Men's Pants and Shorts

Five pieces, four fabrics and, importantly, two different sizing systems. Four of these are sized S to XL and one is sized by waist measurement, 30 to 36. That is the first thing to check here, because ordering a 32 when you meant an M, or the reverse, is the most avoidable mistake in this collection.

Below: what each fabric does in practice, which fits run wide, and the honest note about the linen pieces.

Two Sizing Systems, One Collection

Four pieces use S to XL. The tencel pants, baggy fit pants, linen-look pants and linen-look shorts all use letter sizing with either an elastic waist or a drawstring, which is what makes letter sizing workable on trousers.

The corduroy pants use waist sizes. The 5-Pocket Corduroy comes in 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 36, measured at the waist in inches, because a five pocket trouser with a fixed waistband needs the precision that letter sizing cannot give.

If you know your jeans size, that is the number to use for the corduroy. If you do not, measure around your waist where the waistband will sit, in inches, and use that. Do not convert from a letter size, since the relationship between the two varies by cut.

The Five, by Fabric

What Each Fabric Actually Does

Lyocell, which is what Tencel is, is a fibre made from wood pulp. It drapes heavily and coolly, does not cling to the leg, and moves with you rather than holding a crease. Of everything here it is the one that most reads as dressed while feeling like nothing. It also resists odour better than cotton, which matters on a long hot day.

100% cotton on the baggy fit pants breathes properly and softens with every wash. Cotton creases, which on a deliberately wide relaxed trouser is part of the look rather than a fault.

98% cotton corduroy is the winter fabric here. The ribbed pile traps a layer of air, which is why corduroy feels warm before you register it as thick, and the small remaining percentage is stretch for movement in a fitted five pocket cut.

And the linen pieces are a linen-look weave. The drawstring pants and shorts are 70% cotton with 30% polyester, woven to give the texture and cool appearance of linen. They crease far less than true linen and hold colour better through a summer of washing. They do not breathe the way pure linen breathes in genuine heat. Buy them for the look and the low maintenance, not for the fibre.

Fits, and Which Runs Wide

Relaxed means room through the seat and leg without being wide. The tencel and drawstring linen pants both use it, and it is the safest choice if you are ordering without trying.

Baggy is deliberately wide, and it is a look rather than a comfort setting. If you want merely relaxed, either size down or take one of the relaxed cuts instead. The elastic waist means sizing down costs you nothing at the waistband.

Five pocket is the closest thing here to a jeans cut: fixed waistband, structured, sized by the inch. It sits the way a good pair of jeans sits, which is the reason for the different sizing system.

Elastic waist and drawstring both mean forgiveness at the waist, which is why letter sizing works on four of the five. Only the corduroy asks you to know a number.

Season and Pairing

Summer: the linen-look shorts and the drawstring pants, worn with a knit polo or the lightweight plaid shirt.

Spring and autumn: the tencel pants, which are the most year-round piece here, and the baggy cotton.

Winter: the corduroy, with a heavy knit or the flannel shirt over it.

A note on colour: the browns, beiges and khaki greens across this collection are chosen to sit with brown leather rather than against it. If you wear a brown belt and carry a brown bag, those are the trousers that finish the line. The belts are in belts.

Care

Wash cool and dry on a line rather than a hot tumble. Heat is what shrinks cotton and what makes the polyester content in a blend go slightly stiff over time.

Corduroy has one specific rule: turn it inside out to wash. The pile flattens where it rubs against a drum, and washing inside out protects the face of the fabric. Iron it inside out too, if at all, since direct heat on the pile crushes it permanently.

Lyocell should not be wrung out. Press the water out rather than twisting, and hang it damp; it drops most of its own creases as it dries, which is one of the quiet advantages of the fibre.

Everything here is covered for life against manufacturing defects, and repairs are covered for life as well.