High-Water Men's Pants - Yea or Nay?

Readers, if you haven't witnessed the trend in person, you've probably seen it in magazines.  I speak of the creeping high-water pants look for men.

I discussed it with the Vinyls this morning over breakfast and things got quite heated.



Allan loves the look and Ken -- rather predictably -- hates it.   He's a traditionalist.



Men have been rolling up their hems for years, especially when wearing high top sneakers, desert boots, and classic shoes (like penny loafers) with no socks -- kind of a preppy/dandy look.

No, what I'm talking about is this -- the much-discussed (relatively speaking) Thom Browne silhouette.

Do you see the difference?

Rolled hem casual:

Hurricane Katrina:

Preppy Paul:

Buster Browne:

Living on the edge of Chelsea's gallery district as I do, I see this look, not often exactly, but when you do see it it definitely sticks in your mind so it's like more people are wearing it than actually are.

I'll say only this: it suits some, but it doesn't suit me.  To me it looks infantile; there -- I said it.

 More so than in women's fashion, men's fashion trends seem to exist in a separate parallel universe.  Beyond certain neighborhoods and professionals, you just don't see them -- ever.  Why is that?

Thom was showing this in 2009.  Other than MPB, when's the last time you saw a man in a pencil skirt?

In closing, friends, what's your take on all this? Is it just a few fashion designers pushing the envelope to garner publicity or is this high-water/shrunken-in-the-dryer trend something real in the fashion zeitgeist?

Obviously with fashion, the more you see something the more normal and "right" it looks (cough, cough)...



Of course people can wear what they want; live and let live I always say.  But we're allowed to have an opinion about it.

So I ask you: men's high-water pants -- yea or nay?

And if you care to distinguish, do you feel differently about the rolled-at-the-ankle look than the hemmed-practically-to-the-calf thing?  And how high is too high?  Is this more of a tall man's thing or a short man's?

Would you or your man ever don this look?  Or does he already?

Jump in while the tide's out!