Nicholas Daley Pullcord Trouser- Khaki

The pullcord is the detail the trouser is named for and the one that explains it. A long cord left deliberately exposed at the waist, with a D-ring hanging loop beside it, is a piece of function borrowed from military and workwear patterns and then made obvious rather than tucked away. Daley does this repeatedly across the line. He takes something utilitarian, keeps it working, and lets it be seen.

Beneath the cord the trouser is a straight-leg corduroy, which is the least fussy shape he cuts, and across the body of it are set panels in a contrasting fabric. Corduroy is a cut-pile cloth, so it takes light along the wales and holds colour with a depth that flat cotton cannot manage. Set a matte or a waxed panel into that pile and the two surfaces read as two entirely different materials from across a street, which is exactly what they are meant to do.

Why we selected it

We selected this trouser once and then took it in three colours, which is further than we usually go with any single style. The reason is that it solves an unusual problem: it is plain enough to wear on an ordinary day and specific enough that it could not have come from anywhere else.

Exposed hardware and visible function are Nicholas Daley constants, and the Pullcord is the trouser where they are most legible.

The colour

Khaki is the version where you can actually see the construction. A mid-tone corduroy against a darker waxed panel gives real tonal contrast as well as textural contrast, so the panelling reads from across a street rather than from a few feet. If the point of this trouser is that Daley shows you his workings, this is the pair that shows them most clearly. It is also the most seasonally flexible of the three, since khaki carries into summer in a way black corduroy does not.

Materials and construction

One hundred percent cotton, made in England. Straight-leg corduroy with waxed cotton contrasting panels, pullcord at the waist, D-ring hardware. Colour: Khaki.

Fit notes

Straight through the leg, waist adjusted by cord rather than fixed by a closure. Corduroy has body and softens across the first season. The waxed panels stay stiff, so the trouser will feel firmer where they sit.

Styling

With the Knitted Vest in green over a plain shirt. With the Bowling Shirt, which wants a warm neutral under it. With the Military Overshirt for the full workwear reading.

Care

Never machine wash, tumble dry, or dry clean, because of the waxed panels. Brush the corduroy when dry, sponge marks with cold water, and keep a hot iron away from the pile. Khaki marks more visibly than black, so deal with spills quickly. Our fabric care guidance covers the rest.

Related pieces

The Pullcord Trouser in black corduroy is the same trouser tonally, and the Pullcord Trouser in navy corduroy sets rib against pile. The Pullcord Short carries the cord at knee length, and the Classic Two Pocket Shirt in beige is the corduroy shirt. Everything we carry from Nicholas Daley is listed together.