black pants inventory

Diana

OK, all my looking at black pants has got me thinking that I should actually do an inventory of what I already have. So here goes. I realize it's kind of hard to tell details of black pants in photos, so I'm sorry. They are more different than they look in the photos!

What I have:
1) black slim straight KUT jeans, kind of faded. Most casual.
2) very dark black straight leg Red Engine jeans. You can't really tell they're jeans unless you're close up. These are a little wider cut than the KUTs and a bit too wide at the bottom to tuck into boots.
3)BR Martin skinnies. Slimmest of the bunch, but with a bit of scrunch. I find them a bit too hot and sometimes itchy. I realize they look super similar to #2 but I can tuck these into boots.
4)black Suoli slouchy trousers.

What I need:
-black trousers, style TBD. Straight, bootcut, or wide? These will likely be part of my hypothetical future suit and so should be fairly conservative in cut and style.
-black cigarette pants, to replace the Martins (although I may keep those for very cold days). Question is whether or not I can get away with a denim-like fabrication or cut, which is generally easier for me both in terms of comfort and cut.

I have ordered these:
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/wi.....ve/3509620
but I'm not sure they will be dressy enough to fill the "cigarette pants" hole. I have a pair of W&W printed jeans from last year (the brocade ones) and the fabric was not denim-y or excessively stretchy so I'm hoping these will be similar.

So, questions:
--Am I missing some category here? We have already determined that I don't need ponte skinnies.
--Do I have way too many black pants already? I do wear them a lot and they go with virtually everything in my wardrobe.

ETA: Because it's been brought up in the comments, I will say here that I do not work in an office environment. I occasionally have need for more businessy wear but it is the exception and not the rule. The environmental norm is jeans.

Sorry for hogging the forum today!

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12 years ago

Dressing

12 replies

Latest reply was from Beth Ann

pastrygirl

(website)

Veteran

I like your idea of a future suit-type pant. Fluid, wider legged.

12 years ago

Thistle

Veteran

I would stay away from more jean material. I feel like you have that covered, and while some offices permit them, many do not.

I think a pair of suit pants should be top of your list, and then go from there!

12 years ago

Diana

Veteran

Thistle, I should add that I do not work in an office. I work in an academic lab. Dark jeans are already pretty dressy in that environment. I will probably never work in a place where jeans are not permitted. I do wear trousers to lab sometimes but I dress them waaaaay down. The suit would be for things like interviews and I'd probably never wear it as a suit for day-to-day things (business wear is the forte of high level administrators and clinical staff/med school instructors. You wear them when you want to impress those people but not when you want to impress the scientists. It's weird.)

12 years ago

Pawprints

Active Member

Unless it's having a collection of variety and interest in black pants that you're after (stamp collecting in the wardrobe--we all doubt with something if not black pants), I would do an inventory by function.

Do you have enough pairs (re laundry, repeats, style variety) for the different kinds of work days you have, if there are differences?

What about the levels of casual social activity you have? Any dressy needs besides a potential interview? At home wear that might be different from your other work or casual needs?

Aside from you need for trousers for trousers for interview-like events, are there any actual events in your life for which you don't have black pants you would enjoy wearing, or wouldn't have enough pairs to keep from doing laundry?

Are you bored to tears with the cuts you own? Feeling adventurous and wanting to explore? If that's why you're expanding, knowing how what you have fits your event requirements will help you know which pairs you're replacing (if you want to edit or don't want to be that woman with all the black pants) when you bring in new silhouettes.

12 years ago

Diana

Veteran

Pawprints, those are great questions.
Let's see:
Occasions:
-for general work days, all of these would work depending on how dressy I feel like being that day. I also obviously have many pants/jeans in other colors and skirts.
-for evening events, this is one place where I have worn the Martin skinnies a lot in the past. Things like going out to a nicer dinner or going to the symphony straight after work. They are practical enough for work but also dressy enough for a nicer evening out. However, I was choosing things like skirts more last year because of the issue with the Martins being too hot for indoors.
-for other occasions requiring businessy wear, I occasionally give talks for which trousers would be nice. They would also work for the symphony-type things mentioned above. I also have grey trousers, but they are a little wide and slouchy to be totally polished. I prefer trousers to pencil skirts because of the footwear issue (can wear boots and booties and high vamp shoes without worrying about stumpifying).
-for very casual things, I really only wear the KUT jeans. But I have plenty of blue jeans and other pants that I also wear. I don't feel the need for black pants every day or anything, so I don't want to add any black pants specifically for casual wear.
-for home, I don't wear my street clothes at home as a rule. I have loungewear for that which I have not counted here (I do have some loungewear black yoga pants though!).

Also: weather:
-On really snowy or wet days, I prefer to tuck my pants into boots. The KUT jeans and Martin skinnies are best for this. So, I have one pair of casual and one pair of slightly dressier pants that work in this slushy weather situation (which is often in Boston). Straight leg pants that can't be tucked are still less draggy than bootcuts or wide legs. In general, the wider the pants, the less useful they are when it's slushy.

This was a helpful exercise. OK, so from this analysis it looks like replacing the Martins is a high priority, since I do have many occasions for them and they work in foul weather.

Also, ETA: Haha, I am already the woman with all the black boots (no kidding, one of my friends actually told me that's how she thinks of me) so no, I don't need to be the woman with all the black pants too.

12 years ago

Makrame

Veteran

Just to add a couple of thoughts (especially since I own both Martins and Real skinnies, which are an equivalent of cigarette pants). I find both to be a bit too body-con for talks (just my personal quirk, I usually wear bootcut/trouser cuts for presentations), although Martins are a bit less so. So for that purpose, I would be looking more for straight leg or wider leg pants.

I like that cigarette pants can be tucked into boots even easier than the Martins. They also look sleeker with long shirts. Because they work so well with both boots and flats, I tend to pack them for travel (I usually don't bring the Martins because they are longer and I tend to wear them with more of a heel).

I have a pair of black skinny jeans from the Loft that I liked but they faded very quickly. I am dry-cleaning the cigarette pants based on the advice from Angie, and washing Martins in cold water with line drying, and both pairs still look OK. So I think while you are looking for black pants, you may also have to decide whether to go with dry-cleaning, very gentle washing etc. I have a feeling that black jeans tend to fade faster.

Hopefully you can find a lightweight replacement for the Martins!

12 years ago

Diana

Veteran

Makrame, thanks for weighing in. I appreciate the input re: talks and things, since I know we work in the same field. I would probably not wear my Martins/other cigarette pants for talks unless it was just to the department or something anyway; I was thinking the suit trousers for that. I've also done skirts for talks too and that is fine as well.

I hand wash and drip dry my Martins and they have not faded - I was worried more about length shrinkage to be honest since I already had to let the hem out once. I don't dry clean anything except wool coats, formal wear, and some blazers. I don't like the chemicals from dry cleaning and I am too lazy so I know that they'd just end up sitting around in the dirty pile for months. So whatever I get will have to be hand washable. (I am willing to dry clean the trousers if they need it, but not the cigarette pants, which I anticipate wearing more often).

12 years ago

Diana

Veteran

Well, the W&W pants arrived today and they are too stretchy so they're going back. Back to the drawing board.

12 years ago

Day Vies

Veteran

I think several pairs of black pants are perfectly acceptable as long as the cuts are different and they have different functions. It is a category where you have to pay attention to duplication. I tend to avoid black pants for this reason -- I didn't want several pairs of pants in the same style.

BTW -- I think you look really cute in the vest/black denim combo. You've got me rethinking my stance on vests now ...

12 years ago

unfrumped

Veteran

It is likely I have more pairs of black pants than anyone on this forum.

It's funny how they are. None are exactly alike. Some with pockets and some not, and it makes a difference in how tops lie. Some lower cut and so the same thing, Some more fitted through the thigh, or smaller hem width. Side-zip flat front works much better with some tops--no waistband fasteners.
One cotton-blend washable, a couple synthetic washables-good for summer when you want to wash & wear-- lightweight wool, warmer weight wool, lined, unlined. I wish I had the perfect one-only pant but not so. Some hemmed to wear with 2" heel when I'm feeling frisky and some hemmed for very flat shoes.

I am letting some go now that I found a pair or 2 that look straighter, and less wide-frumpy, to me. So I'd look for straight-ish but a bit drapey, as suggested.
I couldn't wear any of the Theory pants (haven't tried the new style featured today) but you might.

Or, this is an example of why I need YLF, to get my head up out of my black pants reveries.

12 years ago

Lisa

Veteran

This is a great question. I personally have 3 pairs of black pants and find that enough for me. 1 ponte for longer length tops, one wide leg trouser that has a cuff on it, and one straight leg trouser. I've been eyeballing black jeans but haven't found any that fit "right" just yet. I've learned that I like some variety for my bottoms so 4 black pairs would be enough for me. I wear a lot of jeans, so I've been branching out with colors there instead.

12 years ago

Beth Ann

Veteran

I would recommend you keep your eyes open for a pair of fluid, drapey trousers that are more classic than the Suolis. With some items, I don't make an earnest search, and I don't "settle," because there's not really a "hole." But I tend to buy when I see something that enhances my wardrobe and gives me a new silhouette to play with.

12 years ago

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