Sometimes it’s good to let your trousers do the talking. The second you walk into a room they’re communicating data about you, even before you’ve said a single word. Pants drive your entire outfit, which is why it makes sense to avoid transient trends and search out a style you can stick with. If you choose wisely, these two-legged friends will do all the thinking for you; simply slide both legs in, button up and get ready to seize the day.
For me, the Dordoni pants are the clothing equivalent of a teacher’s pet. This continuity style can do no wrong. With a report card that’s consistently A*, there’s a bloody good reason they rank so highly on the Studio Nicholson roll call of favourites – it’s because they work. Season after season, year after year, they outperform every other pant. Anyone lucky enough to own a pair can vouch for the fact that they can’t remember what living was like without them.
Life is challenging enough, who needs to spend ten minutes doing a thousand-yard-stare into the wardrobe every morning, silently repeating the mantra, “I don’t know what to wear”? I know I don’t. I’m too old for that business. Fashion frivolity feels a bit teenage in times like this. If 2020 has taught me anything, it’s the wisdom that reducing those daily micro-decisions makes for a much smoother ride.
Being loyal to one trouser silhouette means you’re always on solid ground. For me, the subtlety of a wide, curved leg is king. Maybe it’s because I’m from a long line of sea-faring folk that I’m predisposed to baggier bottoms? As a kid, both grandads regaled me with tales about how their sailor pants were lifesavers – quite literally. Whip ‘em off, tie ‘em up and inflate ‘em – and then, hey presto, you’ve got yourself a buoyancy aid. You don’t get that kind of heroism with a pair of skinny jeans.
Stick with the width and layer up with your other favourite components. Why overcomplicate things when the perfect option already exists? Whether you're short, tall, big or small, the Dordoni is a classic Studio Nicholson shape engineered to give you volume in all the right places. Designed as the universal women's trouser with an inbuilt playful energy, their structure strengthens the female form. High waisted with deliberately deep single pleats at the front and generous side pockets, they work brilliantly with a tucked-in tee, oversized shirt or a chunky knit.
The formula never deviates, but sometimes it’s good to throw in a limited-edition fabrication to keep things feeling fresh. For Pre-Fall 2020, Studio Nicholson has introduced a slightly sporty cotton/polyamide twill. With a slightly crispier, crunchier handle than our continuity peached cotton, this midweight Italian cloth can slide into your modular wardrobe and take you through till spring 2021 – and beyond. Such is the beauty of first-rate engineering; if it ain’t broke, why fix it?
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Leanne Cloudsdale is the Studio Nicholson Editor-at-Large