When the Berlin Wall fell back in 1989 it signalled the end of the Cold War, and the American political commentator Francis Fukuyama confidently predicted that liberal democracy would now sweep away authoritarian rule around the globe. This, he duly announced was, “The End of History”. It was a similar story in the world of men’s trousers.
As Germany reunified, I bought my first ever suit. Charcoal grey, slim cut, flat-fronted trousers, teamed with a three button, single-breasted jacket. A minimalist look compared to the extravagance of the 70s and 80s. Amazingly, this tailored style hasn’t really dated since. And while jeans have inflated and then shrunk again, smart casual trousers – exemplified by the chino – have consistently remained pleat-free and narrow; perhaps just skimming the ankle for the more daring.
But in defiance of both Fukuyama and the Skinny Leg, the times they are, finally, a changin’. In a shock to match Dylan going electric, the wide leg trouser for men has returned. And the original roots for this revival? Step forward our very own Oxford Bags, first seen at Oxford University in the 1920s, they were initially favoured by sporty types and dance enthusiasts because of the ease of movement allowed beneath these billowing beauties.
We should acknowledge the role of royalty in the rise of the wide leg. Say what you like about the duty-shirking, Nazi-appeasing Duke of Windsor (formerly King Edward VIII), the man was a winner in the style stakes. In defiance of his father King George V (who apparently never forgave him) he put his stamp on the wide leg by insisting on the addition of cuffs – a well-chosen battle indeed.
When he wasn’t cosying up to Hitler, the Duke and his Duchess wife travelled extensively, mixing in society circles wherever they touched down. This meant he acted as a sort of uber-influencer spreading the word of wide. On one of his earlier trips to the States, Men’s Wear magazine noted that, “the average young man in America is more interested in the clothes of The Prince of Wales than any other individual on earth.” Moreover, with friends including Fred Astaire, the Duke effectively recruited Hollywood to push his favoured look.
When I first experimented with the wide leg a couple of years back, I was aiming for the film star élan of Casablanca-era Humphrey Bogart, or Cary Grant in North by Northwest. Try slipping into a pair from British brand King and Tuckfield. Using more modern materials like Tencel and Viscose alongside wool, cotton and silk, their trousers have an elegance that’s inspired by 1950s glamour and, I promise, are not in any way stuffy. Alternatively, Savile Row’s Edward Sexton has an impressive range of tailoring options in keeping with its heritage status, including a selection of Oxford Bags in a number of fabrics including corduroy, linen and flannel with coordinating jackets should you want to suit it up. Going for something high waisted (to approach your belly button, not your armpits like an aging grandad), pegged, cuffed and loosely draped over your legs does feel a little different at first, but in a fluid, fun way.
Image (C) Jonathan Daniel Pryce for Edward Sexton. Navy polo £500 and white linen Oxford bags £550
Take care, though. Treat hem width with respect, you still want to see a bit of shoe. Some early adopters have demanded ever increasing width as they seek to maintain the giddy rush of their first wide leg hit. To my eye, once your feet are completely covered there is so much extraneous material the result is both impractical and ugly. The risk is even greater with jeans. Once you hit a 13-ounce weight denim, the fabric can become quite stiff and heavy – unlucky for some. Extreme wide leg, flared jeans don’t flow as you move. They sit immobile like a small, tethered tent looking unnatural and uncomfortable. If you need to take several steps before you can convince your trousers to move with you, there’s a problem.
So, where do we – and our trousers – go from here? For jeans, I have two suggestions. At halftime in American Football’s recent Super Bowl, Kendrick Lamar showcased both his impeccable lyrical flow and a pair of snug-at-the top, flaring-out-tastefully-from-the-knee lived-in-looking jeans. The Philadelphia Eagles may have won the match, but the real champions were Lamar’s bellbottoms. With a lower rise, they’ve got a 70s feel to them, but if you were so badly scarred by the decade the first time around that you won’t ever go back, what can you do? Well, as a proper grown up, just style it out in whatever kind of cut suits you best. It’s your call.
Perhaps not surprisingly with the wide leg becoming increasingly mainstream, there has been a backlash from the high fashion set. After Paris Fashion Week’s catwalk shows from Prada, Tod’s and Paul Smith, Morwenna Ferrier observed in The Guardian that for men’s trousers, “the cut was slim and ramrod straight,” amounting to another significant “vibe shift”. Confusing, isn’t it? Now, more than ever, we exist in a state of Trouser Flux. History has certainly not ended for trousers, just as the battle between the rival political ideologies of liberal democracies and tyrannical authoritarians is still very much a live issue. Fukuyama, it turns out, was wrong. Meanwhile the Duke of Windsor is looking down (or more likely up) and nodding approvingly at the return of the wide leg trouser and the alarming rise of extreme right-wing authoritarians.
Join me in applauding the Duke’s not just Best of British, but truly World Class sartorial taste. But never salute (it would only encourage him) and never surrender to his appalling political judgement.
