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By Yang-Yi Goh and Gerald Ortiz
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When the cold weather is all doom and gloom, all you really want is to feel any semblance of joy—and the best men's corduroy pants are a much-needed boost of fashion seratonin, like a mug of soothing hot chocolate. They're a feel-good pick-me-up when you're in a chipper mood, but especially when you're feeling low. They’re the transitional pant to ease you away from summer and they’re the sweet sartorial salve to keep you cozy through winter. When your wardrobe for the next four months is nothing but cashmere sweaters and big ol’ coats, a sumptuous pair of corduroy pants is the cherry on top of your whip-cream-adorned hot chocolate.
The rest of that very dumb sweet-toothed analogy holds true, though: cords are an absolute heavenly treat for your lower half. Cozier than your jeans, miles more comfortable than your wool trousers, and a worthy substitute for either of those staples. And right this moment, there’s an excess of shiny, hardy, easy-wearing corduroy pants out there to get excited about pulling on every day from now till June. If you’ve got legs and any semblance of style, here are the 19 best men's corduroy pants to consider copping right away.
Material: 100% cotton Fit: Relaxed straight Colors: Varies Sizes: 28-36
Alex Mill—the New York label that’s functionally a reunion tour for the team behind J.Crew’s #menswear golden age—is all about making everyday staples so intuitively wearable you could get dressed in the dark and still emerge looking pretty darn good. Their signature trousers are probably the most fully realized representation of that goal: with a subtle single pleat and a slightly relaxed fit, they feel very 2023 and totally timeless all at once. This latest iteration, done up in hardy medium-weight corduroy, is easily the handsomest and most versatile they've dropped yet.
Material: 8-wale corduroy 100% cotton Fit: Wide-leg Colors: Desert tan, rich walnut Sizes: 28-38
We're living in an age of BIG pants, the pair that's made the biggest waves have got to be J.Crew's Giant-fit chinos. This time around, the ginormous chinos have gotten the fall treatment with a deeply satisfying 8-wale corduroy rendered in both a classic tan and a deep chocolate. They're by no means JNCO-level big (generally speaking, a good thing), but that 20.5-inch leg opening is a heckuva lot wider than most other so-called baggy pants. And while the built-in cuffs aren't ideal for everyone, they give the pants its signature drape and silhouette that made it popular in the first place.
Material: 9-ounce, 11-wale corduroy, 98% cotton, 2% spandex Fit: Classic straight leg Colors: 4 colors Sizes: 30x28"-46x34"
You think cords, you probably think pants like these: simple, hardy, straight-leg joints that your dad likely ordered from a catalog he got in the mail. They're still as sensible and handsome as ever, and if you can steal your pops's well-worn pair from way back when, all the better. If that's not an option, don't fret: thanks to L.L.Bean has been making their best-selling cords for ages and for a price you can afford without parental financial assistance. They’re the platonic ideal of a cord pant, the real-life emoji, cut to a perfectly straight fit that’ll never go out of style and built with a slightly stretchy corduroy that your legs will appreciate.
Material: 100% cotton 8-wale corduroy Fit: Relaxed Colors: Desert camel, classic navy Sizes: 28x32"-38x32"
Corduroy's workwear roots may be a distant memory, but they're not totally forgotten. Todd Snyder's keeping that torch burning with these utilitarian pants complete with a grip of utility pockets and reinforced knees. And, alright, you're probably not doing the kind of work that requires a toolbox or an F-150, but you can still rock these pants and give your outfits that workwear flavor.
Material: 100% cotton 8-wale corduroy milled in Yorkshire Fit: High-rise, full leg Colors: Varies Sizes: 28-40
Back in the day, corduroy was more of a workwear fabric like denim. But if you tried walking into the office wearing denim ‘slacks’ you'd probably be asked to change. Corduroy, on the other hand, can fit right in with office dress code assuming you've got the right pair. The Drake's Game Trousers have got Savile Row-level tailoring and office-appropriate details like a classic high-rise and relaxed fit with a gentle taper that'll sit just right over a pair of chocolate-colored derbies. They’re the kind of dress pants that really don’t feel like dress pants, but they’ll look prim and proper with a button-down and a tie. And if you're feeling like going for the whole shebang, Drake's also has a matching blazer to complete the getup.
Material: 98% cotton, 2% spandex Fit: Straight, slim, and athletic tapered Colors: Varies Sizes: 28x30"-38x34"
So, you're a denim guy. We get it. But if you're looking to broaden your sartorial horizons beyond the heavyweight selvedge joints you swear by (and we encourage you to), these Flint and Tinder cords will help you get your fix without straying too far away from the five-pocket dungarees you’re used to. They've got the details you’re used to seeing on a pair of jeans, but are made from luscious corduroy instead. (See? Not so scary.) The corduroy itself is pretty great, too: beefy but broken-in and available in a grip of tasty colorways, including a navy that's pretty damn close to indigo. They're also available in three different fits (straight fit, slim and athletic fit), each with a touch of stretch to give them a comfy edge that'll expand your five-pocket palate, and might make you give up your blue jeans entirely—for a few months, at least.
Slim Fit Stretch Corduroy Pants
Brooks Brothers' slim fit cords have got that tailored fit that cleans up every outfit, plus the hint of stretch combined with the satisfyingly wide wale corduroy fabric gives it unprecedented levels of comfort.
Engineered for scaling rock faces and styled for more down-to-earth endeavors, Gramicci's iconic climbing pants get the autumnal switchup we didn't know it needed.
The all-time work pant looks even better in corduroy.
If you find yourself at the mall or some high street in need of a pair of solid cords, duck into a COS store and you'll come out a happy customer. These cords feature a great mid-weight cord with silhouette that's easy in the seat and thigh with an ever so gentle taper for a clean aesthetic.
Elastic waist pajama bottoms filtered through a corduroy fabric? Now this is what dreams are made of.
The line between dressy and casual is extremely fine, but somehow Paul Smith's trousers land smack dab in the middle. The inky black corduroy is simultaneously dressy and sensual and the classic 5-pocket jeans styling brings everything closer to earth.
"Owen" Tapered Belted Garment-Dyed Cotton-Corduroy Trousers
This Owen guy thought it was a good idea to include a fabric-matched belt with the trousers—he was right.
Recycled Polyester Corduroy Wide Leg Pants
Bring out the Y2k-era swag along with the Juicy-level comfort.
Chiller Loose Fit Corduroy Pants
When sweatpants are your vibe, but being shamed for wearing them in public is not, consider these baggy-as-hell cords instead.
The search for that grail pair of vintage French corduroy pants with just the right amount of distressing could cost you weeks, nay years, if you ever get find them at all. Or you could make it easy and pop over to Ralph instead.
Tuck in your slinkiest going-out shirt and slide into some shiny dance-ready shoes, and head to the club in these showstopping cords.
We heard you like corduroy, so we put corduroy on top of your corduroy!
Florals? In fall? On corduroy? Groundbreaking!
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By Gerald Ortiz , Tyler Chin , Michella Ore , and Avidan Grossman
By The Editors of GQ
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