Our Corduroy Style Guide
Whether it’s through a weekend trip into the backcountry or a pumpkin spice café crawl, we all love to feel fall. Still, sometimes stepping on crunchy leaves and drinking apple cider doesn’t quite cure our fall fever. When that happens, we turn to the fabric that feels the most like fall.
Corduroy.
Soft, warm, and durable, corduroy is the fabric of fall, and we can’t get enough of it. We plan on wearing it through fall and beyond, so we’ve made a guide on how to style it so you can cozy up to corduroy with us.
Shake Up Your Closet’s Textures with Corduroy
We all have those tried-and-true pieces of clothing that we turn to when we just don’t have the bandwidth to give what we’re wearing the time and attention it deserves. Even though our favorite jeans and dresses that go well with everything have saved us more times than we care to admit, we also know that you can have too much of a good thing.
(Imagine a world with only bean bag chairs for furniture. Would it be awesome? Yes. Would anything get done? No.)
Corduroy offers all the comfort and reliability of those closet favorites along with a unique texture that stands out in a crowd. It allows you to push your style with a fabric that has been popular for decades but remains quirky and unique.
Oh, and corduroy is just as comfy as those bean bag chairs, so you won’t regret throwing it on for your morning commute.
Start with Corduroy Pants
Although classic looks typically involve corduroy jackets, if you’re new to the fabric then the best way to get comfortable with it is with a solid pair of corduroy pants.
Corduroy’s cotton make-up and raised ridges make it feel soft, but it also tends to be thicker than most soft fabrics which makes it a great choice for cold days. In fact, corduroy pants are a savvy alternative to denim jeans since they’re just as warm but are much softer and have a distinct look.
That being said, corduroy’s unique texture and look could take a few outings to get familiar with, so we recommend starting with a pair of corduroy pants in a classic color to build upon. Khaki, navy, or brown corduroy pants will rhyme with just about anything in your closet, and since corduroy is a durable fabric you can keep matching your pants with new trends and looks season after season.
Don’t Stop at Corduroy Pants Though
If your corduroy pants become a staple of your style, then you can embrace your new favorite fabric by adding different types of corduroy pieces to your wardrobe.
A corduroy jacket will likely become your go-to for cold days since they’re warm, soft, and durable enough to match just about any activity. In fact, a corduroy jacket or overshirt will not only make you the comfiest person sitting around the campfire, but also the best dressed.
You don’t have to stop there though. A corduroy jumper combines the comfort of a dress with the warmth of corduroy so that you’ll be ready for anything from cool morning walks to drinks later that night.
If you fall head over heels for corduroy then you can explore different wales, which are the vertical ridges that give corduroy its memorable look.
Your average corduroy clothing is 8 to 10 wales, but you can go finer or thicker depending on your preference. The finer you go, the lighter your corduroy will be. For example, our Coaster Cord Shorts are 14 wale since they’re designed to be soft and durable but light enough to wear for a day of roller skating.
What to Wear with Corduroy?
If you’re a full-on corduroy lover, then don’t be afraid to go corduroy on corduroy with a full suit. If you’re not there yet then corduroy also matches well with plenty of other fabrics and styles.
For example, if you want to lean into corduroy’s preppy roots then you can match your corduroy pants with a cardigan. Plus, matching knit or woven textures with corduroy creates an extra cozy look.
You can also make corduroy the star of the show by pairing it with something simpler. For example, corduroy pants with a plain white t-shirt will always look defined, or you can add a corduroy shirt over a t-shirt for a versatile and comfortable look.
Corduroy is a cozy, warm fabric, so the colors it comes in tend to be the same, but you can also find corduroy in colors that are bright. If corduroy becomes your everyday choice, then mix things up by picking up a bright corduroy for your next look.
When to Wear Corduroy
Corduroy is comfortable when worn indoors and warm when worn outside, but the time when it shines the most is as transitional wear.
Thanks to its variability, corduroy excels when you’re going in and out of the outdoors. That can mean anything from a party with a patio or a day of driving through a national park, but if you wear corduroy it will stand up to the challenge!