Inner Workings

I love many things about menswear, but one of my favorite private little pleasures is the contrasting and often colorful facing that some designers use in their waistbands as well as shirts, jackets, etc.

Yesterday, while in Banana Republic purchasing my new black pants for the season, the nice young man who rang me up asked me if I knew why the facing on the waistband of my new pants was periwinkle blue and striped?  I had to admit I did not.  He went on to explain that it was the designers way of suggesting colors and patterns of shirts that would be  a compliment to the pant (I have to say, in this case, they are black so the field is pretty much open).

I had never heard this and when I asked my professional stylist sweetheart if she had, she indeed had not heard it before either, but we both agreed that it is a wonderful idea so I thought I’d share.

As you can see from the three pairs of my own pants that I’ve posted here these waistband facings can be anything from subtle and complimentary to downright outrageous.  I will now smile an even bigger smile when I buy my next pair of pants with a fun Dandi inner waistband and do my best to live up to the designers expectations of colors I pair with them.

Photos courtesy of:

PreppyBaba’s closet