Where to find high waisted pants for under $75

[Metatron]

1930s-1940s trousers and 100% polyester are a bit of an oxymoron...
You can have the right cut but it won't have the right texture, color or feel... best to focus on quality.
Before you know it you will have wasted a decent amount of time and money on 'almost but not quites' when you could have got something spot on for a bit more.

 

[LuvMyMan]

1930s-1940s trousers and 100% polyester are a bit of an oxymoron...
You can have the right cut but it won't have the right texture, color or feel... best to focus on quality.
Before you know it you will have wasted a decent amount of time and money on 'almost but not quites' when you could have got something spot on for a bit more.

You sure have that right....pants made from plastic have tons of static in them....feel like it too. Light wool, wool blend, silk, silk blend, cotton or cotton blend is where the material content should be.

 

[LuvMyMan]

Ohhh, I think I get it now.

Usually TFL attracts a weird kind of guy who is stubbornly obsessed with one thing or another ask for "help" but rejects any tips or advice. That guy is pretty much hopeless.

Retro Spectator, you are not that guy!

From what I can tell, it sounds like you are new to the classic style game. Sounds like you are a young guy and are just within the first few miles of embarking on this journey. if I am wrong then sue me, but this is what it sounds like. So here is some advice.

Focus on Wool Dress Trousers
Forget about khakis. If you want khakis get flat front straight legged military khakis, and only wears those with something you would wear with a pair of jeans like a t-shirt, sweater, pendleton, sneakers or boots. In the vintage world, khakis scream "work" or "sports" wear.

On the other hand woolen dress trousers will give you the look you are going for. Yes, they need to be dry cleaned, but you don't need to dry clean them after every time you wear them, only as needed. You can dress them up with a shirt and tie, or dress them down with something more casual like a hawaiian shirt or a camp shirt. Plus, as others have said, you have infinitely more choices available to you on the repro market.

Plus, you can justify the extra cost to your folks by explaining how crucial a reliable pair of dress pants are for a young guy like yourself (job interviews, dates, weddings, funerals, etc).

Don't Write Off Used or Vintage
There was a long-time poster here on the Lounge named Hemingway Jones who wore only deadstock vintage or reproduction vintage because he had an aversion to wearing used clothing, especially things like shirts that directly touched the skin of its previous owner. Unless you have a similar aversion, I recommend haunting the local thrift stores with a keen eye for Ralph Lauren slacks or vintage slacks that are your size.

Honestly, at this point in your journey, it does not sound like you have a strong grasp of what to look for and what elements are necessary to give you the vintage look you desire. The only way you can find that out for yourself is by handling and wearing different vintage styles in order to compare and make up your mind. For example, do you prefer the style elements most closely associated with the '20s (slim and trim) the '30s (straight from the knee down) wartime '40s (full pleats, subtle taper) or 1950s (peg topped)? Knowing this will help you narrow and focus your search.

Patience
Some of us have been at this a long time, and still haven't found our holy grail slacks. Take your time, look out for steals and deals, save up your money, and you will find your slacks.

Good luck out there, and enjoy!

This is the best advice given and not just for pants,but any clothing items or accessories like ties, socks, belts, cuff links, tie tacks, hats.

For some searching becomes an interesting journey all on it's own. To actually score something you have been searching for, well, what a good feeling that gives you. I search all the time for myself, and my Husband.
You can even learn about things just from seeing items when you do search!

 

[The Good]

I think I found a suit with pants that have a higher than average waist on Amazon. While I am not interested in purchasing this specific suit, I wonder if this is a sign that there is a change in rises. The colors however, are horrible.

I have a suggestion that could help you. If you are interested in a suit, I have found that the rises in the Jos. A Bank's suits, even of the slim fit which I own, are pretty high. The slim fit suits are advertised as having their lowest rise, but my pants reach the navel, or the belly button when worn highest (And comfortably so). I can only assume that their tailored fit and their traditional fit suit trousers are higher than mine. Jos. A Bank's has frequent sales, as well, which often cuts the price in half, more or less, even for wool suits (Also, they do not feel absolutely thin, either). You can order the pants and jacket separately, although I wouldn't buy there at full price.

 

[Retro Spectator]

I am in need of a suit (the only one I currently have, I am ashamed to say, is a grey polyester sharkskin suit), so I guess if I get one I should check out Joseph A. Bank. There is one in a nearby town, so I don't need to get it online.

 

[Retro Spectator]

I wore the Aris Allen pants for a week in Cape Cod. They are very comfortable, and are also very breathable. They seem pretty sturdy, after golfing in them, and getting them soaked while running for cover for about 10 minutes by hurricane Arthur. I unfortunately forgot to bring my raincoat, so they got extra soaked. They did not shrink, or get any damage at all. I will post pictures of them tomorrow.

 

[Retro Spectator]

 

[jdbenson]

I have a suggestion that could help you. If you are interested in a suit, I have found that the rises in the Jos. A Bank's suits, even of the slim fit which I own, are pretty high. The slim fit suits are advertised as having their lowest rise, but my pants reach the navel, or the belly button when worn highest (And comfortably so). I can only assume that their tailored fit and their traditional fit suit trousers are higher than mine. Jos. A Bank's has frequent sales, as well, which often cuts the price in half, more or less, even for wool suits (Also, they do not feel absolutely thin, either). You can order the pants and jacket separately, although I wouldn't buy there at full price.

Yes, Jos A Bank trousers are all pretty high rise. You can usually find them on sale for a resonable price.

 

[fashion frank]

I am in need of a suit (the only one I currently have, I am ashamed to say, is a grey polyester sharkskin suit), so I guess if I get one I should check out Joseph A. Bank. There is one in a nearby town, so I don't need to get it online.

I have bought over a dozen suits from them they are ok for the money , but wait till they have one of there " buy one ,get two "free " before pulling the trigger.
Also if you are into vintage I don't know if they are in your area but seeing how your only one state away , try Savers thrift stores.
I have bought at least 12 or 13 suits there all vintage .
Now mind you I had to have all of them tailored a bit ( I have a super tailor) but most of the suits that I bought there were like $ 12 or $ 15 bucks top .

If you scroll back thru my post's you will see some of them .
I bought two seersucker suits from JAB one a 3 button down and another one double breasted.
Hope this helps you out and feel free to pm me with any questions .

All the Best ,Fashion Frank
P.S. Are you going to the 1920's lawn party in a few weeks up in Mass.?

 

[fashion frank]

I got my pants too. They seem very nice for the price. I can't post pictures yet, as I am unable to wear them (they need to be hemmed and cuffed). Although they are polyester, they don't feel weak, or light. They are actually kind of heavy, and they seem pretty tough. They can be washed in a washing machine on hand wash mode.

Thanks to Resortes's advice, I got the late 1940's fashion book. It has plenty of pictures, and I find it useful.

While your at it in the "spectator shoes " thread that you have been posting in look at post #1043 and download that FREE fashion book on that web site all in color and its for the 30's decade, I did and its awesome .

All the Best , Fashion Frank

 

[Retro Spectator]

I have bought over a dozen suits from them they are ok for the money , but wait till they have one of there " buy one ,get two "free " before pulling the trigger.
Also if you are into vintage I don't know if they are in your area but seeing how your only one state away , try Savers thrift stores.
I have bought at least 12 or 13 suits there all vintage .
Now mind you I had to have all of them tailored a bit ( I have a super tailor) but most of the suits that I bought there were like $ 12 or $ 15 bucks top .

If you scroll back thru my post's you will see some of them .
I bought two seersucker suits from JAB one a 3 button down and another one double breasted.
Hope this helps you out and feel free to pm me with any questions .

All the Best ,Fashion Frank
P.S. Are you going to the 1920's lawn party in a few weeks up in Mass.?

I don't believe that there are any thrift stores near my town at all. Where I live is pretty much countryside, unless I drive 30 minutes away.

I am afraid I will not be able to go to any events anytime soon. Once I turn 18 I will probably go to some events though.

 

[fashion frank]

I don't believe that there are any thrift stores near my town at all. Where I live is pretty much countryside, unless I drive 30 minutes away.

I am afraid I will not be able to go to any events anytime soon. Once I turn 18 I will probably go to some events though.

Sorry to hear that on both counts, but you have plenty of time ahead of you. !

All the Best ,Fashion Frank

 

[Retro Spectator]

Neither matter much, I turn 18 next year, and if I can manage to find a job (I refuse to do online applications), I will probably get a car. If I had my own car, I would be willing to drive 30 minutes to a thrift store.

 

[Christopher Scoggins]

Neither matter much, I turn 18 next year, and if I can manage to find a job (I refuse to do online applications), I will probably get a car. If I had my own car, I would be willing to drive 30 minutes to a thrift store.

How "rural" are you? (I mean location-wise, not culturally) You might want to try checking online for nearby estate sales. My parents got into the estate sales as a way to furnish the house on the cheap. (They succeeded) I usually tag along in hopes of finding something nice. The price are comparable to thrift or better, usually. Sadly, for me, most of the suburban development happened in the 70's and 80's, thus... To make matters worse, I am a very slender person, I rarely find clothes that fit me, even in department stores! But I digress. The point is, give estate sales a try. There will probably be one close by sooner or later. Also, internet hive-five to my fellow 17-year-old!

 

[Retro Spectator]

It's not midwest style rural, and it's not hillbilly style rural either, more like suburban/slight hillbilly rural. There is a downtown, and a few small malls. I am near a small city, but the small city is kind of a slum. An estate sale would be a possibility. There are churches in my town, and I do think some have thrift stores, but I don't know if church thrift shops have as much as Goodwill. I never went to them though, so I could be mistaken (never went to Goodwill either, since there are none near me).

 

[dh66]

I think it's awesome that you two guys are interested in dressing vintage. Your posts a bout thrift store a got me thinking, and a little sad. It's been 30 years since I was 17, and discovering how cool fashions from the fifties were, and back then the thrift stores were full of cool stuff, only back then I guess it was just old, not vintage yet. I used to find cool stuff nearly every time I went in one, old suits, tons of ties, I really was into wild looking cowboy shirts and bowling shirts back then, but liked to dress up in cool suits too sometimes. It makes me pretty sad that now days it's near impossible to find good stuff in the thifts. It's even getting hard to find the stuff I like (50s & 40s) at the vintage shops, the ones around here must cater to the 70s loving crowd. When I do find decent vintage anymore it's usually waaayy expensive .
I think the hard lack of good vintage stuff at the thrift stores hampers a lot of young people who might otherwise like to dress vintage. I know when I was 17 I couldn't have paid top dollar vintage store prices for cool looking clothes.
Best of luck to both of you finding stuff out there.

 

[Retro Spectator]

You know, I wonder if I could find a thrift store around me, they might have a higher change to have 40's and 50's stuff. Why? Theoretically because where I live is the countryside, and less people would go to shop there. I could be wrong though.

 

[dh66]

I would think you would need to live in an area with a significant older population, and by that I mean much older, because many of today's retirees were yesterday's hippies, and when they slip this mortal coil their estates sure ain't gonna be full of zoot suits, and all the wide ties will all be the polyester kind from the 70s.

 

[Christopher Scoggins]

I would think you would need to live in an area with a significant older population, and by that I mean much older, because many of today's retirees were yesterday's hippies, and when they slip this mortal coil their estates sure ain't gonna be full of zoot suits, and all the wide ties will all be the polyester kind from the 70s.

Truth. I hardly ever find decent stuff in estate sales, but ya gotta keep trying, ya know? Thankfully, there's a nearby thrift store that occasionally has some good 50's stuff. I once saw a very fifties light blue suit there, and I recently picked up a (I think) late 50's tweed jacket from there. I posted some pictures of that one in the tweed thread. However, I have the benefit of living in the seventh largest city in the U.S., our friend in Connecticut doesn't have that luxury. Good luck, Mr. Spectator, and godspeed!

 

[theoldnorthwest]

You know, I wonder if I could find a thrift store around me, they might have a higher change to have 40's and 50's stuff. Why? Theoretically because where I live is the countryside, and less people would go to shop there. I could be wrong though.

I have been an avid collector of vintage clothes and hats for a while now and can tell you that your best bet for vintage from the 40s and 50s is definitely online, either eBay and etsy, or an online store that specializes in stuff from that era. Thrift stores carry mostly junk, you may on a very rare occasion find a decent old hat or pair of shoes but the odds of finding anything on a consistent basis are not good. As was mentioned above most "vintage clothes" stores carry primarily stuff from the 70s, 80s and even 90s is considered vintage in the hipster world which is who those stores main customers are. There are a couple of really nice vintage stores on the west coast my favorite vintage store La Rosa is in San Francisco and there are a couple in LA and two that I know of in NYC, Star Struck Vintage and Family Jewels Vintage are both in Manhattan and carry a decent amount of 40s and 50s items. However your best bet these days is definitely eBay.