George Trousers

I mentioned in my posting of December 16th that I would talk more about the George trousers I wore that day.

This post will fulfill my promise.

I believe George brand trousers are some of the best vintage-style trousers one can find that are very reasonably priced. Why? What makes these $15-$20 trousers better vintage-wise compared to many other seemingly better and higher priced brands?

I'll show you.
The picture below shows three pairs of trousers. One pair is from the late-1940s while the other two are modern George brand trousers. Can you pick out the vintage pair?

You might have decided that the pair on the left is the vintage pair and you would be right, but you probably had some trouble coming to that conclusion. As you can see, like trousers from the 1930s through the early 1950s, the two George trousers have very little taper to them. Wide legged trousers were the style during the Golden Age and these modern trousers mimic the old style very closely.

So closely, infact, that they have the same diameter leg at the cuff, as the below photo clearly illustrates. The vintage trou is beneath the modern.

One thing you might notice in the above photo is that the vintage trou is missing cuffs while the modern George trousers have cuffs. While cuffs were prevalent during the Golden Age they were not always present as a result of fads, personal preferences and even the need to let them down to lengthen the trou to accomidate longer legs.

Yet, as you can see, both of my George trousers have cuffs, which I prefer since they can be let down if needed, help the leg drape better and overall look classic. Both pairs of trousers have cuffs that measure 1 1/2" in length, falling in at the very bottom of the vintage cuff length of 1 1/2" to 2". These cuffs are perfect.

Not only that, but these trousers are pleated. I, not being a fan of plain-front trousers, love the look of pleats and, yes, pleats were fairly common during the Golden Age. Rack up another positive point.

You might also wonder about the fabric weight and pattern. The pictures clearly show that these two examples of George trousers have very classic fabric patterns. The neutral base colors paired with lighter windowpaning as well as other subtle colors (like blue windowpaning on the gray trou) gives these trousers a vintage look that will go with many a suit jacket and shirt.

The fabric weight can be described somewhere inbetween heavy and light, making the trousers perfect for cool and warm weather wear. They are made of a polyester that differs from each style of trouser. But keep in mind that today's polyester is very different from that of the 1970s. These trousers feel like they are made of a heavy cotton blend rather than a polyester blend. The fabric breathes well and they are very comfortable to wear.

My only problem with them is they don't come with suspender buttons but this is easily solved. Plus, they have high enough waists that they wear very well with suspenders.

This is why George brand trousers are my favorite modern trousers to wear: they look classic in both design and color, they are made of medium-weight fabric and they are very comfortable to wear. I would advise you to pick up a pair at your local Wal-Mart and try them out for yourself. they cost anywhere from $15 to $20, making them very affordable and are great trousers for vintage afficionados.