One of the less discussed, but welcome, results of ‘generation woke’, is that masculinity is no longer measured by the rules I grew up with. To celebrate a man because of his earnings, his athletic prowess (either on the sports field or in the bedroom) his ability to bottle-up emotion or his appetite for sexual innuendo now feels positively archaic. It’s all embarrassingly out of step with contemporary mores.
Yet if anything, with all those old-fashioned machismo measures out the way, it’s now easier than ever to spot the alpha dudes. It’s simple. They’ll be the ones wearing the biggest trousers.
Big boy pants equals hero. Slim-cut, basic straight leg and (god forbid) skinny) not so much. The argument is over. If you’re on the wrong side of it then sorry, but sort your lifestyle out.
I’ve been banging on about large trousers for years, but now, with a new year imminent, Jabba the Trump on the outs and a vaccine primed to re-boot life as we know it, it’s time to get real. If you’re reading this, you probably read eye_C mag. You’re down with The New Order, 502 Bad Gateway, Sillage, Studio Nicholson and Nepenthes. You know the score, anything slimmer than baggy is just wrong. Which makes these about the rightest trousers you can get.
The brand is Sage Nation. The country of origin is the UK. The trouser volume is absurdist.
With an elasticated waistband, a very slightly cropped length and that remarkable full-length box-pleated front, these have gone straight to the top of my trouser tree. They look as voluminous as a Needles HD, but with a slight taper at the ankle. It’s an addition which I think would make them just that tiny bit easier to wear.
On every level, comfort, appearance and price they hit the bullseye. I appreciate £245 for a pair of trousers is a lot, but they’re packing everything I need. I’ve got large trousers, where the waist is an inch too tight. Or large trousers which I can’t wear without rolling the hem a few turns. These just look out-of-the-box perfect.
I dare not try and add these to my already overburdened Christmas list — I should probably be thinking about gifts for friends and family at this point. But I’m not. I’m thinking about me. And like the Nepenthes’ knit, I blabbed on about the other day, I know I have to own these. And soon. Two to three weeks for delivery they say. I’m not sure it’s even possible to enjoy Christmas without them?