Knowledge & Heritage
Country Trousers
Moleskin, corduroy, cavalry twill and whipcord. Cut high, cut full, and cut to be worn with a jacket that does not match.
The country wardrobe is a separates wardrobe. Nobody walks a field in a matching suit. A tweed jacket is worn with trousers chosen to sit against it rather than to match it, which means the trouser is doing half the work and choosing it badly undoes the jacket. It is also the part that wears out first, and the part most clients order in twos and threes once the jacket exists.
Cloth and Cut
| Moleskin | Dense cotton with a brushed face that feels closer to suede than to cloth. It cuts the wind, wears warm, and softens with every outing until it fits like something you have owned for years. Fawn, olive and rust are the traditional grounds. The most useful first country trouser. |
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| Corduroy | Ribbed cotton, and the wale count decides the register. Eight-wale is properly country. Eleven to fourteen reads closer to town and works under a jacket in the office. Needlecord is the finest and the least rustic. Elephant cord, at four or five wales, is a statement rather than a staple. |
| Cavalry Twill | A steep, pronounced double twill in worsted, originally cut for riding breeches. It holds a crease through weather that flattens everything else and outlasts almost any other trouser cloth. Fawn and drab are the classics. |
| Whipcord and Bedford Cord | The same riding family, harder finished. Whipcord has a steeper, tighter twill; Bedford cord is corded vertically. Both are chosen for hard wear rather than for softness, and both reward a fuller cut. |
| The Rise | Cut to sit at the natural waist, higher than a town trouser. The practical reason is that a country trouser is worn with a jacket that opens, and a high rise keeps the shirt covered when you bend, reach or sit on a gate. |
| The Cut | Fuller through the seat and thigh than a suit trouser, because a country trouser is worn to move in. A gentle taper below the knee keeps the line clean without restricting the stride. |
| Braces or Side Adjusters | No belt in the traditional cut. A belt pulls the waistband down and breaks the line under a jacket. Braces hold the trouser from the shoulder so it hangs from the waist rather than gripping it; side adjusters are the neater compromise. |
| Turn-ups and Lining | Turn-ups weight the leg and help it hang, which matters more in a heavy cloth than a light one. We line moleskin and corduroy to the knee: it adds warmth and stops the nap clinging as you walk. |
| Colour | Earth. Fawn, drab, olive, moss, russet, tobacco, ochre, brick. Never grey - grey flannel belongs to town. The trouser is chosen to sit against the jacket, not to match it, so a little distance in tone is the point. |
When to Wear
Country trousers belong to the weekend, the shoot, the estate and the long walk, worn under a tweed jacket or a gilet. Fine-wale corduroy and cavalry twill cross into town comfortably under a sport coat. Heavy moleskin and eight-wale corduroy do not, and are better for it.
Common Questions
Should country trousers match the jacket?
No. The country wardrobe is a separates wardrobe. A tweed jacket is worn with contrasting trousers, and the pleasure of it is in the pairing rather than the matching. A matching tweed suit reads as formal country dress, which is a different thing and rarely what is wanted.
What is the difference between moleskin and corduroy?
Both are cotton, but moleskin has a smooth brushed face while corduroy is ribbed. Moleskin is quieter and warmer, and takes to town more easily. Corduroy has more texture and more character, and the wale count decides how rustic it reads.
Can country trousers be worn in town?
Some of them. Fine-wale corduroy and cavalry twill in a drab or fawn go perfectly well under a jacket in most offices. Eight-wale corduroy and heavy moleskin do not, and are better kept for the weekend.
Why no belt loops?
A belt pulls the waistband down and interrupts the line where the jacket opens. The traditional country trouser is held from the shoulder with braces, or adjusted at the sides. We will cut belt loops if you want them, but we would rather talk you out of it.
How many pairs should I order?
Most clients begin with two, in different cloths, because one jacket carries several trousers and the trousers are what wear out. Moleskin and cavalry twill is the usual first pair - one soft and warm, one hard and weatherproof.
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