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1920 Look 1
1920s men’s pants changed from skinny jazz trousers to wide straight leg trousers to the over-sized oxford bags in the span of just 10 years. All men’s 1920s pants had very high waists and waist bands held up with button suspenders. 1920s pants have flat front pants that fit high on the waist (no low rise) with distinct patterns such as stripes, plaid, checks, tweed and herringbone. -
1930 Look 2
Men’s pants in the 1930s were high waisted, full around the hip, and had long column-like wide legs. That wide leg trend began in the 20s and gradually narrowed down into the 50s, while the high waists lasted until the early 1960s. Plaid, herringbone, check, tweed, windowpane, and stripes were all patterns men in the 30s wore for both business and casualwear. Some younger men’s pants had wide “Hollywood” waistbands and a pleated front for extra fullness. -
1940 Look 3
Men’s 1940s trousers, pants, and slacks had medium to wide legs that tapered and cuffed at the ankles. They also fit very high up on the waist, reaching to the bottom of the ribs. Popular colors were striped, plaid or solid color browns, grey, and navy blue. Held up with a belt or button-on suspenders, 1940s men’s wide leg pants are classics for the swing dancing community, Zoot Suiters, WWII reenactors, and Big Band musicians. -
1950 Look 4
1950s men’s slacks were often made of polyester, linen or a light wool. They had no pleats and were close-fitting at the natural waist so that no suspenders needed to be worn. They zipped up the front with a button closure at the top. A single pressed line down the front created an illusion of height. They were slightly slim in the leg, more so than suit pants anyways, and often tapered a little bit at the bottom. They had side welt pockets and usually small cuffs at the hem. -
1960 Look 5
Pant materials moved away from dressy wools into the new stretch knit synthetics that allowed more and smaller patterns to dominate men’s pants of the 60s. Plaids checks, herringbone, angled pinstripes, vertical stripes, and corduroy each called attention to a man’s lower half. A slight flare at the ankle was a precursor to the bells to come starting in 1968-69. They fit over the boots every mod was wearing. -
1970 Look 6
Classic men chose low waist flat front dress trousers with a plain belt in soft pastel, chino, or earth colors. Denim jeans followed both the slim leg, flare and even the wide bell bottom when moving into the hippie ’70s. Men’s ’60s jeans waistbands were low, while ’70s waistbands were high. Corduroy bell bottom pants were especially popular in the 1970s. And on the disco dance floor, it was polyester that served as the most flexible material for bell bottoms.
