Kit Blake: Gilt-Edged Trousers

For many years there has been a loophole in the domain of tailored trouser separates. Sometimes the most obvious thing is the hardest to spot. Trousers of classical proportions mimicking the designs worn by the troupe of the stylish elite in the Golden Age of Hollywood were rarely accessible. To pick up pants of this stature, you needed to have a close relationship with a distinguished bespoke tailor, or opt for Edward Sexton’s subversive take on classic trousers. If you were at pains to chiffer away your money on bespoke, the ready-to-wear scene was yet to really offer a united alternative. Fortunately, in the gambit of The Rake’s sartorial guru, Chris Modoo, was a scheme to bring attainable classic-cut trousers back into our wardrobes. Together with the entrepreneurial spirit of co-founder Richard Wheat, not only have they masterminded a comeback for stunning pleated trousers, but they’ve cunningly used cloth, pattern and other subtle design details to make these trousers tremendously versatile and relevant today.

The first wave of their collection in early spring arrived with some enterprising innovations. There was the brand’s first single reverse-pleated model, the “Duke”, whilst there was the inaugural Stretch Aleks drawstring trousers. We’re delighted to tell you that in anticipation of travel, events and socialising becoming more of an option, Kit Blake have arguably mustered up their most inventive, diverse and original collection to date.

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With the potential to be on the move more frequently, you want trousers that are able to serve multiple purposes, whilst remaining impeccably stylish. As black-tie invitations start to rack up on our dressers, we’ll be having to dust down our tuxedos. It is a good idea to do so, but why not think about wearing Kit Blake’s midnight blue wool and mohair pleated Aleksandar trousers in the office during the day – and use them as a separate to a cream dinner jacket for an evening cocktail party. Not just for the aforementioned practices, these trousers are a shrewd investment if you’re fed up of lugging around outfit changes with you all the time.

Chris Modoo has been a valued contributor over the years to The Rake online. He’s imparted his wisdom on a variety of subjects, but it is arguably his appraisal of fabric and colour that we keep reverting to. He’s an excellent judge on when particular fabrics should be worn and in what tone. His forensic scrutiny of these topics certainly transcends into the Kit Blake collection. And by that I mean, only the best and most appropriate fabrics have been used this summer, and in the right colour palettes. Cut in a rich Irish linen, the tobacco pleated slim Aleks are a beautiful example of this seasonal consideration. The trousers are lightweight, cool and crisp to touch making them suitable for the advection of hot air. Modoo once told The Rake: “Brown is a very useful evening colour”. Wear these trousers with a pale jacket or shirt at a smart Greek taverna, and you’ll be protruding just the right amount of informal elegance. If you prefer to wear a lighter tone during the day, these trousers also come in a very romantic Sahara gold shade.

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Some people make the mistake of overlooking wool entirely in the summer months. Now, you definitely don’t want to be walking along the Promenade des Anglais in Nice in heavy flannels, but you should have no hesitation in opting for Kit Blake’s selection in lightweight tropical worsted. Woven by VBC, these trousers are smooth and breathable, and as they come in flexible tones of light grey and summer blue, you will have a myriad of pairing options. Wear with a knitted polo shirt, and like Errol Flynn and the Duke of Windsor used to do, accessorize with an ascot for a touch more formality.

None of the Kit Blake designs are made with belt loops. The main advantage of a high-rise trouser without belt loops is that it elicits the finer physical attributes of a man’s waist with superior elegance. Previsions have been made for multiple summer pursuits in this collection. In true Fred Perry-style their cream cotton pleated Aleksandar trouser features a comfortable stretch waistband, which makes them more than capable to be your go-to tennis pant for this summer. Extremely suave, you would see these old-fashioned trousers being sported at the famous charity tennis tournaments in the grounds of the magnificent Witanhurst House in Highgate, the home of Lady Crosfield in the ’20s and ’30s.

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Over the last six months we’ve seen a few companies producing classic-cut trousers with a drawstring waist. Kit Blake lead the way in mastering the art of this invention, and we’re delighted to witness a couple of summer iterations. With razor sharp forward-facing pleats, the seafoam blue linen Stretch Aleks arrive in a unique colourway, which is extremely well-suited when you want to partner a neutral shade on the top half. Terrifically adaptable, you can wear them to travel or lounge at the hotel, and when it comes to going out in the evening the traditional trimmings help them pass as a more formal trouser if the drawstring waist is disguised by a tailored jacket.

The Aleksandar trouser in an understated olive herringbone is the perfect year-round trouser to add to your wardrobe. In a medium-weight wool it is ideal for the Cheltenham festival in March and for the big flat race meetings such as the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket in September. The grey houndstooth 4-ply tropical worsted pant would also be a fine choice when mingling with the equine turf’s smart set.

Kit Blake are one-of-a-kind, as not only have they reintroduced accomplished classic-cut trousers back into the menswear scene, but they’ve made them relevant to almost any setting you find yourself in. You could be playing tennis in the morning in the cream cotton pleated trousers, at Glorious Goodwood in the afternoon, and at a cocktail party in the evening provided you haven’t taken a tumble on the tennis courts, such is there endless versatility.