Almost everything formal you own starts with a wool trouser. Whether it comes as half of a suit or lives on its own to be worn under a blazer, a wool trouser cut to your measurements beats anything off a rail on fit, on the way it hangs, and on how long it stays looking right. We have been cutting them here since 1997, in every weight the climate throws at us, from a tropical fresco that survives a Chennai June to a proper flannel for the few weeks a year you can enjoy one.
Worsted, flannel or fresco
Worsted is the most common and the most formal of the three. Smooth, firm, takes a crease and keeps it, and reads as unmistakably professional. A worsted trouser in navy or charcoal is the plainest and most useful thing in any working wardrobe, and most men should own two.
Flannel is softer and warmer, with a slight nap from the brushed surface that catches the light. A mid-grey flannel under a tweed or herringbone jacket is one of the great combinations in men's clothing, and it looks as good now as it did seventy years ago. Here, though, it only makes sense in the cool months, and we would rather say that than sell you one in April.
Fresco is the answer for our climate. High-twist yarn woven open, so air passes through the cloth, and the twist gives it enough spring to shrug off creasing and hold a crisp crease at the front. Of all the wool options it is the one we recommend most often for year-round wear in the South.