Black Leather Jacket and Khaki Pants

[tonypaj]

black leather and khaki look likes cop in my opinion, especially when paired with black boots/ shoes & black belt.

Hey, I'm a peaceful person working with the brightest scientific minds on the planet, but black and khaki is just what's in my mind. I wanted the black jacket to match my black boots and belt with different pants, but the one I bought got lost.

Come to think of it, I do have an old black Schott biker jacket. I'm a bit hesitant with that, given that I do not have a bike. I do have a horse, or a half of it (ownership quarrels with my wife), but a black leather jacket, black boots, khaki pants, and a horse, that's mega law enforcement there, reminds me of football matches in the late 80s in the UK, us fans being really just cattle.

At the stables I'm a conformist. Just browns and greens, leather is not the first choice. And I'm just a poser there, I can handle a horse a bit, but I leave the jumping competitions to my daughter. I have learned to know saddle soap all too well...

 

[ButteMT61]

See, my Dad was one of those brightest scientific minds and he dressed sharp! Now of course it depends on the style of jacket - I don't think "I" would try to rock a D-Pocket with khakis, but a younger man could - or Mick Jagger...
I've got a LW "A-1" that is a very dark seal with dark green knits - it would look killer with some light khakis. I'm using "khaki" mostly in terms of style and not color here...

 

[tonypaj]

See, my Dad was one of those brightest scientific minds and he dressed sharp! Now of course it depends on the style of jacket - I don't think "I" would try to rock a D-Pocket with khakis, but a younger man could - or Mick Jagger...
I've got a LW "A-1" that is a very dark seal with dark green knits - it would look killer with some light khakis. I'm using "khaki" mostly in terms of style and not color here...

The people I work with do stuff with Hawkingses and like, either directly or indirectly. They could not care less about clothes. Some just wear a t-shirt and shorts all year round. I'm just an enabler, sort out what they need, handle contractors, legal stuff, money.

It's incredibly relaxed, though. My requirements as far as clothes go are just in my mind. The others are impressed if I wear a tie. Or possibly they are just bemused.

I'd still like to get the black leather jacket I bought, and would wear that to the office. There would be some looks, but it would soon go back to technical details, and the real dudes would never have noticed the clothes. They just do their own stuff. It is sartorially gross, though.

 

[handymike]

Khaki as a style (ie chinos) OK.
Khaki as a color...blah.
I have an aversion to beige as I grew up in Irvine

 

[kronos77]

handymike, I definitely meant khaki as a color.

I was convinced by someone a few years back that black shoes and khaki colored pants don't look so good as brown shoes. I realize black can go with anything but I wonder if the effect of the combination is that it looks acceptable but obviously lacking something.

If khaki pants are ok with a black leather, must the shoes be black too? There was a thread about shoes and jackets a while back. Tobacco colored shoes, khaki pants and a black jacket?

 

[Fanch]

IMO khaki pants probably look better with brown than black, especially russet brown. I would match shoes, belt, and jacket with the same color.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Khaki as a style (ie chinos) OK.
Khaki as a color...blah.
I have an aversion to beige as I grew up in Irvine

I hear you. Maybe this is an Australian thing. I tend to avoid chinos or what Americans call Khakis generally. A friend of mine describes chinos as the middle aged accountants weekend wear. It's an unfair prejudice but one I struggle to shake. I guess if they were black or navy the prejudice would fade… as a rule I trend to avoid beige and brown in all clothing. I don't mind dark brown leather but that's a different ballgame.

 

[Cyber Lip]

I agree, chinos are 'work pants' that I've been forced to wear. They'll forever remind me of jobs I've hated

 

[kronos77]

So what do Aussies wear in between blue jeans and dress pants?

 

[Seb Lucas]

I think there's a solid middle class suburbanite who would wear chinos when not in a suit. I'm out of touch in this. I wear jeans at work so I don't have to think about this. What I tend to see is dress pants or jeans and not so much in between. Of course there is also a range of dress jeans which is a whole different kettle of fish.

 

[Carlos840]

If khaki pants are ok with a black leather, must the shoes be black too? There was a thread about shoes and jackets a while back. Tobacco colored shoes, khaki pants and a black jacket?

IMO, match leathers if you are wearing black or brown.
I do think you can get away without matching if the leathers are verry different.
For example i often wear black jacket, black belt, and tan Red Wing 877.
I also think matching black and cordovan works.
A dark brown and black just look wrong to me.

 

[kronos77]

I swore I would never wear chinos until I tried Bonobos, which didn't have the saggy shapeless look I hated. From that time on, I have worn my own interpretation of the Indy look, something I always loved....except the brown jacket.

 

[tropicalbob]

I've never owned a pair of khakis, mainly for the same reason Seb gave above -- the whole accountant-on-holiday thing. Also, the first pair I ever saw were my old man's when I was four or five and that he claimed had been dragged behind his troopship on the way back from Japan after WWII. They were faded to an almost white color, and I've always thought I might just be tempted if I saw such a pair, but I never have.

 

[navetsea]

I have a (or two) pair of khaki pants in khaki color, dunno how I could wear those things few years back, maybe because then I was into oversize stuff, now it is the other way around... so I can't really imagine wearing khakis let alone giving a positive suggestion

 

[Big J]

Given that some US pilots wore close-to-black seal coloured jackets with their khakis, I shouldn't imagine it'll be too much of a clash.

So true! I love khaki pants with almost black seal brown (russet A-2 with blue jeans!).

 

[Sloan1874]

It depends how you wear khakis. They can be the blah-ist of the blah trousers, especially if they're just a mid-rise, pleat-fronted, average leg-width item, with about three minutes thought put into the design. At that point they become middle-aged urban camouflage that can be worn in the office or pub without any comment. Put a bit of thought and cash into them, as with anything, and you'll get a stylish, comfortable trouser that sets you apart from the crowd (if that's what you're after, of course). Here are a few pics of my Buzz Rickson 1942 khakis (un-ironed!). I think they have a bit of dash about them.

 

[Big J]

It depends how you wear khakis. They can be the blah-ist of the blah trousers, especially if they're just a mid-rise, pleat-fronted, average leg-width item, with about three minutes thought put into the design. At that point they become middle-aged urban camouflage that can be worn in the office or pub without any comment. Put a bit of thought and cash into them, as with anything, and you'll get a stylish, comfortable trouser that sets you apart from the crowd (if that's what you're after, of course). Here are a few pics of my Buzz Rickson 1942 khakis (un-ironed!). I think they have a bit of dash about them.

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Yeah, I agree. GAP khakis are ok most of the time, but with A-2s I like the repro issue khakis.

 

[CBI]

yep, no issues with khakis really but also agree with A-2's, G-1's etc. repro khakis look super. You can't go wrong with BR. I buy these sort of extras to wear with A-2's from places like WW2 Impressions and At the Front. Nice "vintage inspired" Khakis are pretty plentiful but why do that when you can get great looking pretty exact copies of the pants, shirts, etc. that "inspired" the more current designs. WW2 Imp and ATF offer some very nice prices as well vs. standard retail folks.

 

[ProteinNerd]

A decent fitting pair of chinos (or khakis) minus the front pleats (like sloan posted) can look pretty damn good, although I do avoid the light beige colour personally.

 

[tnjyoung]

You mean like this...

...or this?