You can’t have too much of a good thing, and corduroy is a good thing. Which means that double corduroy – like double denim, but make it cord – is a very good thing. A doubly good thing. The thought process behind double corduroy as a winter wardrobe winner goes like this. You wake up and, well, really you would like to wear jeans if it’s all the same to everyone else. Jeans have a combination of hardiness and familiarity that makes them very appealing on a winter morning. Also, they are on the chair next to the bed where you took them off last night, so that’s handy.
On the other hand … the jeans are on the chair next to the bed where you took them off last night. Which reminds you that you have been wearing them quite a lot and maybe you should make a bit more of an effort? Because, yes, January is a bit rubbish but in the end, in life you get back what you put in, if you know what I mean?
Cords are the answer to what to wear when you want that favourite-jeans feel, but also want to make your look a little bit more intentional. Cord trousers, like jeans, are structured enough to give your outline a bit of scaffolding. (Tracksuit bottoms, on the other hand, give a schlumpy effect that makes most of us look about as dynamic and go-getting as a half-melted snowman.) Also, cords aren’t high-maintenance in the way that tailored trousers are. They don’t crease easily, and the fabric isn’t so delicate that you have to be vigilant about keeping the hem off the ground.
The joy of wearing a matching set of anything – whether that is double denim, a classic tailored suit, a beach co-ord of matching short sleeve shirt and shorts or double corduroy – is that by wearing the same fabric in the top and bottom halves of your outfit, you make it feel like a fashion statement.
Meanwhile, you are simultaneously saving yourself time and headspace by eliminating the need to choose something that will “go” with whatever you picked up first. Corduroy plus corduroy has more impact, and requires less effort, than corduroy plus anything else.
Double corduroy has a different vibe from double denim. Less Fight Club, more book club. Corduroy is softer and cosier. It is sturdy enough to work outdoors, but soft enough to be comfy if you curl up by the fire. Corduroy still has a professor vibe to it, as illustrated in the new film The Holdovers, in which Paul Giamatti plays a 1970s professor who wears – you guessed it – a tan cord suit, complete with leather elbow patches.
Actually, I think we can make this work in our favour. Double denim is good at signalling honest-hard-work, that kind of thing, but it doesn’t tend to make you look like a deep thinker. Cord makes you look clever. This sounds like a dumb thing to say, I know, but it is true.
If you are keen to avoid 1970s-staffroom territory, the two key considerations are the silhouette and the colour. Your trousers should have a wide, straight leg or, if you don’t get on with a flappy ankle, be full at the hip and slightly tapered lower down the leg. No flares, no skinnies, no bootcuts. For an update on the cord trouser suit, try adding a sturdy cord shirt worn as a shacket, like the above pairing in organic cotton from the always excellent independent brand Albaray.
Corduroy naturally lends itself to earthy colours. Browns, deep greens, russets, that sort of thing. To sharpen it up, make a less obvious choice. Flamingo pink if you really want to stand out, but glossy black is a winner for night-time glamour, and snowy ivory always works for daytime polish. You can even pair two cord halves in different colours, if inspiration strikes. Or pair one piece in skinny needle cord with another in jumbo cord. This is a genius idea. Corduroy is for clever people, after all.
Model: Selena at Milk. Hair and makeup: Sophie Higginson using Sam McKnight and Nars. Cord shirt and trousers: Albaray. Red roll neck: Next. Loafers: LK Bennett. Rings: Misho
