There comes a point every fall when your summer chinos start to feel a little thin. The mornings have a bite to them, the leaves are crunching underfoot and you want something with real heft. That’s when it’s time to bring out the rugged stuff. Pants cut from fabrics with real texture and warmth—like tweed, moleskin and corduroy—and will feel as good as they look from the first crisp morning right through the end of the season.
Each one brings something a little different. Tweed is the most traditional of the bunch. Its nubby, flecked surface looks right at home on a country walk, or on a city one. Moleskin is a dense cotton that’s brushed for a soft, almost suede-like hand. It blocks the wind surprisingly well and only gets better with wear. And corduroy, whether chunky wide-wale or refined pinwale, has the ribbed texture that practically defines autumn. Look for relaxed, straight cuts in earthy shades like olive, chocolate, rust and oatmeal. They’ll work with nearly everything already in your closet.
Best of all, they’re ridiculously easy to wear. Pair them with a faded denim shirt for a bit of workwear grit, or add a shawl-collar cardigan when you want to look a little more put together. On weekends, a simple crewneck sweatshirt keeps things relaxed. These are the pants you’ll keep reaching for, whatever the forecast says.
