Men’s Stretch Corduroy Pants: 5 Fashion Tips To Look Your Best

You need a warm, comfortable pair of pants that’s not denim and not a pair of khakis. What’s more, you don’t’ want to sacrifice the freedom of movement you enjoy in a pair of jeans. What trouser alternative to you turn to?

If you ask us, there can only be one answer: Stretch Corduroy pants.

Getting to Know Corduroy Pants

If you’re not familiar with corduroy, let’s first learn the basics:

• The key to corduroy is in the wales, or the vertical lines created in the weaving process. The thicker these wales are, the more casual your corduroy clothing will tend to be. What’s more, thick, protruding wales will tend to add “heft” to the piece.
• Corduroy is highly textured and tends to pair well with other rich textures. Wearing corduroy with a Fair Isle knit sweater, for example, is a classic “autumn” or “winter” look that matches because both fabrics are designed for a specific time of the year.
• Corduroy is cool-weather clothing, although it does have uses in warmer weather when the wales are thin. It can be a great way to add some warmth to an outfit without an additional layer, keeping your wardrobe consistent.

Now that you know a little about corduroy, it’s time to learn how to best pull off a pair of men’s Stretch Corduroy pants.

Tip #1: Pair Corduroy Pants with Neutral-Colored Shoes

Browsing our Stretch Corduroy page, you might notice something: the shoes that work best with this fabric tend to be white or brown. Corduroy tends to come in rich, autumnal colors, and these neutral colors in the shoes serve as an ideal base for pulling the outfit together.

With this base firmly in place, you’ll then be able to experiment with some other colors when it comes to sweaters, button-downs, and other tops.

Tip #2: Treat the Vertical Wales like Stripes

Although corduroy doesn’t have “stripes” the way you might see on a patterned shirt, make no mistake: those wales are visible and need to be treated as such. Keep them in mind when putting together an outfit, and make sure not to clash these vertical stripes with overly ostentatious patterns in the top you choose.

Tip #3: Wear Corduroy Pants Often to Get a Sense of How it Fits Your Wardrobe

Men’s corduroy pants are great for matching with a number of items in your wardrobe (it can be dressed both up and down), and it’s a highly durable material that responds well to sewing and even patching years down the line. In other words, don’t be afraid to put corduroy through the ringer as you get used to it.

Tip #4: Don’t Wear Corduroy Pants Everywhere

As much as you may like the fabric, corduroy plays best with others. Wear simple button-down shirts made from oxford cloth as a great go-to for matching with your corduroy pants. The all-corduroy look tends to overdo it.

Tip #5: Try Different Colors

Stretch Corduroy in Bark is a great go-to for the season, but Fatigue and Marine can be just as versatile. Browse our full collection and choose the right colors for your wardrobe.

Experiment with stretch corduroy and you’re sure to find it’s a fantastic and savvy alternative to denim or chinos. After all, blue jeans are great, but even the most dedicated denim enthusiast needs an alternative now and again.