Harris Wharf London Men Pleated Trousers

Superfine merino is wool measured at the low end of the micron scale, which is to say the individual fibers are thin enough that the cloth feels soft against skin rather than merely warm. In a trouser that matters more than it does in a jacket, because a trouser is against you all day. The pleats at the waist are the other half of the argument: a pleat releases cloth into the front of the leg, so the trouser has room where sitting and walking need it and returns to a flat front when you stand. That is a construction from a period when trousers were expected to be worn for twelve hours, and it is the reason pleated trousers keep coming back. The cloth here is Japanese and the making is Italian, which is a combination this house uses selectively rather than as a rule.

Why we selected it

A soft, pleated wool trouser is the single most useful thing a man can own that he probably does not, and superfine merino removes the only objection people have to wool trousers.

Materials and construction

One hundred percent virgin wool, superfine merino, made in Italy with Japanese cloth. Pleated front, two side pockets, and one back pocket. Color: Black.

Fit notes

Pleats sit best when the waistband sits at the actual waist rather than on the hip, because a pleat pulled downward opens instead of lying flat. Superfine merino drapes rather than holding a shape, so expect a fluid line through the leg rather than a stiff one.

Styling

Black wool trousers ask very little of whatever goes with them, which is most of their usefulness. With the Men 2b. Blazer for the tailored version, with a knit for the version you would actually wear on a Wednesday, and with almost any shoe that is not a running shoe.

Care

Dry clean, and hang them by the hem from clips rather than folded over a bar, which is what keeps the crease and the pleat in agreement. Our general guidance on wool covers the rest.

Related pieces

The 2b. Blazer in Vitale Barberis Canonico houndstooth is virgin wool cut with two buttons, and the Jogging Trousers put that same houndstooth on a drawstring. There is more on the house on the Harris Wharf London designer page. Everything we carry from Harris Wharf London is listed together.