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Temperatures here in New York have remained stubbornly high so far this month, still routinely climbing into the 80s in the afternoon. For those of us who are eager to reach into our closet for fall apparel, it’s been a real bummer.
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If you’re picking up a 17, I’d encourage you to pick up this case from MujjoAmong the many items I’m looking forward to wearing — along with my many fall jackets, flannels and rugged boots — are corduroy pants. They can be a bit…stifling if worn when it’s still even a little bit warm outside. But once we get to a point where we don’t make it out of the 70s, they’re pretty much perfect.
There’s lots of different varieties out there — wide wale, narrow wale, jeans-style 5-pockets, trouser-style side pockets, flat front, pleated front. Basically, there’s a corduroy version of most pairs of pants you’d pull on throughout the rest of the year.
Below, some of my favorites.
Marine Layer Flex Terry Slim Straight Cords
The just-released corduroy version of Marine Layer’s popular everyday pants comes in a very classic straight fit (don’t let the “slim” in the title dissuade you; these are definitely not narrow enough to have you confused with a mid-aughts emo singer) with 5-pocket styling and an incredibly soft hand.
Todd Snyder Relaxed Wide Wale Corduroy Pants
One step up in terms of dressiness, these chino-style cords from Todd feature a significantly wide wale (meaning the ribs or vertical lines of fabric are on the thick side) and a relaxed fit. I don’t personally love the way these are styled on the Todd Snyder website — my preference would be for them to have a shorter inseam than pictured on the model. Show a little sock, slip on some rich brown loafers and your most worn-in blue OCBD and you’ll be golden.
Taylor Stitch The Carnegie Corduroy Pant
Not too far off from the Todd Snyder version above, the Carnegie cords from Taylor Stitch feature a slightly narrower wale, front slash pockets and a classic straight fit. If you were to be in the market for just one pair of cords, these might be the goldilocks version.
Ralph Lauren Whitman Relaxed Fit Corduroy Pant
Think of these as an alternative to your heaviest wool trousers. Ralph Lauren’s Whitman cords come in a relaxed fit with double pleats and pre-cuffed hems, just as nature intends. If you’re bold enough to go for the meadow green or spring rose color options, more power to you, but there’s certainly no shame in navy or brown.
Corridor Cord Trouser
A pretty straightforward option from cool-kid brand Corridor if that’s more your style, their cord trousers are a little slouchier than some here, with a nice medium wale in a washed black that winds up being closer to gray.
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