Men's fashion is all about fit and how the clothes complement the wearer’s best features. This is especially true when it comes to how your slacks sit. Here's what you need to know about dress pants and how they should fit.
The Waist
Pleated front dress pants are best for men of large stature. Dress pants should fit snug but not so tight that they cause discomfort. In fact, your pants should fit well enough to wear without a belt.
The Crotch
When it comes to the crotch of the pants, your primary concern should be the rise. The rise is the distance from the waistband to the fly. If you're used to wearing slim-fitting jeans, keep in mind that the rise for your dress pants will much be longer than what you’re accustomed to.
The Seat
The seat of your pants should hug your posterior slightly - not squeeze it. You want to avoid making your dress pants fit like cling wrap around your butt. When you're shopping for dress pants, squat for 5 to 10 seconds to make sure you have more than enough room to maneuver without struggling. Your range of motion is important for your overall comfort. If there is material pulling at your crotch area, your pants are too tight. In retrospect, if your pants bunch up in the butt area, your pants are too baggy, and you might need to go down a size.
The Leg
Men of slim stature should wear slim-fit pants because they are the most flattering to this body type. Men who have a larger build should wear wide-leg dress pants because it helps proportion the top half with the bottom half. If you're wearing slim-fit pants, these dress pants should be tapered, which means they get narrower down to the ankle. If you're wearing wide-leg pants, make sure these dress pants feature a straight leg-cut down from the knee. To avoid having to purchase pants frequently, make sure you can grasp at least half an inch of fabric on either side of your thigh. If you can't grasp half an inch of fabric, your pants are too tight.
Getting to Know Your Pants Breaks
The break in your pants is how the pants fall on your shoes. Your dress pants should fall gracefully from your knee to your footwear. Many tailors will suggest a quarter break. Below are the different types of pants breaks:
- Full
- Half
- Quarter
- No break
Full break: A full break is a fold that runs around the leg. The end of your pants will rest on the top of your shoes.
Half break: A half break or medium break is the standard for men's dress pants. This type of break is a horizontal fold that extends across the front of your ankle.
Quarter break: A quarter break is when the end of your dress pants meets the end of your footwear and breaks slightly.
No break: Pants with no break feature a slightly angled opening that is low in the front and even lower in the back.
If you need to expand your collection of dress pants, Tip Top Tailors has a wide variety of dress pants available in different sizes and materials. It's time for you to take your fashion to the next level. Tip Top Tailors specializes in Canadian suits, dress pants, casual wear, outerwear, different accessories and more option that help you enhance your style.