I picked four wide pants that are great for wearing comfortably every day upon returning to college. There are AMOMENTO's wide banding pants in khaki and black with comfortable banding and two-tuck pleats, along with LOW CLASSIC's oversized sweatpants and Centaur's side line sweatpants for easy movement. The waistbands don't squeeze thanks to the elastic, and the legs are roomy, so they stay comfortable even when sitting in lecture halls for a long time.
Wide pants originally started in the 1920s when students at Oxford University in the UK had them made to get around school rules. Back then, when the university banned knickerbockers—knee-length trousers—from lecture halls, students tailored pants with huge legs so they could easily slip them right over knickerbockers without taking off their shoes. This rebellion of "Oxford bags," designed to hide forbidden clothes inside loose sacks, became the iconic starting point for modern wide pants.
So for a returning student looking for comfortable pants to wear on campus, they are historically a perfect match. Shall we look at neat slacks-style options that also pair well with shirts, or would you like to narrow it down to everyday sweatpants first?
↳ With a slacks feel
I picked four pairs of slacks highlighting neat pleats and relaxed silhouettes. There are AMOMENTO's double-tuck wide banding pants in khaki and black, and MOONDAL's sleek pintuck slacks in brown and charcoal stripe. Slacks these days don't just stay in stiff formality like they used to; the list leans toward settling into comfortable everyday wear by hiding elastic in the waist or adding generous tucks.
Looking closely at the word slacks brings Marlene Dietrich in the 1930s to mind. When she headed to France in a pantsuit in 1933, the Paris police chief threatened to arrest any woman wearing trousers. That was because an outdated 1800 ordinance remained in Paris at the time, requiring women to obtain police permission to wear trousers, which were considered men's clothing. Unfazed by the arrest threat, Dietrich stepped proudly off at the Paris train station in a complete pantsuit, accessorized with a necktie, a men's coat, and sunglasses.
Past the era when trousers were taboo, they have now become clothes where you can freely choose lines and fabrics. Among the four selected, shall we look at soft wool materials or comfortable all-around elastic waistbands first, or would you prefer to narrow down by prices under KRW 200,000 or deep shades like charcoal and black?
↳ With wool slacks
I picked three slacks from the list that fall neatly in wool materials. There are AMOMENTO's men's wool banding pants in charcoal for comfortable wear, AMOMENTO's wool wide pants in black with a flowing silhouette, and INSILENCE's 벨티드 턴업 슬랙스 BLACK with emphasized hems. Wool slacks coming out these days lean toward giving the body ease with elastic waists or generous room around the legs, rather than just standing stiffly structured like before.
Flannel wool, familiar as a winter slacks fabric, originally started in the 16th century with "gwlanen," a coarse fabric made by Welsh weavers who combed wool surfaces to endure the damp cold. This cloth, which protected farmers and miners from harsh wind and rain as workwear, gradually entered formal wear in the early 20th century through cricket uniforms and British students' gray trousers. Workwear meant to keep commoners warm was refined through sophisticated processing techniques into the elegant, cozy trouser fabric that gentlemen reach for every season today.
The pants selected this time also carry warmth suited to the season and distinct, calm lines. Would you like an elastic waistband for easy wear, or should we match by a budget in the KRW 100,000s or colors like charcoal and brown first?
Final Selected Products
