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| Photos by Salt Water New England |
Corduroy trousers are an Autumn staple.
Some Suggestions from Comments:
I shared your blog with a group here, which then sparked a discussion about narrow wale vs. wide wale corduroys. (Comment)
What would you consider to be corduroy season? It probably varies from region to region, but I always figure October through April are safe. It roughly coincides with the time frame in which white pants are considered a no-no. (Comment)
I have an old, brilliant and terribly funny friend who lives in a house on the National Historic Register that has been in his family for generations. It’s filled with museum quality American furniture, well-worn orientals covered in dog hair, and a portrait of his great-grandfather painted by Winslow Homer. As he put it, ‘if the market crashes, there’s always the painting.’
He attended a boarding school in Massachusetts and speaks with the North Shore version of a Locust Valley lockjaw, learned no doubt at his mother’s knee. He has always driven Saabs, Volvos and Peugeots and still pays his Social Register dues every year. And yet……
My friend wears hand-hammered leather hats made by an ancient Rockport hippy, weird double breasted fuzzy sweaters knitted by yak herding women, clunky sandals from East-Block countries, and extra-thick wale corduroy pants that only a French mime would wear in public.
Sometimes my friend even sports a beret (I can barely type the word without my hands shaking).
(MGC)
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Photo by My Father
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I just can't stand small and medium wale cords--they're wimpy looking and lack the plushness and warmth that are cords' raison d'être. (Comment)
The association of corduroy and fall is so strong that I picked up this seasonal habit while growing up in Southern California, where the weather is far from what we'd call autumnal. (Comment)
I have always thought of 8 wale as wide wale, but that may not be technically correct. And I would be perfectly happy with a 10 wale. Most of what I find available for women is about a 14 wale, or what I refer to as pinwheel. (Comment)
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| Actor Sterling Hayden - Photo by My Father |
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| Actor Sterling Hayden, in his hunter green corduroys, heading to the boat on which he then lived. Actor Photo by My Father |
Ah yes, those sherbet-colored corduroys for gals...I remember them fondly. Always wide wale, sometimes with critters. (Comment)
8 wale tan cords from LL Bean.
ReplyDeleteCan you still get these from LLB?
DeleteNo
DeleteBen Silver
ReplyDeleteIf you don't want Cording's side adjusters, I suggest
ReplyDeleteOliver Brown of Chelsea - https://www.oliverbrown.org.uk/gentlemen/shop-by-product/trousers/heavyweight-corduroy-trousers#sthash.AizH1vLO.dpbs
Pakeman, Catto & Carter of Cirencester - http://www.pakeman.co.uk/product-category/trousers-corduroy/
Ratcatcher (Brisbane Moss) - http://www.charleswall.co.uk/mens-corduroy-trousers
Captain Currey at A Hume - https://www.ahume.co.uk/captain-currey-coloured-corduroys-p4
Oh, I do love those raspberry Cording's!
ReplyDeleteAnd I really, really miss MGC.
I miss his posts too.
DeleteNo where. All cords donated to thrift store long ago. Have corduroy collars on two thornproofs, that's all. And critter cords?!? Critters only allowed on ties, cufflinks (men) or scarves (women). And on ties, only birds (and only worn in season) or horses (although tack designs that imply horses are better). More leeway for the women and their scarves however.
ReplyDeleteI just love corduroy! As soon as arrives September or first cold, I love dress so, c'mon, nobody hates corduroy, it's so warm and comfortable!
ReplyDeleteI love corduroy too! True 100% cotton corduroy... I'm taking good care of my few pairs of narrow wale 100% cotton cord. I'll buy again when I find some without the added stretch. Wide wale is gorgeous and I love to seeing it, but we are all built differently and it has always been too noisy when I walk. I really love your entire outfit in that first photo, Muffy.
DeleteWhoa. Those fuchsia cords at Oliver Brown need to come with a warning.
ReplyDeleteCorduroys like cameras add 10 lbs to the wearer. I always found them "too" - too much texture, too much of a lint magnet, too bulky. Stopped wearing corduroys when I was 12, when I started to choose my clothes - purged a wide wale green pair of pants that was given to me (aversion for life). Guess you either love or hate'em.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I like the idea of them... in reality too bulky unless one is stick thin.
DeleteAlas, it's never been cold enough for me to wear them in the South but I do like the look of them. Here we have a very short hygge season.
DeleteLands' End and ... they've turned out quite well...
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly.
I have a closet full of LE cords.
DeleteOrvis used to sell beautiful, warm, cozy corduroy slacks/jeans for women. They dropped those a few years ago. They used to sell outstanding silk blouses for woman. No more. They even sold charming nightwear, lovely suits and skirts. No more. What's happened to them? Their womens' clothes are more appropriate for doing a little lumber jacking before heading to the local watering hole. They have dropped elegance in favor of supposed comfort. And they have gone from being my favorite place to shop to one I avoid. I suppose old timers would say they were a fly-fishing company in the first place and have returned to their roots. But that doesn't make me happy.
ReplyDeleteI prefer a 16 needle cord wale. As one commenter stated, we are all build differently, and another mentioned the addition of pounds like a camera. While I like corduroy, I seldom wear it, because it does not flatter me. I think it looks great on some individuals.
ReplyDeleteI have many pairs of Cordings cords in many colors. Some are wide-waled and some are Needlecords. Wine, Saffron, Yellow, and Tan are favorites. They drape perfectly and some have buttons for braces. They also match perfectly with the Tattersall shirts. They wear like iron.
ReplyDeleteI love corduroy. My husband and I live in southern Alabama and refer to ourselves as "climate deniers." We wear corduroy pants year-round, even here (corduroy is cooler than denim, at least). We are not summer people, and having corduroy on in summer gives us hope that fall will eventually, mercifully arrive to save us all.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the pictures and of course the clothing, footwear, etc. but what I really liked was being taken back to that age when I could enjoy a "smoke" and without it offending everybody in sniffing distance. No, I haven't smoked in ages but I do remember those wonderful days as I remember skinny dipping in my granddad's farm pond and I haven't done that in years either.
ReplyDeletePakeman, Catto & Carter went out of business shortly after the article was published. The shop's passing trade was destroyed by the local council's roadworks which lasted several months. The family owners gave, or possibly sold, their mailing list to Cordings.
ReplyDeleteAnother top retailer is House of Bruar in Perthshire, Scotland (£90) - https://www.houseofbruar.com/mens-heavyweight-cord-trousers-natural/. The company has a great selection of menswear at reasonable prices, e.g. tweed tailoring, a wide range knitwear of lots of colours and tattersall shirts.
House of Bruar and A Hume the equivalent of Cordings and Oliver Brown in Scotland. They have excellent reputations for quality and customer service.
O'Connell's for men's corduroys. I believe they are made by Hertling. And they offer a free hemming service.
ReplyDeleteHouse of Bruar! Plus, I continue to patch along with vintage pairs of Bean, Brooks Brothers,and Orvis cords! Thanks so very much for everything!
ReplyDeleteLambourne out of England makes fine corduroy pants.
ReplyDeleteHave a pair in rotation I’ve owned over twenty years.
IIRC Lambourne went out of business years ago.
DeleteThank you. They made some sturdy pants.
DeleteThe Brisbane Moss 8 wale, cuffed from Orvis, is a practical staple from October through April.
ReplyDeleteI like the finer wales and am very happy with the Bean five pocket cords I bought this year. For heavier cords with wider wales I have like both Bean and Orvis, finding the chief difference to be the price.
ReplyDeleteAnd let us also give a tribute to corduroy sports jackets! When my husband arrived for one of our first dates wearing a camel one some 48 years ago -- I knew he was a serious contender!
ReplyDeleteJ Peterman had some nice widewale cords.
ReplyDeleteThe key to shopping with J Peterman in my experience is that if you see something you like and you have the means to be considering seriously if you ought to buy it, you should buy it immediately. Their best offerings go quickly and rarely return.
DeleteI concur about O'Connell's, particularly because they stock some in long-rise for benefit of taller guys.
ReplyDeleteFlint and Tinder from Huckberry
ReplyDeleteI have some Lands' End five pocket cords on order. Full report to come.
ReplyDeleteUpdate: the order has arrived. Surprisingly good construction, weight, and fit. It appears that they key to happiness in life is low expectations...
DeleteIn my younger and slimmer days, I wore only wide wale cords in a variety of colours (kelly green was a favourite) and animal prints. Nowadays I consider most bright colours a bit twee and prefer the more forgiving needle cord in muted or earth tones, with petrol blue being my 'wildest' colour. I get my cords (and velvets) from Cordings, Toast and Brora and Seasalt.
ReplyDeleteMy preference is for the thinner cord. I have several pair in a deep burgundy, maize yellow and dark olive from Peter Christian and Joseph Turner, both from England. Both cut full and flat front. Great for our cold Pennsylvania winters.
ReplyDeleteFound two nice wide whale at Land's End. Reasonably priced and although they're supposed to be somewhat cropped they fit my 5'3 frame like normal trousers.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to O'Connell's, Eddie Jacobs also has high quality cords.
ReplyDeletehttps://eddiejacobsltd.com/casual-trousers/
Lands End and LL Bean.
ReplyDelete--EM