Product Review: The Bowery, NY Hipster and it's upscale buddy Ludlow

A big "thanks!" to J.Crew Guy In Canada who is graciously reviewing Men's items from J.Crew with us. In this review, he looks at the J.Crew's Bowery pants for men:

The Bowery is found on the lower east side, home to skid row in the 1970s and CBGBs and now a very much much up and coming area with prices and development reflecting that.  Ludlow according to a quick Google search is a market town in Shropshie, England close to the Welsh border.  Not too sure why the need to leave NY for a cool name for suiting, but they did.  Guess England helps justify the bump up in price and possibly style.

The Bowery is a wonderfully cut pant by our friends at J.Crew who enjoy naming clothing and colours after well known NYC locations.  The pant comes in both slim and classic cuts.  To be clear the classic works well on most men, slim, not skinny with some room in the leg and seat for those of us with skater's butt and altletic legs.  This cut is not like BR's classic cut, this one has a more streamlined, slim look and feel.  BR does a slimmer look, but you need to move to Monogram to get that and with that a very big jump in price. The Bowery slim is that, a lean version of the original Bowery, just sleeker or in J.Crew speak 'slim and trim' version of the Bowery.  I haven't dipped my toe into the slim Bowery yet, the classic Bowery suiting my frame much better.
Whether you want a casual look with some polish, cotton Bowery #17249 or the upscale, very much on trend Bowery slim in Donegal wool #13305 there's one for you or yours.  With cotton and wool choices and in between I often wonder why I glance over at the more famous Ludlow.  Ludlow pants are the most fashion forward in cut and use the best fabrics the suiting elves at J.Crew stitch up.  They are a slightly nicer pant than the Bowery with a slimmer leg and better fabrics.  But are they worth almost twice the price of the Bowery?  Guess it depends if you want the best Frank and his team offer up.  My advice, grab the Bowery and watch for sales for Ludlow.  Ludlow pants just like the good stuff in a department store get their own section in the web store, while Bowery are found with the other trouser offerings from 'crew.  One thing the Ludlow pant has in it's favour are the matching jackets and the wide variety of choices in cloth.  From brand name wool fabrics to cotton chino to tuxedo they seem to have all the bases covered.  The best one in my mind right now is the flannel Ludlow #18215, gray flannel much like Gary Grant might have worn in North By Northwest.  Classic fabric and killer cool.  Meanwhile the best bang for your buck in Bowery is #44448 in charcoal wool, it'll match everything from washed denim jackets and Shetland wool sweaters to pressed shirts and ties.

Right now both GQ and Details tell me that wool and flannel and more importantly tweed are very much where my dress pants dollars need to be spent and looking at what J.Crew's offering I'm buying.  Both of these pants are lined to the knee and well finished in a slim looking and fitting cut.  Check out the current November GQ to see many examples of tweed from reasonable prices to designer with wow, that's more than my mortgage payment and car payment combined costs.  But they also show our favorite way to spend, a J.Crew model and the suit looks great, bet you will too in a pair of Bowerys or Ludows.

Another fantastic review! "Thanks!" again to J.Crew Guy In Canada for his insightful take of the Bowery, a classic pair of pants that should be in everyone's closet!
 
What are your thoughts on J.Crew's Bowery for Men? Do you own any of their Bowery pants? If so, please share with us your review. :)