Capsule Dispatch: Down Low
🥃 Bottoms Up
If you missed out on the last two newsletters, I'm assembling a non-minimalist—AKA fun—capsule wardrobe, and we've already had a chat about the tops I've chosen. After the wider variety of shirts in my wardrobe, my pants selections will likely feel spartan, but a narrow selection of trousers does not mean these are devoid of personality.
This is probably the area of the capsule wardrobe where most people will differ drastically from me—unless you’re a member of a certain hot dog loving group (below). You’ll notice no traditional blue jeans. That’s a dispatch for another time; I do own blue jeans, I just don’t wear them.
I only have five pants. My choices cover day to day wear, some light active-wear, and dressing up enough to pair with something like a navy blazer.
There’s no getting around it. I have not one, but two pair of white jeans in my capsule wardrobe. I can't imagine any wardrobe without at least one pair.
I am working on a Dispatch dedicated to my beloved white jeans, but for now, I will say that I wear white jeans at least three times a week.
If you need more encouragement, Sid Mashburn’s got you covered.
In my capsule I have Observer Denim (ODs) and Observer Contractors (OCs). Unfortunately, the white American-made denim for these is no longer being made, but there here are a couple other places to get white denim if you're interested.
The ODs I wear like regular jeans, they’re just white. The OCs fit exactly the same as my beloved ODs, but they have asymmetric double knees with integrated front drop pockets that will perfectly fit a phone or wallet. They're great for travel where the extra pockets come in handy, doing projects around the house, or casual errands.
A hallmark of the Observer Denim design is the ability to adjust your fit in the field, and the self-hem system (pictured below) is part of this. The raw, frayed edge of the self-hem dresses things down, and that makes it fun to mix in with more tailored clothing. I love the juxtaposition of my ODs with a navy blazer.
My other main trousers are my favorite (and, simply, the best) chinos: RRL Officer Chinos (top image). My good friend Ben wrote the review I wish I’d written, so I’ll let him explain what makes them so good. I have many pairs across olive, khaki, and natural, but for this capsule, I have limited myself to only the olive pair. I landed on olive because it works well with my skin tone and is just as neutral as khaki, but gives a little more visual interest to my wardrobe.
The next pair of pants in my capsule is kind of an odd pair, the Vollebak Off Grid Pant, again in olive. These don’t go with everything. I would never tuck a dress shirt into the elastic and drawstring waistband of these, so they’re limited to being worn with tee shirts/sweatshirts or jackets. These pants are overbuilt in Vollebak’s characteristic apocalypse-ready style. The cotton/Cordura fabric is hearty, but the ingenious venting hidden below the waistband helps keep you cool. I love the drop pockets on the front for holding dog treats and camera bits and bobs, or snacks while hiking. I wear these for chill errands, lounging, helping my parents with yard work, or for my favorite, long photo/dog walks.
The previous pants would all make the cut for a year-round capsule wardrobe. The last of my five is a seasonal odd trouser. For the winter season, it is this cozy, but not stifling, pair of grey flannel high rise pleated trousers. A well-cut pair of flannel trousers can feel like a pair of pajama pants and I have found myself lounging around in them more than even I expected. They work with a blazer in lieu of a suit in all but the most formal of situations. I wear mine with a sweater or chore jacket quite often, and if I feel the desire to dress them up even more, I might add a knit tie.
As the weather warms up—quickly in Austin, though February is known to bring some frigid temps here—I might swap these out with a pair of mid-grey high twist pleated trousers or a pair of Gurkha trousers in cotton or linen.
Other than a pair of swim trunks (you never know when you’re going to need them), that’s it. I have traveled with some combination of these for more than a week, and if they were the only five trousers in my closet, I would have no problems coming up with enough outfits to not get bored.
TL;DR
White Observer Denim
White Observer Contractors
Olive Officer Chino
Olive Off Grid Pant
Grey Wool Flannel Pleated Trouser
Swim Trunks