The London Lounge

Should one always have two pairs of trousers made with a suit?

Should they be worn in rotation or should one pair be kept in reserve?

Why not simply wait until the trousers have worn out then get another pair made?

It will only make sense if you rotate the trousers.
The idea - because trousers wear out faster then coats and well worn is superior to new - would be having a well worn suit with two pairs of trousers, not a worn out pair of trousers with a well worn coat and a new pair of trousers.

Scot:

To give your suits longevity and keep them looking fresh, an extra pair of matching trousers is advisable.
Further, rotate your suits on a regular basis. For example, any suit worn to work on Monday should be left unworn for a minimum of a week to two weeks. Give it a proper brushing and invest in some good wooden
suit and trouser hangers. Allowing a suit to rest undisturbed for a while lets the fibers of the fabric spring back to life. The next time you wear the suit, choose the alternate pair of trousers to stave off the shiny bottom and bagged knees syndromes.

Some men try to hasten the process of suit recooperation by resorting to the use of a garment steamer. Be very careful. You can ruin a suit beyond repair with a professional or travel steamer in record time, unless you're well-acquainted with the proper use of these units. By the same token, never entrust the pressing of a bespoke suit to your local dry-cleaners. If a suit needs a pressing, send it back to the tailor who made it for you. Or you can search other fora for illustrated essays on the subject, if you're determined to properly press the suit yourself. Come to think of it, there's an excellent article on the LL about how to properly iron a shirt.

JMB

Extra trousers are a great idea for suits. As a matter of fact, back in the old day most suits were sold with two pairs of trousers.

I have two suits that have extra trousers, what I do to rotate the trousers is when I've taken off the trousers, I put them on the locked bar of the hanger and put the next pair on top.

That way I know which trouser to take off the hanger for the next use, and vice versa.

As Jordan Marc pointed out, you can ruin a suit with a steamer. So be careful and do some research on techniques on steaming.

I have a steamer, and only use it after the suit has rested to touch up certain spots such as the back of the knees, the crotch, and elbows. (On the suit of course. )

Best Regards,

Cufflink79

A second trouser can be useful if during most of the day you either wear a doctor/lab coat or judge's robe or if you work in your shirtsleeves.

A second trouser can be helpful if you have an accident with the first trouser.

However, the disadvantages are the following:

a) Added cost--the additional trouser can add anywhere from $250 to $1,000 to the bill depending on your tailor's pricing. Sometimes, a tailor will give you a break on the second trousers.

b) Added weight and bulk to your closet.

c) Questionable utility. I have a good number of suits. On the few occasions, perhaps 20-30 years ago, when I wore-out a trouser, the coat was also ready for the trash heap. Also, if you gain or lose weight, the whole ensemble may have to be scrapped.

For the foregoing reasons I no longer order a second trouser.

Good luck.

Mark Seitelman:

Regarding the disadvantages you mention to doubling-up on trousers:

(A) While a pair and a spare costs more money, it's prudent to remember that what may seem expensive today is considered a bargain tomorrow.

(B) Added weight and bulk to your closet can be alleviated by installing double hanging rods, space permitting, and storing your out-of-season clothes elsewhere. Said rods should ideally be made of
sturdy wooden dowels which, depending upon the span inside the closet, may require adding brackets for support to prevent dowel droop. Jamming clothes together tightly is wrong wrong wrong! Give them a good measure of room to breathe; they'll last longer. Space your seasonal wardrobe evenly by lightly notching the dowels so the hooks of the hangers stay in the grooves.

If the lady of the house hasn't already commandeered every closet, cupboard and chest of drawers for her own wardrobe and collection of shoes and bags, consider yourself lucky. Stake a claim to a closet for your out-of-season clothes, line it in cedar, and bag your suits, jackets and overcoats properly. Always use cloth
bags with zippers, never film bags, and label each bag with a laminated thumbnail photo of the garment and the season to which it belongs so you don't have to spend hours zipping and unzipping bags to see the contents. By the way, moving clothes for a change of season is good exercise.

(C) Questionable utility depends upon the size of your wardrobe and how well you maintain it as well as yourself. If you avoid fads and fashions and the whims of the wealthy, your clothes should have a timeless elegance about them. A really good tailor will steer you in the right direction and suit you properly. What you want to avoid is letting your wife dress you. She may claim she has taste and you none at all. You will end up looking the perfect fool. Example, look at the photos of the Duke of Windsor when the Duchess started dictating what he should wear. I'm reminded of that devastating interview of Windsor and wife by Edward R. Murrow on Personn To Person. The two of them sat on the floor of their flat playing jax. Bounce the ball, pick up the metal thingy. The epitome of idiocy! That's what I meant by the whims of the wealthy.

What we cannot control with any certainty is what heridity and the ravages of time will do to our bodies. We can exercise and eat sensibly, undergo major surgery, search for the elusive Fountain of Youth, or turn to Buddhism. What does it matter? Perhaps the best revenge really is being well-dressed.

JMB

I have followed Mark Seitleman's philosophy until now.

I have a reasonable number of bespoke suits that I wear in rotation, never wearing the same suit twice in one week. Some of these are definitely seasonal, others can be worn most of the year. I find that trousers tend to wear out at the crotch, which can be easily and invisibly patched for a fraction of the cost of a spare pair, lending them many years of extra life. Once the trousers have begun to wear more generally the coat is often way past its best.

However, I can certainly see the merit in a second pair of trousers and have often thought of having one pair with brace tops and one with belt loops

Another advantage of having two trousers made with a suit is that you can vary styles according to your mood - have one with, one without turn-ups, have one cut for wearing with a belt, one with a fishtail back for wearing with braces, etc.

dE

Scot:

There is a better way to configure a suit with two pairs of trousers. Have both pairs made with brace buttons as well as self-fabric adjusters with buckles. There are times when you will want your trousers to hang from braces, and other times when adjusters will suffice. Regardless of which way you keep your pants up, trousers should ideally sit on your natural waist, not below it so there is an unsightly gap visible. Huntsman and Richard Anderson have championed the one-button style lounge suit to perfection, but if the waistband of the trousers falls below the button the beauty of the style is lost. The same could be said for tailors who prefer a two-button style and, heaven knows, there are any number of them round the world who will scold their customers as to how trousers should be worn. The same applies to six-button double-
breasted suits. The waistband of your trousers belongs at your waist, that's all there is to that.

The next question to consider is whether you want your trousers made with double forward-firing pleats
or a plain front. Pleated trousers stretch when you sit down and as such are more comfortable than unpleated trousers, which do not give. Pleats have an elegance about them that flatters a man because the folds of fabric break up the area of greatest girth. For that same reason, onseam side pockets are
preferable to other styles. As for back pockets, I see no use for them. Why wreck the line of the back of your suit with the bulge of a wallet on your bum?

JMB

Jordan Marc wrote:Scot:

There is a better way to configure a suit with two pairs of trousers. Have both pairs made with brace buttons as well as self-fabric adjusters with buckles. There are times when you will want your trousers to hang from braces, and other times when adjusters will suffice. Regardless of which way you keep your pants up, trousers should ideally sit on your natural waist, not below it so there is an unsightly gap visible. Huntsman and Richard Anderson have championed the one-button style lounge suit to perfection, but if the waistband of the trousers falls below the button the beauty of the style is lost. The same could be said for tailors who prefer a two-button style and, heaven knows, there are any number of them round the world who will scold their customers as to how trousers should be worn. The same applies to six-button double-
breasted suits. The waistband of your trousers belongs at your waist, that's all there is to that.

The next question to consider is whether you want your trousers made with double forward-firing pleats
or a plain front. Pleated trousers stretch when you sit down and as such are more comfortable than unpleated trousers, which do not give. Pleats have an elegance about them that flatters a man because the folds of fabric break up the area of greatest girth. For that same reason, onseam side pockets are
preferable to other styles. As for back pockets, I see no use for them. Why wreck the line of the back of your suit with the bulge of a wallet on your bum?

JMB

Double forward facing pleats always - I wouldn't think of asking my SR tailor for anything else, and he would probably ignore me if I did.

Are not trousers cut differently for braces and side-adjusters?

Secreting a wallet about ones person is one of the great problems of dressing. I adopt the back pocket option only because when one has a coat on it cannot be seen. However, having a wallet in an inside coat pocket can ruin the line of the coat.

Scot:

Regarding your question about trousers being cut differently for braces or side adjusters, assuming your tailor cuts them with a high(er) rise to be worn on your natural waist there is no advantage to cutting
them differently. Braces and side adjusters are simply two different ways of keeping your trousers up.
Way way back, there was a time when brace buttons were sewn onto the outside of the trousers, though they were usually concealed by a military jacket, a riding habit or a formal waistcoat. When vests of one kind or another became prevalent, principally for warmth before the advent of central heating, brace buttons were turned about and sewn inside the waistband. Side adjusters went through a somewhat similar change. Originally three adjusters were employed, one on either side of the trousers and a third known as
a belt in the back. It was overkill. Two will suffice.

JMB

I should relate that I do have two identical pairs of grey flannels, made at the end of last year. I didn't order the second pair, my tailor made them by mistake (not sure how that happens). Anyway, he gave me the second pair "as a Christmas present", which I thought was extraordinarily generous; needless to say he is an exceptionally nice guy.

Scot wrote:Anyway, he gave me the second pair "as a Christmas present", which I thought was extraordinarily generous; needless to say he is an exceptionally nice guy.

Scot, could you please PM me with the name, address and phone no. of your tailor?

I have most of my odd trousers and summer suit trousers made with both side adjusters and brace buttons, of which the front ones are on the inside and the back pair is on the outside, because I find them less of a nuisance this way when I drive or lean against the backrest of an armchair, sofa etc.
My DB and non-summer suit trousers usually have a fishtail back and no side adjusters (they may have an adjustable three-piece waistband, though), but again the back brace buttons are sewn on the outside.