Why are black trousers so unpopular?

[sproily]

Ah, well, in that case I agree.

I haven't seen one Finnish gabardine suit.

Some trousers, but no jackets or suits.

 

[kaiser]

I wear black trousers as a standard business wear. The work with almost anything in my opinion. What I do not wear is a black suit. Here is Germany a black suit is standard for funerals, and not al that common for business wear.

 

[Guttersnipe]

I too wear black trousers for standard business wear. They are so damned versatile, I don't know why anyone would not want to see them considered not acceptable! I find I can literally match my black trousers with EVERY other item in my work wardrobe except the jacket of my navy suit.

As for all black suits, I've heard that such suits were (and are) considered a little gouche because they were associated with people who worked in service, especially in England. Maybe that's it?

I know I avoid gray trousers and navy blazers purposely because the are the defacto uniform of office building personell for the same reason.

 

[Edward]

In the absence of conclusive evidence, I tend to speculate that it's more whim and influential opinion than anything. Sure, we can all talk about "rules" for clothes on here, but for the most part we are people who can afford to collect large wardrobes. As I understand it, most average, working class guys back in the day had maybe one or two suits (which they wore to death), and would not have had a black suit for funerals, black tie, tweed shooting breeks, and the rest (jinkies, especially not the latter on this side of the Atlantic, where hunting has long been the preserve of the Upper Classes). As an aside, in my early twenties my mother once asked me not to wear a black suit I then owned to my grandfather's funeral as it was "too funerary". And that was in Ireland, where we really do funerary.

Yes, it started on the menswear forums (which influence mags and guides) where there is a general dislike for wearing black suits (except for funerals), black odd trousers (waiter wear) and to a certain degree black shoes (boring and unattractive). It's simply a case where the personal preference of a few members (often prominent) becomes the mantra of the less knowledgeable members before finally attaining Rule status.

Yes, and at that quite often those members' prominence seems to be largely down to simple obnoxiousness. I've browsed a number of the menswear sites out there. The modern-oriented ones (in other words, not the ones that aren't dominated by ex-Fedora Lounge members who want to snipe about how they're far too cool for the squares on here ) do seem to be entirely based on some person or other's obsessive self-belief that their opinions are objective fact.

Black odd trousers, now. Last time I wore odd black trousers was with a baby blue 1930s sportscoat. The coat is sooo light blue that the only way to work with it is total contrast.

bk

That would work. I'm also a big fan of navy blue trews with a baby blue jacket, a la Elvis.

 

[repeatclicks]

I have a confession to make, and I'm not proud of it.

When I was 18, I went into a Salvation Army thrift store in Glendale, California, and spotted an early 1950s double-breasted suit in jet black, drapey, smooth-finish wool gabardine. The trousers had a high Hollywood waist, very wide legs, and somewhat pegged bottoms. The suit was in perfect condition, about a size 40. The tagged price was $25, a lot for the Salvation Army thrifts back then.

I didn't have enough money for the suit, and was too young and stupid to fully appreciate it anyway. So ... I took the pants off the hanger and bought them alone. Yes, I separated the suit.

Had the pants for years, and always felt guilty about it. I should have donated them back to the thrift store, but instead I traded 'em.

To this day, I regret what I did ... and dream about that damned suit.

Marc, I think a lot of people did a lot of stuff with vintage they regret.

Back in the 80s, friends much older than I used to shop at a place over here in London called Flip in Covent Garden. They would get bale upon bale of rare 1940s Hawaiians and 1950s shirts, trousers, etc in from America. One friend of mine was a picker for Flip and used to stack his pile miles high. They said they used to absolutely thrash their clothes going to clubs and working on cars, as the shirts were only a few quid. They smack themselves in the forehead for that today!

 

[repeatclicks]

P.S. Marc - My friends black gabardine suit is early-mid 50s two button, single breasted, ventless, with patch pockets. The lapels are rounded, not peaked and just have that right width that screams early 50s.

It has this killer detail of tiny brown ticking on the lapels, and one grand, but small feature. The keyhole button hole stitching for the top button is black, but the bottom button hole is stitched with brown, because you never button that one.

HOW COOL IS THAT!?