Khakis - which ones?

[Daoud]

This may sound crazy, but I recently bought three pair of American Eagle chinos on eBay, and they are VERY reminiscent of the old military chinos. The fabric is a bit softer than I recall but the fit(very full-cut) and pocket placement is very close. I have no idea how much they cost at an American Eagle store, as I don't hang out at the mall, but I can't imagine it would be over $30.00 or so. Just a bit of a lower-cost alternative.

 

[Talbot]

I picked up a great pair of chinos from the local thrift store. High rise with straighth side pocket and button fly. Name was Cremieux.

Probably a designer brand, but nice dacks just the same.

There are a few on ebay

Talbot

 

[Ryan]

how does the long rise on Eddie Bauers compare to that on originals WW2 M1 khakis? I like a REALLY long rise - like past the navel - but also like pleated pants, which M1's don't have.

I don't know how they are to M1's. The ones I have are relaxed fit with pleats. For me they are above my navel. I wonder if you call them, could they tell you the rise.

 

[jph712]

I picked up a great pair of chinos from the local thrift store. High rise with straighth side pocket and button fly. Name was Cremieux.

Probably a designer brand, but nice dacks just the same.

There are a few on ebay

Talbot

Cremieux is a Dillards Department Store house brand. Dillards is located mostly in the South Eastern US with a some in the Southwest and Western US. It would be interesting to see how they got to Australia wouldn't it?

 

[Talbot]

Cremieux is a Dillards Department Store house brand. Dillards is located mostly in the South Eastern US with a some in the Southwest and Western US. It would be interesting to see how they got to Australia wouldn't it?

Thanks for the info. Nice chino's.

No mystery, I got them in a thrift store in Mansfield TX for $1

I think the button fly was what got me. I'll be back in Jan, so will be looking about.

Cheers

Talbot

 

[Mr. Rover]

I picked up some "Selvage Khakis" by Lincs at a local Marshalls earlier this month. Well made, nice color, and not too wrinkly out of the wash. About $20.

No info on the net about the company, alas...

My uncle owns Lincs- small world, eh?

 

[Trotsky]

I picked up a great pair of chinos from the local thrift store. High rise with straighth side pocket and button fly. Name was Cremieux.

Probably a designer brand, but nice dacks just the same.

There are a few on ebay

Talbot

Funny Story: I bought a pair of these on sale. When I got them, I was REALLY happy. Button fly, on seam pockets, all the features I was looking for, and on sale, and in my size.

Get them home, get plastered, because I could, my wife gets home. I hear her say something about my new khakis. And we get into an argument.


Apparently the pants were and are some form of Mint Green, not Khaki. I'm partially color blind and never realized it. I still wear them. But damnitt, they don't go with anything in my wardrobe.

 

[MisterGrey]

For my fellow bargain-basement dwellers:

I echo the advice given earlier in this thread that Target's khakis are pretty crummy. They wear out very quickly, in some very inconvenient places, I might add.

Believe it or not, Wal-Mart's "Puritan" brand khakis are much more durable than Target's. They, too, will wear down on you, but it takes much longer-- working as a waiter, it takes about 4-6 months for a pair to get warped. They'd probably last me a year if I just used them for every day use.

If your budget permits a little more leeway (read: In the $20 range as opposed to the teens), Sears offers some excellent choices in a variety of brands, including Dockers, which you can often snag in the 20s-range if you hit them on the right day. I got a pair of "Covington" brand a few years ago for about $20, and they were well on their way to lasting me forever until I lost some weight. Now my dad's wearing them. Good, thick-yet-breathable fabric and durable stitching.

 

[BruceTracy]

Lands' End has an online program where you can order "custom" khakis and corduroy trousers (you can choose from both even and odd waist sizes, short, regular or long rise, flat front or double reverse (outward-facing) pleats, and plain hem, cuffed, or (I think maybe) unfinished bottoms)
Here's a link:

http://www.landsend.com/ix/mens-clo...1&store=le&sort=Recommended&pageSize=12&tab=1


I'm 5'8'' and have about a 31 inch inseam (I think) and wear a 31 or 32 waist size in dress trousers. I was thinking of maybe going this route and ordering through Lands' End and getting khakis with a long rise, double pleases and a 32 inch waist, then, once they arrive, have suspender buttons sewn into the waistband. What do you think? I've always like wearing my pants rather high and as a comfort thing, and that's a big part of what attracted me (as well Batman and the Shadow) to the 40's look. From watching Batman: the Animated Series I gained a particular fondness for Double breasted suits. I've only owned one suit in my life ( Right now I only wear a blazer and that is usually only when I dress up for synagogue.) Interestingly my sole suit wich I spoke of was my Bar Mitzvah suit, which I picked out myself at Nordstrom. The suit was a charcoal pinstripe double breasted from the boys' department, as at 13 I was rather small for my age. I also picked a pair o velcro strap Kenneth Cole pseudo-monk straps that I wore with it. However, after my BarMitzvah, I grew and cwas never able to wear that fantastic suit again . Sorry for rambling on lke this I just wanted to share that information with the members of these forums, as I thought they might find it interesting that I had an interest and (somewhat) eye for Golden Era styled clothing from a pretty young age. I also never really gave myself any kind of significant introduction on these forums. I welcome and rather encourage replies to this message. Thanks.

 

[BruceTracy]

Bump

 

[Lincsong]

I bought a pair of high waisted khaki's from Eddie Bauer and the darn things shrank and kept shrinking. They're now either high waisted with high water legs or low waisted.

 

[Sefton]

I just received my new pair of Bills in the mail today. Usually I buy the full cut WWII (MI plain front) version, but this time I decided to try their trim fit model (M3) instead. It's still WWII, it's just that it's the Steve McQueen version of WWII!

Sorry to hear about the Eddie Bauer khakis. I hope they didn't set you back too much.

 

[Sefton]

After sleeping on it I've decided to exchange the trim fit M3 Bills for the slightly fuller M2. The M3 fit great everytwhere except in the crotch. Not tight really...just wrong (as in an unseemly appearance if you fellows get my drift.). It always seems that modern manufacturers can't make a trim fitting pair of trousers that have the right cut in that certain critical area...

 

[vintage68]

+1 for Bill's Khakis. I prefer the Bullard Field Pant, which is a heavier weight. Get the W2 which is 1" less full, NOT a "trim" fit by any means and just right.

You'll pay more upfront of course, but they wear better and last much longer. You always end up paying more for the cheap stuff.

 

[Lincsong]

Sorry to hear about the Eddie Bauer khakis. I hope they didn't set you back too much.

Nah, I only paid $28 for them. Oh, well, win some lose some.[huh]

 

[Doublegun]

You may as well take a look at Orvis while you're at it.

http://www.orvis.com/store/productc...885&group_id=898&cat_id=11203&subcat_id=11204

I have purchased several pair of these Khakis and I really like the look and fit (although the damn buttons are often lose). They look and feel EXACTLY like the khakis my dad brought home after WWII. I also have a couple of pairs of Bills and I'd take the Orvis (at half the price) any day over Bills.

 

[Doug C]

Are you maybe talking about a different version than was linked, because the ones that were linked are more like a mid '60s military khaki than a WWII model, with the on-seam pockets and zipper.
Doug C

 

[kschurch]

Give us a look.

All the khakis mentioned in this thread are excellent, but we have sold our khakis and cargos to several members in the Lounge and they all have high praise for them. We may just have the fit you're looking for.

Please check out our website at www.pircargos.com or check previous posts in this thread. We have a liberal return policy and I'll offer 15% off to all Lounge members using discount code PIRFL.

Give us a look.

Thanks,

Kevin

 

[Daoud]

I'm curious-where are these fine trousers made? I'm not seeing any info about that in amongst all the WWII hoorah. And is it really the case that the largest waist size available is a 40?

 

[chanteuseCarey]

boys suit at Nordys...

Hello Bruce, great story you've shared here. Thanks! I'll share your story with our son.

Last fall, I was looking for a nice blazer and dress slacks for our then 12yo son, and Nordstrom I was told was the BEST place to go for boys dress clothes. This was after being frustrated with the minimal offerings at Kohl's and Sears. I went to Nordys- practically the only place I shop these days for myself for new clothes, other than the RL Chaps line at Kohl's. There is a saleswoman in the boys dept at my local Nordys that has been there for 16 years now. She took our skinny butt little guy and found him wonderful slacks, blazers and dress shirts and ties. Our son is thrilled and so are my husband and I!

We've just started getting into vintage clothing as a family (our daughter is 14-3/4yo). Our now 12-3/4 yo son announced to me several few weeks back that he "wants an Art Deco wardrobe now". He is a Fred Astaire wannabe. The primary vintage dealers that we work with (a husband and wife team), the husband started getting into vintage clothing when he was 16. He specializes in vintage men's suits and WWII uniforms. His wife found a WWII navy shirt for our son (I carefully took up the sleeve length under the cuff with not cutting it)- its his favorite! Our son is quite the dandy already, mama is proud to say...
Here are a couple of pics of him in what he wore to a recent Art Deco event in Yosemite. The first is of Daniel in his WWII sailor shirt posing with other gents in their WWII Navy dress, the next was his DB rental for the black tie Gala Dinner:

This pic was at the white tie Grand Ball the next night- his mauve carnation was snitched from a floral arrangement in the hotel. He didn't have a top hat, but the men all wanted him in the pic, so the shorter gentlemen behind him, loaned him his for the photo!

BTW, he does have a top hat now, at the recent Vintage Fashion Expo in SF we picked him up a beaver opera hat to wear with his tails.

Interestingly my sole suit which I spoke of was my Bar Mitzvah suit, which I picked out myself at Nordstrom. The suit was a charcoal pinstripe double breasted from the boys' department, as at 13 I was rather small for my age. However, after my BarMitzvah, I grew and was never able to wear that fantastic suit again :as I thought they might find it interesting that I had an interest and (somewhat) eye for Golden Era styled clothing from a pretty young age. I also never really gave myself any kind of significant introduction on these forums. I welcome and rather encourage replies to this message. Thanks.