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My new vintage-y trousers

skyvue

Call Me a Cab
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2,221
Location
New York City
I'm always on the lookout for vintage trousers, but given that they can be a bit hard to fine and pricey, I also keep my eye out for contemporary trousers that have a certain vintage flair. My workplace is a casual one and my budget doesn't allow for fancy clothes, but I like to have a few pairs of comfortable, vintage-y pants to wear in lieu of jeans (especially given that virtually all my sportshirts are vintage, dating from the late 1940s to the early '60s).

I tend to wear those straight-hemmed shirts untucked, so the rise of my trousers doesn't really matter so much, but I prefer a high waist. Which means, of course, it can be tricky to find modern trousers that fit the bill. But I found some yesterday that I like so much, I thought I'd share the news here.

They're not fancy or of a fine material, but they suit me to a T for daily casual wear. The brand is Louis Raphael and the particular line I bought is "Mario." I don't know if LR's other lines are cut the same way or not, but I sure do like this particular pair of pants.

As you can sort of see below (sorry about the awful camera-phone photo--I'll try to get a better one later), they've got a nice high waist and, I think, a nice-looking drape to them. They look like high-waters in that photo, but they are not. In fact, the 30-inch inseam has just the tiniest bit of break on me. The belt loops aren't dropped or anything, so they're not perfect, but they do nicely for my purposes.

This particular pair is 100% polyester, which would normally send me running in the opposite direction, but the feel of the fabric is kind of nice, like a rayon gabardine or something similar. I bought them at a TJ Maxx for just twenty bucks, and at that price, I consider them a steal. I'm going to be on the lookout for more of them.

louisraphael.jpg
 

skyvue

Call Me a Cab
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2,221
Location
New York City
Jerekson said:
Those look pretty darn nice to me. How are the legs?

Not sure what you mean. They're pretty full cut, if that's what you're asking. I've not measure the width at the cuff, but I can do so, if you like.
 

skyvue

Call Me a Cab
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2,221
Location
New York City
I'll measure again when I get home, but a quick measure here using a metal tape measure (not the ideal way to go, of course) says they're 10 inches in width.
 

skyvue

Call Me a Cab
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2,221
Location
New York City
Check that -- they're just under 9.75 inches wide at the cuff.

I bought some more LR trousers on my lunch hour just now, at Filene's Basement this time. These are 55% linen, 45% viscose, are part of a line called Rosso, and seem to be cut along the same lines as the Mario line (they might be a just smidge lower in the rise than the Mario pair I touted above, but I could be wrong about that -- they're very close, in any case).

$30 a pair.

I might not wear jeans again for months.
 

markfleser

New in Town
Messages
6
Location
Michigan
I've got a pair almost exactly like that, I wore them today in fact, they don't list a "model" name the label just says Louis Raphael Tailored. Got them at Burlington Coat Factory for $30 (I had a 10% off coupon so they were actually 27). They go great with a blue or black blazer.
 

The Wingnut

One Too Many
Messages
1,711
Location
.
I've had several of the Braggi line since 2003 and they've been mistaken numerous times for vintage...I only wish they'd use heavier fabric. They're very well-made otherwise, check out the features section on their site.
 

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