Text: Jiří KrálPhoto: Ilja Hubálek
The wrong length of trousers counts, alongside an ill-fitting belt and tie, among the most common sartorial missteps. This is chiefly because trouser lengths have undergone numerous transformations over the past few decades. In practice, we therefore see trousers of all possible lengths on the street, which is naturally a source of confusion for many gentlemen.
The older rule clearly stated that trousers ought to reach at least two-thirds down the back of the shoe (the so-called Full Break). A gathering of the fabric thus formed at the front of the trouser leg. This style is, however, largely being abandoned today, and in general it holds that shorter, more fitted trouser legs are in fashion.
No single universal recommended length exists today. Trousers are, however, most commonly worn in five principal lengths:
1. Full BreakTrousers in this cut are usually more relaxed, with wider legs that reach about 5 cm below the upper part of the shoe at the back. A slight gathering of fabric thus forms at the front.
The days of Full Break's greatest glory are already behind it. Even so, some older gentlemen will hear no word against it to this day, and it is also appreciated by gentlemen carrying a few extra kilos. Suits with a Full Break trouser length are worn, for example, by Donald Trump, who wishes to appear to his voters in the traditional manner of presidents from the 1970s and 1980s.
Trousers in this cut reach halfway between the heel and the upper edge of the shoe. At the front the fabric breaks only slightly, so that it does not cover too large a part of the shoe. The trousers should not be too loose at the ankle, nor needlessly tight.
3. Slight BreakThis cut is gradually replacing the Medium Break. A very fashionable and elegant variant which neither reveals too much nor fails to appear youthful and balanced.
Here the trousers reach just below the top of the heel. There is no gathering of the fabric at the front, and the shoes therefore come beautifully into their own. The lower part of the trouser leg should be narrower than in the two previous styles.
4. No BreakIn this case the hem of the trouser flows seamlessly into the upper part of the shoe. Not a centimetre of sock or bare skin shows, and the shoes instead come into their own in all their glory. As with the Slight Break, this style looks best with slightly tapered trouser legs.
No Break is a very orderly, serious and polished style, and it is an excellent choice both for slim younger gentlemen and for men of middle age.
5. Above-the-ankle lengthThe boldest and most modern style is that of markedly shortened trouser legs reaching slightly above the ankle. Trousers of this length can be worn in either a fitted or a more relaxed version. Both fall into the casual style.
It is an excellent choice for summer, particularly for younger, slim gentlemen who are not afraid to try something new. In this case shoes are worn either with bare feet or, on the contrary, with long colourful socks, whose interesting pattern is thus brought fully into view.
Is a bare ankle a faux pas?
No, it is not. Bared skin is no longer taboo, yet it has one rule. Either only the bare ankle should be visible between the trouser leg and the shoe, or only the sock. Never both.
So if you wear shorter trousers and do not wish to go barefoot, choose longer socks that do not leave the skin exposed.
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