Red Tornado Herringbone Officer Trousers

Officer trousers in 100% cotton herringbone twill, high rise, front pleats and a wide leg that falls straight to the hem. Side adjuster tabs at the waist, flapped back pockets and a deep cuffed hem. It is the 1950s military tailoring piece, made to be worn with the shirt tucked in.

The inspiration is the 1950s, and the design shows it: waist at the navel, deep pleats, a full leg and the high rise that makes the leg look longer. These are the trousers of a man who worked sitting at a desk and had to stand up with his clothes still in place.

The fabric is the same family as our P41 jacket: mid weight cotton herringbone twill. Up close, the diagonal changes direction every band and forms the V that gives the weave its name; from a distance it reads as a smooth, full bodied cotton. The trousers come pre shrunk, so the size that arrives is the size that stays.

The pleats open from the waistband and give room at the thigh without widening the hip. The front pocket is set into the side seam with a straight opening, and disappears into the seam when your hand is not in it.

On each side of the waist, a buttoned tab takes the waist in or lets it out by an inch or so. It is the adjustment that makes a belt optional, and it keeps the high waist in place when you sit. The belt loops are there for whoever prefers a belt anyway.

Metal zipper fly with a darkened brass button at the waist, the same button used on the tabs and on the back pockets.

At the back, two welt pockets with buttoned flaps, the kind that holds a wallet and keys without dropping them. The back is plain, no pleats, as in the original design.

The hem comes with a wide tailored turn up. The leg is full from the knee down and falls straight over the shoe. The length is long from the factory, meant for your tailor to set to your height: the wide hem leaves room for it.

About the colors

Two colors, measured on the product photos. Khaki is the uniform beige, closer to grey than to yellow. Ecru is undyed cotton, an off white that leans to cream. In the photos on the model, the room light makes both look warmer than they are.

Specifications

• 100% cotton, mid weight herringbone twill, pre shrunk
• High rise, front pleats
• Wide straight leg, wide cuffed hem
• Buttoned adjuster tabs on both sides of the waist, plus belt loops
• Metal zipper, brass button
• Two front pockets set in the side seam, two back pockets with buttoned flap
• Plain back, no pleats

How to choose your size

The rise is high, so measure where the trousers will actually sit: at navel height, not at the hip where jeans sit. The size is the waist in inches; the chart gives the real measurement of each piece.

Garment measurements in inches / cm, tolerance of 0.8 in (2 cm). Waist, hip, thigh and leg opening = full circumference. Front rise = from the crotch seam to the top of the waistband, along the front. Length = from the waistband to the hem, along the side.

How to measure. Standing, run the tape around your body at navel height, without pulling tight. Choose the piece whose waist is equal to or up to 0.8 in (2 cm) larger than your measurement: the side tabs close that gap. If you fall between two sizes, take the larger one.

Length. The trousers come long. To know how much will be left over, measure a pair of yours from the waistband to the hem and compare with the Length column; the difference is what the tailor will take up.

Care

• Machine wash, delicate cycle, cold water, inside out
• Do not bleach, above all on the Ecru
• Dry in the shade, hung by the waistband
• Iron on medium heat, pressing the pleats and the crease of the leg