Red Trouser Issues

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Voucher Codes to help them bring impartial reviews for their Lifestyle magazine, Most Wanted. I've seen a couple of these types of "tried & tested" posts before, namley on Wolf Whistle and Jazz Pad. The idea is to get a handful of bloggers to review  products from a few various retailers and basically see which are the best. So what did I get? Red trousers......when I first heard that I just thought "gees, am I 19 again" (nu-rave anyone) and it was sounding far less appealing.

But the whole idea was to give impartial views so I really had nothing to loose. My chosen retailer was Next, and the product was a pair of slim fit dusty red chinos. I ripped them out the bag one day after work and I was surprised to be actually warming to the idea, for the fact a) they they weren't bright red, b) they weren't tight & c) they were made from washed out soft cotton. So I gave them a go;

Up to now I've worn them 3 times. First time I just popped out for a coffee and it hit me why I liked them more than I expected, it's because the fella from Bargain Hunt, Tim Wannacott, wears some in a very similar colour! And he of course is one of my style icons. The chinos actually seem to fit into my wardrobe pretty easily, sticking them with a grey or blue oxford shirt and brogues or sneaks works pretty easily. In general the fit is quite relaxed, slim in the leg and tapering down to a 7"ish leg opening, which suits me fine. Plenty of room to move. To be honest the colour and fit reminds me more of Albam that a high street brand.

They retail at £38 which at first I thought was a bit pricey for the high street (just comparing quickly to Topman, River Island, Zara ect) but they do actually fit me really well and feel nice. They're advertised as "fits low on the waist" but they really don't, coming in a bit higher than the regular rise, which, always a good thing. 

You're also getting something pretty well made for the price, here's some closer details;

 Metal rivets and buttons, big improvement on the crummy plastic white ones you from most stores

Double pocket stitch detail on both sides, with the added bonus of a small "3rd" pocket on the left

Hopefully you can get a proper idea of the colour here, like a soft worn out red. Triple stitch detail around the waistband is a really cool touch too.

Voucher Codes asked me to use a rate them on the following qualities:

Comfort = 9/10

Style = 8/10

Price = 8.5/10

Quality = 8/10

Overall: 8.5

Pretty swish I must say.

Wearing - red chinos, c/o Voucher Codes via Next, Uniqlo grey oxford shirt, Gap jacket, Ask The Missus suede brogues, Paul Smith socks.

I hope this helps if you are in the market for some red trousers. What do you think anyway, is it working for me? Remember impartial opinions are good.

I you were interested you can probably pick up a some discount from Voucher Codes, you know how it works. Also remember to check out Most Wanted for more blogger's reviews