At this point it seems that the only reason anyone ever mentions the adage “no white after Labor Day†is to demonstrate just how outdated it has become. If anything, the pendulum has now swung in the opposite direction and the notion of “winter whites†has become as prevalent as anything in those months post September 1st. While some may advocate for white denim, the thought of wearing jeans with a sport coat is a bit too much for many, and so I personally favor pale-toned flannels this time of year.
As these sketches from Apparel Arts show, cream and ivory flannel were incredibly popular trouser options throughout the thirties and forties back, when men were getting their clothes made for them as opposed to buying them off the rack. Thanks to the rise of ready to wear though, snowy flannels fell out of favor because for most men they were far too ostentatious and so you’d be hard pressed to find a pair of white flannels in any post-mid century menswear collection.
Contemporarily though, as designers have looked to the dirty thirties for inspiration, lighter colored flannel trousers have made their way into collections once again. Traditionally white pants are associated with warmer months, but a heavier weight flannel trouser plays quite nicely off the colorfully patterned tweed and houndstooth sport coats that are common in these cooler months. So go ahead, be bold, and go for blank.
Be still my heart. Grandfather Jacobi Press’s favorite winter sport outfit was a contrast color grey/white herringbone scratchy tweed sport coat worn with 14 oz. white flannel trousers.
What else would you want to wear in Palm Beach or Palm Springs, for that matter?
Regarding the 3rd image: The shoes are brown calf and buckskin w/ red rubber soles. Someone needs to recreate this shoe so we can wear it with our 14 oz. with flannels. Do we have any leads on where we can pick up some winter whites?
Into the late 1960s, the ushers at the protestant summer chapel in Watch Hill, RI were still wearing white flannels with the navy (YC) blazers every Sunday morning. And FYI, no vending machines were allowed in town, except for the lone Coke machine in the hotel garage.
Do cream flannel trousers pick up dirt and stains easily in a modern metropolis and if so is this easy enough for a dry cleaner to deal with?
I can imagine it could be fairly traumatic if you sat on a dirty seat or spilt something on a bespoke trouser which cost you upwards of $1000 and you were unable to get rid of it.
dave, looks like you can get them for $200 at grasscourt.com. they only have sizes 34-42, though. =(