How to Select Dress Pants
An all-season, first-class pair of
dress pants in fine textured worsted wool (super 120 or higher), gently draped, is a time-honored, worry-free classic. And, gabardine
twill dress
pants are silky and very durable. Ultra-soft linen or linen-silk pants, by Ralph Lauren (for men and women), are summer refinement, to dress up or down. If considering polyester dress pants, they are less expensive and don't wrinkle easily, but they don't breathe very well; so, polyester/wool blend dress pants would be a better option.
Higher end designers, like Armani, Gaultier and Ralph Lauren, have produced dress pants in wool cotton, wool silk, and other blends that certainly make the grade. However, most flannel, tweed, tropical wool, microfibers and Teflon-blend (yes, really) dress pants are quite complicated to deal with and are, perhaps, not worth the trouble. A bit of spandex or Lycra is a definite yes.
Dress pants, by most top designers, have linings that help maintain their shape. Also, rather than patch pockets, dress slacks have angular or slash pockets on the sides and slit pockets in back. The bottoms/hems of men's dress slacks should touch the shoes and break (crease) only once; and, socks should not be visible when you stand.
Men and women of petite and slender frames should choose slim-fit slacks; and, for a larger upper body and thinner lower, wear a little wide-leg pant for balance. A smaller upper and larger lower calls for a slimming medium straight-leg cut.
Men's dress pants by
Bikkembergs will project dapper style. You can browse the collections of other designers, such as Tommy Bahama,
Zanella and Jack Spade mostly for men's styles, and Tahari,
DKNY pants and Moshino for winning styles in dress pants for women.