About absolute favourites, beloved pieces and everything else we grab when we open our wardrobes. This is precisely the focus of this series: presenting individual pieces of clothing and accessories which are essential to our wardrobes and are waiting for their moment to shine. In the first episode: a pair of trousers by Christophe Lemaire.
Between the glass facades of Frankfurt’s skyscrapers the summer heat was searing. It was a glistening day in July. Looking for some place to cool down, I stumbled into a shop. Hesitantly, I walked past the clothing racks. Already prepared to leave and walk back outside again, I caught sight of a pair of trousers. The cut and colour immediately struck me: the waist sits very high and features double internal pleats. The legs are straight with a wide hem. The trousers are made from a thin cotton cloth, giving off a slight shine. The colour, a red ochre which gains further depth from the shine is absolutely astonishing. Vague memories of summers spent in southern France come back to life.
The high waist and the straight legs were what convinced me when trying on the trousers: the cut stretches the silhouette; the hem forming a clear break above the shoe. Barely any slimmer than the legs, the wide hem creates a continuous and boxy side. The straight legs – an antidote to their skinny counterparts which dominate the urban landscape nowadays – appear elegant and timeless. Due to its generous, airy cut, the light cloth flows effortlessly. Hence, the trousers wear extremely comfortably and leave plenty of space for the spectator’s imagination.
With a newly acquired pair of trousers by Christophe Lemaire, I left the shop – the summer heat long forgotten. Lemaire, who was probably thinking about his childhood in Dakar and his time at Yves Saint Laurent’s studio in the 1980s when designing the trousers, now works under his eponymous label. His collections consist of classic menswear, trends scarcely feature. Widely cut suits are combined with loosely fitted shirts and tees. Coats are often belted and their silhouettes resemble kimonos. Monochrome looks in earthy and muted colours are at times interspersed with hints of brighter tones. The result is a timeless range of clothes defined by its precise design language and uncompromising quality.
Five weeks after having discovered the trousers, I met with Max Mogg to take measurements for a suit. I was wearing the trousers by Lemaire in combination with a flowing, white linen shirt. Although the shirt is not by Lemaire, the grandad collar and the loose cut perfectly reflect his aesthetics. Some of the trousers’s elements, such as the high waist with the double internal pleats and the straight legs, also characterise the suit I was about to order. Only a few weeks after the discovery of the Lemaire trousers did Max Mogg’s suit enter my wardrobe.
