Pants for the Boys
A shopping journey…
(Click on the title above to read in the app on on togs.substack.com—it’s way better)
Hello, Hadley here from the South of France where I’m taking the first five day break since January. It’s been an extremely busy season of life (and busy is never my goal), and while I know it’s all work that I’m enjoying or will lead to things I will enjoy, this mini break has been SO nice. The impetus of being here is to see an opera. Two years ago I was lucky enough to do an artist residency at UCross. I’ve said it before, but it was easily, and with no exaggeration, one of the top five life experiences I’ve had (and if you’re an artist of any kind, applications are closing this week and is very much worth the application!!)
While at UCross, I met an artist-Ganavya Doraiswamy. She was in residence working on an opera that would premiere at the Festival d’Aix titled The Nine Jewelled Deer. Co-written with one of my favorite authors Lauren Groff, I start to buzz when I think about how excited I am to go!
“A thousand-year-old cave painting in China depicting a drowning man saved by a marvellous deer whose existence he must not reveal; a cramped kitchen in modern-day India where an old woman takes in victims of life’s misfortunes and heals them through song; the garden of a former prostitute, where a monk teaches the secrets of “Enlightenment” – that supreme state of knowledge and compassion: these are the elements that make up the plot of The Nine Jewelled Deer, a world premiere opera born of the encounter between composer Sivan Eldar and singer-improviser Ganavya Doraiswamy, heirs to musical traditions that may seem far apart – classical and electronic music for the one, traditional South Indian music and jazz for the other – but brought together by a common desire to be open to one another, to care and to listen. Three exceptional artists are taking part in the adventure, in partnership with the LUMA Foundation: director Peter Sellars, visual artist Julie Mehretu and writer Lauren Groff.”
And while the French take their vacations very seriously, it’s my week at Togs and I couldn’t help but be on my computer for this post-it’s a fun one!
While Kellyn and I often center most of our content around women-we both love men’s fashion. Whether it’s drawing inspiration like Kellyn did last week, or shopping for our partners, or stealing their clothes for our own-men’s fits stay in heavy rotation here at Togs.
So I was delighted by the challenge when last week, my younger brother sent me the following text:
“I need some help choosing a pair of jeans, what says the expert? Gotta be mobile, midweight, but not too baggy. I had a pair of Taylor Stitch Democratic jeans that I liked but I could barely squat in them”
While I was flattered, I am by no means an expert in men’s pants. It made me think a lot about how we go about buying clothes. How do we start a search? Who do we look to for advice? And how do we continue to be a reliable source for both genders here at Togs?
*A heartfelt thank you to all the male readers who support Togs!
So I went on a pants journey with the same tactics I use to find my own. And along the way discovered what Kellyn pointed out last week, that men’s fashion is alive and well and even can be a great source for women too.
Let’s begin shall we…
Go to a store
First, with all things fashion, I can’t recommend going to a store enough. There’s nothing better than a well edited shop, with a kind, knowledgeable human there to help you find what you need. Store buyers do the hard work of wildling down the mass of clothing into something that will make you feel super fly and their talent should be utilized!
Most of my most precious clothes came from a shop instead of online. I think of Arcy and Milli at Habits in Jackson who did the impossible by making shopping for jeans fun. I think of the woman in Austria who spent two hours styling me after I had given away the majority of my clothes after my partner died. It turns out that two years later I realized I did in fact want some variety-and she made the whole experience gentle instead of the potential emotional bomb it could have been. I think of the Italian man who did the same for my mom after her husband, my dad, died. How that kind soul made my mom feel beautiful and special as she bought clothes for her new life. I think of the clerk at Skinny Skis who helped me buy my first micro down jacket, funded through hours of gardening and barista-ing. That jacket which traveled with me to my first ski competitions. And even if micro downs weren’t at all cool in the freeride ski scene at the time, the jacket still kept me warm (and probably soaked up some of the tears from my last place finishes).
It’s a small thing, but there’s something about the way I think of those people when I put on those clothes. The beauty of the interconnectedness. I like collecting the small moments.
Of course most of us Toggsers don’t live in Tokyo or Paris, New York or San Francisco. The proximity to a good store isn’t a given. And while you lose some of the experience by shopping a good store through their online site, I find it still better than a big box alternative.
The clothing shops in Chamonix leave something to be desired so I used the websites of my favorite stores to begin my search.
Habits, a Jackson favorite, has been a long time carrier of Gramicci (a favorite of Kellyns). These pants are the definition of Togs-function and fashion.
*Some warning-I’ve received feedback from a tall-ish friend that the pants did not work at all for her and her height. She gets to reach things I can’t, so I’m okay with it being a win for short people ;).
From the Paris store Merci, these simple jeans caught my eye. Baggy is in, but I’m a sucker for a straight, narrow cut pant for either gender.
And from across the pond, Couverture & The Garbstore, have a wide selection of intriguing men’s pants. While my brother requested jeans, I can’t help but find the cotton trousers equally as appealing.
Find the Experts
In our current age, newsletters and instagrams are ubiquitous in dolling out advice on what to wear. We at Togs do it every week! The quest, when being influenced left and right, is to become like the store buyer and filter the advice and recommendations given. Before I impulse purchase something seen on instagram or in substack, I try to run a mental check list before I buy. Does that influencer have a similar body shape to me? Have their recommendations worked out before? Are they part of a bigger ad campaign with everything being an affiliate link? While none of these things make it a clear yes or no, it’s a start.
But mostly I’m looking for a recommendation given with passion and expertise. Something that Jonah and Erin at
do with gusto. They’ve set a high standard for us substackers to follow and they are a great place for us to search for advice.One of their top “slappers”-these straight cut 100% Japanese cotton denim from Orslow.
Another brand that Blackbird spotlights is Manresa. In all the reviews I read, Mike the owner (and for a long time doer of every job at the brand), is a stand up man who is very passionate about making clothes.
With Blackbird, you know you’re often going to find a piece that focuses on the garment from seed to streetwear. Brands that prioritize every element and maker that goes into the final product. The farmers, the sewers, the designers and the planet are all in careful consideration. Which is well summed up in denim from Dana Lee Brown.
From Lee Brown: “Each piece includes a hand-chronicled label tracing the textile’s journey—beginning at the farm. Guided by a bioregional design approach, the project prioritizes natural fibers sourced as close to home as possible, following the logic of land, ecology, and long-standing relationships—not political borders.”
Brands that do both
There’s a good chance when shopping for men (either you are one or love one or both!), that a women’s brand you adore makes equally adore-able clothes for men too.
Lemaire, Studio Nicholson, and Wanze Song are tailoring experts that cut beautiful shapes for both genders.
Or they are a man’s brand that is so good you wish they made clothes for women…aka Evan Kinori.
This whole outfit…gosh. The dark ink navy double zip jacket layered over a rich brown corduroy collared shirt with those sumptuous looking pants. Yes this whole thing would cost you many a pretty penny but you could easily wear it every day and feel pretty dang good! And then pass the whole thing onto the next generation because these care that went into making it will ensure it’ll outlast you.
From the Outside
In reality, my brother has three kids under the age of 8 and it’s probably not the season of life for 300 pants. Here is where I would lean on pants designed for the outdoors. And in that case, Ripton is the place to go. Their pants originated in mountain biking. And while I detest the sport , I love the pants. They are beyond comfortable, especially for climbing. Transferable between the crag and a dinner. Can go from the bike to bibliotque. You can find my partner Pierre in them six out of the seven days of the week. I imagine they’d even hold up to an adventure with my three favorite and wild nieces and nephews.
You guys nailed the wedding dress recommendations and would love to hear about your men’s pants recs too! The communal aspect of Togs makes our hearts sing.
And another thing…
Been trying to fit in more reading time despite my schedule and there’s been some books that have made it easy to do so!
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong His books tend to put people in that ridiculous state of I love this book or I hate this book, and while I don’t think literature should be so binary, I’m 100% in the camp of loving his books, his newest included.
Is a River Alive by Robert MacFarlane Another new book by an author I love. This one feels particularly well timed given the endless threat to natural landscapes.
The Years of Theory, Postwar French Thought to the Present by Fredric Jameson In an attempt to try to reverse the sickening feeling of 2025 brain rot, I bought four of Jameson’s books as a self taught mini class. His writing requires me to use a dictionary every third or fourth paragraph and fight through the feeling of “I’m not smart enough to read this”. But I want to be smart enough to, and I figure the only way to get to that state is to push myself in what I’m reading.
Okay time to go enjoy this vacation! Wishing you all a sunny summer weekend, hopefully spent outside or listening to music or both!
-Hadley
Thank you so much for this!
Some other personal small-brand casual favs include Jiberish (loose fit streetwear), Imperfects (straighter fit workwear), Percival (straighter fit dressier), & Mission Workshop (slim but ultra stretchy).
For active pants in a not-super-slim fit, I’ll echo Ripton, as well as vintage (10+ y/o) climbing / hiking pants from just about any outdoor brand (e.g., Snow Peak, Prana, Patagonia, Gramicci).
Trendy ones (Arc’teryx) are currently pricey but an upside of the gorpcore trend is that there are now lots of good deals on Grailed for less trendy outdoor apparel.
I too love men's fashion, and I love this article! For Front Range CO folks, Berkeley Supply Co. in Denver is a super well-curated men's shop with LOTS of pants.