Turn-ups on tartan TROUSERS?

[Jock Scot]

Well alright, the definitions of tartan trousers and tartan trews are many and various. So..........

Mrs Jock and I were at a smart dinner ------not formal----- party last night. Most of the men were wearing suits and some of us were wearing our kilts, tweed kilt jackets and drop down ties. The ladies were dressed in an assortment of appropriate attire and beautiful they looked, but not one of them wore a stitch of tartan. During the evening one of the male guests asked about tartan trousers as he was thinking of getting a pair made.

As you can imagine a lively conversation ensued and first of all there was a discussion on the difference between Trews and trousers. I think after a modest conversation it was agreed that the term "Trews" had confusingly a dual meaning. So for the sake of the discussion, the military style of tartan garments were "trews" and the civilian style of tartan garments were "trousers". In this we failed and confusion ensued on more than one occasion! Nothing new there then! But we had a lot of laughs!

So, the chap wanting a pair of tartan trousers, had fairly definite ideas to what he required. So a Clan tartan was not a problem as he wanted the Clan Chatten tartan, although I had reservations of how it would look. However, its not an unusual tartan around here. He did not want a more severe military cut for the garment and he wanted turn-ups.

It was here that the discussion took off! Personally I don't mind turn-ups on tartan trousers, but there were more than a few around the table who were horrified in a charming way, at the thought!

So alright you chaps, what do you think?

[User]

I look forward to hearing what people more knowledgeable than me have to say on this subject. My understanding of what trews are comes exclusively from photos I've seen. And from that, my internal image of trews is simply "high waisted tartan trousers".

[Jock Scot]

I look forward to hearing what people more knowledgeable than me have to say on this subject. My understanding of what trews are comes exclusively from photos I've seen. And from that, my internal image of trews is simply "high waisted tartan trousers".

I think that your quote is correct. But.................BUT.........

Many these days appear to use the term of "trews" for a general term for trousers, particularly in a Scottish context. Some of those in the discussion certainly did!

[OC Richard]

I suppose it would be best to follow whatever the norms are for non-tartan trousers.

Does that depend on the sort of situations the trousers will be worn in, the level of formality?

Jock you got me going down the trouser turn-ups rabbit-hole!

I found this article, which links turn-ups with pleated trousers:

https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/articl...rn-up-trousers

To quote:

Turn-ups on certain best trousers are utterly essential. If one’s trousers are pleated and above 16 inches at the ankle, then a turn-up has to be employed, as they allow a certain weight and an undeniable standing.

I would also contest that a turn-up is de rigueur, indeed virtually essential, for both a double-breasted and a three-piece suit whose trousers are not insanely narrow. For me it’s the pleats. Trousers that employ them seem unfinished without a cuff, whereas a narrower pant without pleats looks clumsy and cumbersome with.

As for the more formal suit trousers, it has been said that the trend was initiated by Edward VII, while still the Prince Of Wales, who, in the late 1890s, turned his trousers up while at race meets to avoid getting mud on his trouser bottoms. The English aristocrats - suckers for any fad started by a Royal - followed suit and, much to the future king’s bewilderment, copied his pragmatic affectation.

Similarly, legend has it that the "cuff" fashion began in the US in 1905 after an English nobleman, on his way to a wedding in the rain in New York, turned his trousers up to avoid getting them wet and forgot to let them down. Fashion conscious New Yorkers thought this a remarkable new craze and the fashion for "cuffs" began.

[User]

I've always assumed cuffing was a generational thing, but of course the reality of it is much more complex. Truthfully, I'm not a fan of cuffing, ever. The fabric has a right side and a wrong side. I don't like the wrong side to be visible. BUT! I don't concern myself with how others dress. If other people like to wear cuffs, fantastic! It adds more visual variety than if everyone dresses like me.

Being tartan makes me dislike cuffing even more, unless you can center a detail like with pleats. In which case, I'm back to my regular dislike of cuffing. :-)

[Hirsty]

Either are fine depending upon the fashion of the day. Turn ups help with the drape but I prefer none on trews as it breaks up the silhouette

[figheadair]

I have a tweed suit that has turn ups on the trousers. It was bespoke and therefore the style was a personal choice and one I'm really fond of in that context. By contrast, my two pairs of trews are military style.

For context, House of Bruar offer tartan trousers with a turnup. I wonder about the potential for the pattern to become misaligned with time and wear. Personally, I would avoid them but each to their own