For the most part, each decade or era of menswear has one pant style that defines it. In the 90’s it was wide fit, pleated chinos, the 2000’s were an era of intricate, loud denim, and the 2010’s have so far been defined by the skinny jean. Slim or skinny fit pants are far and away the most common cut of pants in contemporary menswear. The high fashion industry does now see more relaxed and wide fit pants than in recent years and with that there are many new styles emerging. For example, the European take on the wide fit pant focuses on dress trousers, typically in wool. Japan and Korea are two fashion centers running at the forefront of the wide cut pant “movement.”

Japan is known for its craftsmanship and attention to detail. Over the years it has begun to apply these values to the fashion industry to create internationally coveted clothing known for its quality; A Bathing Ape and Yohji Yamamoto are just two well known brands to have emerged from Japan. Lately, contemporary Japanese brands and designers such as Engineered Garments, Visvim, Needles, and Junya Watanabe have been pulling more and more inspiration from American heritage clothing. Over the last few years, wide leg chinos and twill work pants have become one of the cornerstones of the japanese “street style” look.

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        South Korea is perhaps one of the most advanced countries in the world with regards to fashion design and style. Current South Korean style, like that of Japan, is extremely influenced by American heritage. Unlike Japan, South Korea adapts the heritage garments to a more modern silhouette which creates a more unique look. The whole aesthetic of South Korean street style stems from two common styles of pants. The first is a basic chino and the second is more inspired by something like a carpenter’s work pants.

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         Over the last decade, North America has been trading more and more with Asia. As this has happened, there has been a drastic increase in Asian influence along the Pacific coast. Vancouver has a particularly large Asian population that will only continue to grow. As it increases further, we can expect more and more influence from Asia. The Japanese/Korean street style look is going to arrive in Vancouver soon and it will likely catch on. Vancouver much like the aesthetic of the look is a juxtaposition of formality and relaxation; it is home to LuluLemon, Arc’teryx and the idea that comfort is important. In the Pacific Northwest, the 2020’s will be defined by the relaxed fit trouser.