Styles · An idea under Independent

Wide leg tailoring

Deep pleated trousers and pooling hems that break over heavy soles.

Wide leg tailoring pairs generous trousers cut with deep pleats or pooling hems with structured jackets and neat tops. Volume below the hip creates dramatic line and ease of motion, anchored by heavy flannel, crisp cotton, and draping wool in shades of black, grey, and taupe.

Oxford bags, very wide trousers worn by Oxford undergraduates from the mid nineteen twenties, are an early example. UJOH is the Japanese label Mitsuru Nishizaki started in two thousand nine after seven years as a pattern cutter, and it designs from a pattern cutter's point of view. Sulvam is the label of Teppei Fujita, who began his career as a pattern maker.

WDLT117 in Toronto brings wide trousers in wool, cotton and linen: belted UJOH pants, Sulvam sarouel trousers, pinstripe wool trousers from MM6 Maison Margiela, and wide pants from Coperni, Undercover and Pleats Please Issey Miyake, for women and men. Wear them with firm soled shoes and simple knits.

Common questions

What defines wide leg tailoring?
Generous trousers and relaxed suits cut with room through the leg characterize this style. Deep pleats allow heavy wool or cotton cloth to pool cleanly over shoes.
How should you balance the proportions of wide trousers?
Fitted knitwear, cropped jackets, and tucked shirts keep the waistline clear against wide trouser legs. Sturdy leather shoes or thick boots ground the silhouette and keep the cuffs off the pavement.
Which designers specialize in wide leg tailoring?
UJOH and Sulvam are Japanese labels started by former pattern cutters, Mitsuru Nishizaki and Teppei Fujita. UJOH makes belted wide pants, and Sulvam makes wide pants and sarouel trousers.