If you can choose only 5 male trousers, what are they?

Even if we are only looking at smart trousers the pair that suits someone will depend on their lifestyle and taste. While a pair or whipcords may be more stylish than a pair flannels, the choice of look is equally important.

There are still some areas that are less controversial. We’ll start with these before we move on to more specific looks and how flashy or fuddy certain things are.

These are my assumptions for everything on this list:

1. The wearer is searching for separate, smart trousers, most likely for work
2. They still desire some form of formality (eg, for a meeting or not)
3. They want to wear them with or without a jacket.

#1 Grey flannels

Because of the reaction of a friend, I feel confident in putting trusted mid-grey woollen flannels at the top of my list. He was changing from suits and tie to trousers and shirts. He was amazed at how different they were to everyone else in office (who had, of necessity, removed their suit jackets) and how smart and sophisticated they were.

Flannel is unique because it can be worn with any kind of material, including black and brown shoes.

#2 Flannels made of dark-brown or charcoal

Charcoal is for formal wearers who prefer something more sophisticated than mid-grey. For someone who likes to wear a lot black and cool shades of brown and/or olive. Similar to dark brown flannels, but without the office/business applications. Both are wonderful and I recommend them to anyone who has ever loved flannels and is looking for ways to grow.

Here is where the subjective, personal angle becomes important. You can also get a whipcord or cavalry twill trouser in these colors. It’s just as good and as useful. It’s just as comfortable with casual clothes like a crewneck and a denim shirt, although I’m not sure. You can choose a more sharp wool twill for this purpose instead of more flannel.

#3 Grey high twists

This list has a central problem. Most people will need different pants for winter and summer. You won’t be allowed to wear the majority of these fabrics year-round unless you live in a tropical or very cold country. We recommend that you choose trousers in a similar colour to the flannels but in smart summer materials like high-twist cotton. It is very breathable and doesn’t look like the bottom half of a suit.

To return to the topic, it’s not so bad to wear suit trousers (often fine worsted) with only knitwear. They look weird when worn with separate jackets.

#4 Cream or dark olive linen

We also need something lighter than high-twists for summer, which is linen. A heavier, Irish linen will usually look smarter, stay sharper, and be more professional-looking.

Greys and navy are not great in linen. The former look old while the latter is rarely the right shade. These might be the colors you instinctively choose, but you should also consider cream or, if you are afraid, a dark olive color.

#5 Grey, olive, or dark-brown cords

Corduroy is a casual option that I have included in order to make it more casual than the others. It comes in smart colours such as olive, very dark brown and olive. I have never understood why grey (either mid-grey or charcoal) looks better than navy smart cords. The conventional colours are not the same, but navy always looks more wrinkled or dusty than grey.

This could also be because I find navy trousers less versatile with jackets than people think. My preference is for greys over them.

The next five

These are just a few of the options that we have considered, based on our personal preferences.

• Whipcord/cav twill/serge

These are the best materials that don’t look like a suit trousers, but still have a sharp edgeю Try charcoal instead of the country colors.

• Wool gabardine or cotton wool

Although they share the same name, these are actually quite different. The wool gabardine is very smooth and elegant and I recommend it for formal events. Cotton gabardine, which is the smartest type of cotton, is very nice. If you are a fan of cord or moleskin cotton, this will have the same cotton touch but be smarter.

• Chinos and other cotton-twills

Chinos are not included in this list because, even when they’re smart, I don’t think they look best with jackets. Even though a smart chino is great for work, it’s a great option to wear with only knitwear. However, there are many cotton twills that can be quite nice. Because they are so different, the only thing that ties them together is finer cotton and a smoother surface. If they are in a tailoring book it is usually safe to assume they belong to this category.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. It’s more of a selection that you can choose from, including multiples, to fit your workplace and lifestyle.

For example, a guy who works five days a week in a smart office might want more uniformity. He might choose to have three pairs grey flannels, with a charcoal or brown option. One person who travels a lot and needs to be in a variety of places and meetings might need a mixture of cords and flannels, as well as a pair smart chinos.

The colours can also vary in their shades. It is important to remember that navy and grey are always smarter than green or brown. This should be obvious if you really think about it.