Corduroy Pants in the Golden Era?

[FedoraFan112390]

Am looking for a Golden Era appropriate substitution for jeans, was wondering if Corduroy Pants were popular/often worn in the Golden Era?

 

[Rudie]

In Europe corduroy was quite popular for country and work wear. Another jeans substitute in Europe was moleskin. Both are still the fabric of choice for carpenter's trousers today. Also, old suits were often worn as work wear as well since the fabrics were much sturdier than today.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Of course they were - intellectuals, university dons, students and connoisseurs of fine art objects also often wore cord pants with tweed jackets. Cords were genteel casual wear with rustic overtones. I've read references to George Orwell wearing corduroy pants in the early 1940's. They were also worn by adventurers (the kinds of folk that went of the fight Franco in the 1930's). Here's Alan Ladd from China in cords (click twice for large) - this was the model in part for Indiana Jones (who doesn't wear cords).

 

[AdeeC]

Aero of Scotland sell some vintage reproduction Corduroys. See link. They match up well with vintage clothing and leather. I have about a dozen jean and vintage cut corduroy trousers. More comfortable than denim jeans.
http://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/product-detail.php?id=681

 

[Sloan1874]

And definitely follow the advice about sizing up!

 

[Bunyip]

I quite like the aero ones. They say best worn with braces....I wonder how they would go without?

 

[Rudie]

I think the Aero waistband looks wrong, too many fabric layers. Somebody (probably one of the tailors on this board) mentioned it has to do with the construction. Somehow they followed modern standards and folded the seam allowance over the wrong way resulting in this funny looking thick waistband. The waistband would look much better IMO if it was flatter.

 

[Dr H]

I have several pairs of trousers from Old Town (http://www.old-town.co.uk/collections/product), who offer a good, stout corduroy in different period-influenced patterns.
The moleskin is even better - very stout and hard wearing.

 

[VictorShadow]

I have several pairs of trousers from Old Town (http://www.old-town.co.uk/collections/product), who offer a good, stout corduroy in different period-influenced patterns.
The moleskin is even better - very stout and hard wearing.

Wow, this looks like a great company. Do you own some of their clothing?

 

[Rudie]

I have their high rise trousers. Very high quality work wear trousers. Well worth their price.

 

[Panadora]

I have a pair of modern ones with little stretch mixed in the fabric - The most comfortable pair I own!
Same color but not as cool and fancy as these


Autumn / Winter 2015

 

[AdeeC]

I have several pairs of trousers from Old Town (http://www.old-town.co.uk/collections/product), who offer a good, stout corduroy in different period-influenced patterns.
The moleskin is even better - very stout and hard wearing.

Thanks for posting the link. Some great vintage style clothing there.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Just coming back from classic department-store in bigger city and I drove home with a black one of their nice storebrand cord-trousers. It's usual fine-cord. We will see.

 

[David Conwill]

That raises an interesting question for me: What wale is most appropriate for what era or usage? I've always preferred finer wales but the Aero trousers seem to be on the coarser side.

 

[Trenchfriend]

@David Conwill
I would guess, that on a special evening-event, the coarser cord would be much more elegant and the inconspicuous fine-cord is more for daily use.

 

[scotrace]

Peterman always has some nice cords.

 

[tropicalbob]

I mentioned this somewhere else, but back in the 1940's Samuel Beckett, the Irish writer (who lived in France). once replied to a question about the place of art in Ireland by saying, "Your average Irishman doesn't give a fart in his corduroys about art." This will give you some idea about the ubiquity of corduroys in the 1940's.

 

[Seb Lucas]

That raises an interesting question for me: What wale is most appropriate for what era or usage? I've always preferred finer wales but the Aero trousers seem to be on the coarser side.

Thicker wale is harder wearing - fine wale flattens and tears off faster if you are laboring. Jackets are more likely to be finer wale.

 

[tropicalbob]

It's always seemed odd to me that it's so difficult to find nice corduroy suits. Back in the '60's and '70's they were fairly common but only in brown. Agnes B. Homme did some beautiful ones later on in navy blue, but I haven't seen them in some time. If I lived in a cooler climate I'd be very tempted to see about a bespoke one. I wonder what the boys at the SJC forum might think.

 

[Edward]

I brlieve that's something Simon has his eye on doing over the next few years.