What do grandpas and Italians know best?
They know that in the winter you want to be warm.
They know when the snow falls, if we aren’t careful, that our legs can quickly become jealous of our arms-the former confined to cold stiff denim with the later wrapped in soft sweaters, henleys and even down.
They know that cut and fabric and fit are key to be both comfortable and stylish.
And when it comes to dressing from December to March, they know that wool pants are both life and style saving.
So in the spirit of watching Grumpy Old Men at least 10 times and the Italians I’m lucky to live in close proximity to; I bring you wool pants, my winter choice for my lower half.
Style 1: Cuffed Trouser
The first style is borrowed from the guys. Cuffed. Creased down the front. And a bit high waisted. My favorite pair I found in small mountain town of Italy are 80% wool and 20 % silk which makes them light and comfy but still warm and shape holding.
I think I’ve seen a version of this look every time I ski across the border from Chamonix in Courmayeur. Old school mountain boots, wool pants, sweater. Done.
Style 2: Joggers but not sweats
I have a curvy frame, and often jogger pants don’t look great on me unless I layer long tops to keep a straighter line from shoulders to ankles. I’ve had these pants since university and I wear this outfit at least once a week in the winter. It was my go to traveling to Japan last winter-comfortable for plane rides but still respecting the fact that you’re getting into a metal tube in the sky where I think sweatpants are never acceptable.
Style 3: Wide and Loose and Layered
These wool pants I scored for I want to say something like 30 dollars from a store sale in Jackson have stayed in my closet for close to ten years now. They are 100% wool. The waist band lays flat, medium width, and no belt loops which makes it really versatile and allows tops to lay flat. I’ve left them long so they pool over my shoes which have to be heels (I’m somewhere between 5’2 and 5’3), and if you look closely the hems are pretty destroyed but I figured one day I’d still have the length to hem them a bit higher in order to clean them up. I’ve worn them casually for movie nights and fancied them up for weddings and every occasion in between.
There are a million wool pants out there. They can be a bit tricky in terms of fit so it’s a fashion search best done in person or with a brand you know works with you. When in doubt, start with anything Italian made. They are pant GENIUSES. Ssense, Garmentory, The Real Real, and the Outnet could be good online places to search, just make sure you can return them.
Special mention that borrows from all three styles…
~And Another Thing…
-I finished Naomi Klein’s new Doppleganger a few weeks ago and while it left me a bit depressed (probably because the other two books I was rotating between were also heavy on the wtf are we doing as humans to each other and the planet and animals), I really enjoyed her perspectives on our current society.
-Thank goodness Katie Burrell is here to lighten the mood
-Courtney Martin was my intro to substack and my favorite adult on the internet. She’s the best combination of wise, rational, empathetic and real. Her last post about her father was particularly moving as I experienced similar feelings when my own dad was sick.
-I’m thinking about making this cake for some upcoming ski missions! Pocket cake, yes please.
Kellyn is up next week with tips for winter tops that would be a great match to your wool pants.
Thank you for reading. We activated the chat, and hope to see you all in there with any questions or comments or finds!
Hadley
TOGS stems from our mutual love of expression through clothing. We weren’t sure if anyone would join us here-and have been overwhelmed by how many did! With your support, we’d love to keep TOGS going through paid subscriptions starting February 12th. 5 dollars a month or 50 dollars a year helps us put in the work to make TOGS what it is. -Hadley and Kellyn