Oi, Noah! Where's the flood?!

"Great style usually happens when you break the rules." -Jack, stylist for J. Crew


Hey Manscapers,
 


I hope you all have had a fantastic week full of daily moisturizing! Yes, I just went there. Does your skin feel as nourished and smooth as mine does? I'd rather not find out for myself but I'll take your word for it...

With this weeks post, I've decide to expand on a subject I've already eluded to. With my first post, as some of you remember, I discussed the current fashion trend of rolling up your trousers in respect to having the 'no socks with shoes' look. Well, today, I'm making the look complete by giving you all the advice (and probably more) you've been craving on that perfect 'trouser roll.'

Before I begin, I would just like to clarify the reason I will refer to trousers as... well.. trousers. You see, I have lived in the UK for the better part of the last 4 years and have quite an audience from this area and greater Europe. This being said, what American's refer to as 'pants' are undergarments in this part of the world. Therefore, I shall henceforth refer to the article of clothing that covers your legs as trousers so there is no dispute or confusion. Thank you.


First of all, where was this style when I was growing so fast my trousers seemed to perpetually sit that awkward half inch above my shoe?! You know that stage where your trousers just seem to always 'hover?' Yikes. I'm having flash backs of being asked, "Hey Noah, expecting a flood? I see you're wearing your HIGH WATERS!" Wow. The ingenuity of kids' taunts never cease to amaze me.


Right. Back to trouser rolling.

Now, when wearing a pair of trousers you would like to roll, it's important you use either straight, straight/slim, slim, or skinny fit trousers. The reason being is with these trousers the cut line is created so that they fit well in the bum and thighs and then the line of the trouser goes either straight down or in from the knee to the ankle. This cut tends to lengthen the look of the leg (depending on how tight  it fits through the calve, mind you) and won't be baggy near the shoe. I'm not saying everyone needs to go as drastic as to wear a skinny jean, because frankly I would never suggest that, but at least straight legged trousers should be used. By using a trouser with these cuts, you won't get a lot of extra bagginess in the area that's rolled. (That would look kind of dumb if you were walking around and had a huge hoop of material suspended above your shoe that didn't touch your ankle on any side... Let's be honest.)


Also, Manscapers, don't be deceived. There are many ways to roll up your trousers. If you don't feel comfortable or wanting to try the 'no sock' look then there are many ways you can stick with this trend in your own comfort zone.  When wearing boat shoes, loafers with the 'no sock' look, or any canvas shoe, I tend to roll my trousers about two to three inches above the shoe line to accentuate the roll and show a bit of ankle. This look is more of a summery/beachy/European look but may be warn other parts of the year as well; depending on where you live and the weather.







If you prefer to have a trendy look without looking as if you're preparing for a flood and want to wear a full sock, feel free to either roll your trousers a single time, cuffing them at the bottom about 2/3 inches, or just make a small 1 inch roll two or three times. Just until the fabric rests on the top of your shoe. This can be done with jeans over kicks/vans/canvas shoes or even ironed on the creases with dress trousers and proper shoes for a smarter look. For instance, I was riding the underground in London the other day when I spotted a well dressed gentleman with his wife in a grey blazer, steal blue button up, and khaki trousers rolled twice so they just rested at the top of his brown oxford dress shoes. I'm still kicking myself for not taking a picture because it looked great! If you're going for a dressier look, iron the creases so they have a crisp look.

Another thing to keep in mind, as well, is if you feel that your trousers are too baggy when you roll them up, even if they're slim fit, you can 'tight roll' them. Do this by pulling out the fabric from your leg and folding over the extra (parallel to your leg) prior to rolling to create a slimmer look.

Just keep in mind, there is no wrong way to roll! You can do a single cuff at alternate widths, multiple folds with 1/2" to 2" thickness, tight rolls at alternate thickness, etc. The trouser world is your oyster! Try it with regular shoes, dress shoes, or loafers. The trick is to take the bagginess that would normally crowd around your ankle away, giving your legs a longer, thinner appearance. What are you waiting for?! Go roll! Give it a shot and please let me know what you think. Send me a picture or two even!!

As always, keep in mind that looking good is mainly being confident in what you're wearing. Own it, whatever you do.

Please comment and don't forget to subscribe! Email any questions, comments, pictures, suggestions, or random 'hellos' to manscapemonday@gmail.com and don't forget to keep lookin' good!