend trousers from BB. They are casual pants. I also have a few shirts in a blend. They all work nicely in the summer. Here I was looking to go all-in on an unlined linen trouser for July/August heat!

If it's just for a couple of months, could you get by with shorts? Unless being at work requires that you wear trousers.

 

[never behind]

If it's just for a couple of months, could you get by with shorts? Unless being at work requires that you wear trousers.

I can’t go that casual. This is more, “I don’t have a pair of linen trousers.” I can easily go tropical wool but was considering something that could go casual, too. Work has loosened up enough that I can do linen now.

 

[Charles Dana]

I can’t go that casual. This is more, “I don’t have a pair of linen trousers.” I can easily go tropical wool but was considering something that could go casual, too. Work has loosened up enough that I can do linen now.

Wear the linen trousers. If your workplace is casual enough so that most of your co-workers wear jeans and khakis—as you mentioned in your opening remarks—the wrinkles in the linen trousers won’t matter.

 

[drpeter]

I agree with Charles. Given your work situation, a few wrinkles on your linen trousers can be labelled a touch of sprezzatura!

 

[Troones]

Linen has such a cooling effect. Wearing a linen jacket on a hot day keeps you cooler than being in a t-shirt. Linen trousers sound like a great idea. Furthermore, linen is expected to wrinkle. I think most people, regardless of how into clothing they are, can tell the difference between classic fine wrinkles in a linen garment vs. a wrinkled cotton shirt picked up off the floor.

 

[tailored ignorance]

After years of experience wearing and loving linen, I learned the following:

If hot weather drives your desire for linen, do not buy a lined linen garment. The lining will increase the heat regardless of how natural, partial or thin. Likewise, heavy weight linen is not cool and comfortable in hot weather. Neither heavy weight linen nor a lining can help to minimize wrinkles.

When wrinkled, the only thing other folks notice are the wrinkles, not the quality of the fabric or it's inherent nature.

The Dry Cleaner's skill with pressing linen is the only thing that makes other folks admire a linen garment.

 

[never behind]

Well I am in on linen. Ordered a pair and did have them unlined. They’ll show up in a WAYWT thread soon!

 

[peterc]

I have always liked linen. My first pair of linen trousers was a pair of mocha brown forward pleated Calvin Klein linen trousers. I think they were made in Hong Kong, which is a little unusual since in those days, 1977-1982, CK men's tailored clothing was made in France. Can you imagine? Made in France. We didn't know how lucky we were.

I think Polo does linen best but that is because I like side tabs.

 

[never behind]

I have always liked linen. My first pair of linen trousers was a pair of mocha brown forward pleated Calvin Klein linen trousers. I think they were made in Hong Kong, which is a little unusual since in those days, 1977-1982, CK men's tailored clothing was made in France. Can you imagine? Made in France. We didn't know how lucky we were.

I think Polo does linen best but that is because I like side tabs.

I did get side tabs, too.

 

[drpeter]

I think they were made in Hong Kong, which is a little unusual since in those days, 1977-1982, CK men's tailored clothing was made in France. Can you imagine? Made in France. We didn't know how lucky we were.

I have to disagree if the implication is that French-made clothing was always superior to Hong Kong-made clothing. I have owned, and still possess, numerous articles of clothing made in Hong Kong over the decades, from companies like Brooks Brothers during their heyday. The quality of these items is excellent. Hong Kong also has very good tailors who cater to those who want bespoke clothing. Likewise, Malaysian-made clothing is also of excellent quality and wear well -- I know this from owning Brooks Brothers' OCBD shirts made in that country.

In general, over the years, manufacturing in Asia has shown great improvement, mainly because of two reasons: Finding skilled tailors and craftsmen who are able to adhere to standards set by the companies who outsource manufacturing, and paying them a decent wage. There are London firms (like Whitcomb and Shaftesbury, for example) that are now getting MTM and custom clothing made in India, with fine tailors who are trained to create pieces that maintain the standards of those firms. Conversely, when companies have sought to make clothing that costs very little, and they pay low wages, they end up with workers who are not very skilled at making good clothes.

 

[Prisoner of Zendaline]

I've had pure linen. I've had linen & cotton. I've had linen, cotton and silk. And there are other combinations I've probably forgotten. The only halfway-serviceable linen trousers I've owned, were from Luciano Barbera, in a Loro Piana 59% silk/41% linen. I don't think I just added any wrinkles, running upstairs to read their label. Pure linen, you wrinkle, just taking it off a hanger.

Linen trousers are inherently casual, no matter the color or the cut. They're for photoshoots, and for garden parties through which one quickly circulates without sitting down.