# The "5-pocket" look...



## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

(Images courtesy of )

Associated with the 1970s/1990s interpretation of the look, and getting around boarding-school dress codes. :icon_smile_big: Not very popular here, but great for "Under-the-radar" Trad. 

*5-pocket khakis*. What colors? Ecru/Wheat/Natural/Off-White? Khaki? Navy? Olive?

makes them. Any other U.S. makers?

*5-pocket brown duck trousers*. Worn slim like jeans, or a bit looser as a khakis substitute.

Carhartt lead the way on these, but sadly they've started outsourcing. Still some U.S.-made Carhartt to be found, though. makes them. (Also made by the occasional , as pictured above.)

Round House makes them, (along with their cousin the ecru painter's pant -- also part of the look?) but with double-front knees. Are double-fronts part of the look? Some say "", but I'm sure it's still up for debate.  Any other U.S. makers?

*5-pocket finewale corduroys*. Slim and jeans-cut.

Bills offers them sometimes. makes them. makes them. Any other U.S. or U.K. makers?

Navy and shades of indigo, sure, but what about other colors? The fellow in the Heavy Tweed Jacket photo sports them in chocolate brown. Too retro?

And a new contender!

*5-pocket moleskins*. Under-the-radar Anglo. makes them. Cordings makes them. makes them. again. Other U.K. makers? (Are they all private label from the same place? I don't suppose there are any U.S. makers?) Part of the look? Too Anglo? Color advice?

Thoughts?


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## GBR (Aug 10, 2005)

The "five pocket" style trouser cut like jeans remains a very comfortable and practical leisure garment. The arrival of those without rivets and in non-denim or cord broadens this appeal immeasurably.


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## chatsworth osborne jr. (Feb 2, 2008)

*the low rise still bugs me*

I have a couple pair that Calvin Klein made a few years back. Consistent production of jean cut in non-denim is a rarity, but they pop up every so often from many mass market brands (BR, LE, Gap, J. Crew, etc.).

Much like khakis say "I can't bother wearing wool pants today," jean cut khakis say "I can't bother to wear real khakis today." For me they are the perfect foil for some very casual gathering where everyone else will be wearing the lazy uniform (jeans, t-shirt, sneakers) which I'm not comfortable in.


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## EastVillageTrad (May 12, 2006)

WWII Issue Khakis had 5 pockets. They were the originator of khaki trousers in the mainstream...


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

I bit on some BB 5-pocket cordoroys on clearance during their recent shirt sale.

I hope to be reliving 1977-1983 again soon!!










That chick is HOT!!


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## Dragoon (Apr 1, 2010)

I like the duck jeans and have had several pairs of the Carhartts. I wish they could be had without all the extra pockets. I do remove the hammer loop since it snags on every drawer pull and door knob in our house. I have also been known to sport the double knee Carhartt overalls (yes, I do have a farm) for heavy work and hunting.

I grew up wearing nothing but Levis but changed over to regular Carhartt jeans several years ago and have been happy with them.
It's a shame they moved production overseas, I will look into the Big Bill brand.


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## Youngster (Jun 5, 2008)

I'm a big fan of 5 pocket corduroys as well as ducks. Pointer is the best value in ducks as far as I'm concerned. Cheaper than Carharrtt and US made to boot.

https://www.pointerbrand.com/


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## Dragoon (Apr 1, 2010)

Pointer's sizing/offerings make no sense to me. Very few things come in a 38" waist. Maybe they make a batch of one size every few years?


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## Youngster (Jun 5, 2008)

Dragoon said:


> Pointer's sizing/offerings make no sense to me. Very few things come in a 38" waist. Maybe they make a batch of one size every few years?


Yeah, they're pretty small, and so don't keep huge stocks or run excess production. If you call them up, they may be able to tell you when they can get you size. 
These are in 38, however, and pretty cool:

That's some old school workwear!


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## JJR512 (May 18, 2010)

WouldaShoulda said:


> That chick is HOT!!


Yeah, strange, isn't it? Most advertisers and clothing designers think men want women to be built like toothpicks. This girl looks like she could wrap her legs around me and crush me...and I would very much love to let her try.


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

JJR512 said:


> Yeah, strange, isn't it? Most advertisers and clothing designers think men want women to be built like toothpicks. This girl looks like she could wrap her legs around me and crush me...and I would very much love to let her try.


Field hockey or LAX instead of barfing up one's lunch will do that!!


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## Saltydog (Nov 3, 2007)

JJR512 said:


> Yeah, strange, isn't it? Most advertisers and clothing designers think men want women to be built like toothpicks. This girl looks like she could wrap her legs around me and crush me...and I would very much love to let her try.


Like the old 60's tune says...no one wants the woman with the skinny legs! No pipe-stem legged woman for me either friend!


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## joeyzaza (Dec 9, 2005)

Like the 5 pocket look in khaki in lieu of blue jeans. Agree with the comments regarding fuller figured models. I should have grown up in the 50s or 60s.


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

I got the BB 5 pkt cords and they are as low rise as anticipated.

They will still work with a jacket/sweater/sweatshirt combo come fall.

Now back to oggling preppy women...


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## closerlook (Sep 3, 2008)

that first picture is from my favorite shop in princeton


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## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

katon said:


> makes them. Any other U.S. makers?


A mistake on my part. I examined a pair of the 5-pockets more carefully and noticed that they're non-twill. (A duck weave, I think, but I'm not so hip on weaves.) To be fair, Bills never said they were khakis, just "weathered canvas". Any other makers, then? 5-pockets, U.S.-made, twill weave?


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## bestmastertailor (Aug 28, 2003)

I have sold Corbin's 5 pocket model well in the washed tencel/cottons and this past fall had them in a cashmere/worsted blend that sold out in 3 weeks


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## El_Abogado (Apr 21, 2009)

Awesome thread. I have stopped wearing blue jeans, except for yard work, but I have been wearing Levis 501s in "desert" and "caper". Yeah, they aren't made in America anymore, but they are Levis.


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## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

katon said:


> *5-pocket finewale corduroys*. Slim and jeans-cut.
> 
> Bills offers them sometimes. makes them. makes them. Any other U.S. or U.K. makers?












Alexanders of London, another U.K.-maker (I think?) courtesy of TheWeejun in a thread over on Devil's Island.  They also offer ! How would those fit in, I wonder?


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

I don't see how this is specific to '70s Ivy League and later preppy looks...

Here, in the '60s, worn with sport coats!  And ties! 









EDIT: Then again, these could just be the frog top sport trousers popular in the '60s. If so, I eat my words.


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## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

(Corbin via Tom James)

And another, maybe. Corbin makes ("City Cords") and , but it's not clear where exactly they're made... anybody know if these are Corbin U.S.-make?


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## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

katon said:


> A mistake on my part. I examined a pair of the 5-pockets more carefully and noticed that they're non-twill. (A duck weave, I think, but I'm not so hip on weaves.) To be fair, Bills never said they were khakis, just "weathered canvas". Any other makers, then? 5-pockets, U.S.-made, twill weave?


Bills does do some 5-pocket twills under their "Limited Edition" lines, that are available for purchase through men's shops but not online. I always forget about the limited edition stuff, even though that's where a lot of the really interesting items come in...

- 8.5 oz twill 5-pocket in Khaki, Olive, and the ever-popular Wheat.

- 5.6 oz twill 5-pocket in a 55/45 cotton/Lyocell blend. Apparently Lyocell is a new form of rayon? Maybe these are Sta-prest copies? Any ideas?

- 5.2 oz cotton twill 5-pocket in "Denim", "Brick", "Citron", and "Sandstone".

- 10.2 oz cotton twill 5-pocket in Khaki and "Cement".

They also have another 5-pocket variant I hadn't thought of. 5-pockets in linen!

- 7.2 oz, only available in "Ivory".


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## Starch (Jun 28, 2010)

I don't know if this is obvious or something, but I'd put money on most of the pants in the top post (2, 3 and 5, anyway) being Levi's cords. I could've (and probably did) sport the exact look as the guy in photo 5 (with the "7" in the corner) at about exactly the same time in history that he did - including the ill-advised hairstyle.


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## bestmastertailor (Aug 28, 2003)

katon said:


> anybody know if these are Corbin U.S.-make?[/QUOTE]
> 
> Made in Shippensburg, PA..... last fall I sold a 5 pocket wool/cashmere from them that blew out of the door


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## bd79cc (Dec 20, 2006)

Starch said:


> I don't know if this is obvious or something, but I'd put money on most of the pants in the top post (2, 3 and 5, anyway) being Levi's cords. I could've (and probably did) sport the exact look as the guy in photo 5 (with the "7" in the corner) at about exactly the same time in history that he did - including the ill-advised hairstyle.


You had to be coming of age in the 1970s to very the early 80s for this to be that obvious! Levi's used to make the narrow-waled cords in a bunch of different colors, also in some materials that looked like canvas. These pants were different than the 501-type Levis in that they lacked all the reinforcement features and had zipper flies instead of buttons. They were all what we now call regular fit - no relaxed or slim or gangsta fit - although as you can tell by the photos the regular fit ended up a touch on the form-fitting side due to shrinkage and softening of the material. All these different versions of the basic Levis 5-pocket jeans were available at The Gap. In the 1970s, The Gap - now called just "Gap" - was a chain of small, brown-orange stores found in malls and downtown areas that carried nothing but Levis. How tastes - and the ability to satisfy them - have changed.


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## Fraser Tartan (May 12, 2010)

Starch said:


> I don't know if this is obvious or something, but I'd put money on most of the pants in the top post (2, 3 and 5, anyway) being Levi's cords. I could've (and probably did) sport the exact look as the guy in photo 5 (with the "7" in the corner) at about exactly the same time in history that he did - including the ill-advised hairstyle.


It's obvious to me too. I was also around then. I'd bet the great majority of those 5-pockets are Levi's. My recollection is that they dominated in needlecords, etc. the same way they did denim then. I also bought mine at the small local jean chain here in the San Francisco area called The Gap. I remember small standalone stores in San Francisco, San Jose, and one in Palo Alto near Stanford. I still remember how they tacked up examples of all the Levi's styles (501's, 505's, wacky bell-bottoms, etc.) they had at the time up on the walls to display. I wasn't happy when they switched over to selling house brand jeans. Fall into The Gap!

I wear Levi's 501's in desert regularly and like them. Wear them more often than my 501's in dark blue denim, actually. No 5-pocket needlecords at the moment.


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## Serenus (Jun 19, 2009)

WouldaShoulda said:


> I bit on some BB 5-pocket cordoroys on clearance during their recent shirt sale.
> 
> I hope to be reliving 1977-1983 again soon!!
> 
> ...


But check out the guy in the background!


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