Military Trousers

Military trousers, chosen by cut rather than by badge

Military trousers cover cargo cuts, field trousers, ripstop working trousers and heavier cotton designs. None of the range is surplus stock: it is new production, so the useful way to shop is by cut, rise and measured size rather than by the label. Kept in olive, khaki and camouflage, the cut carries into everyday wear as readily as it does onto a hill.

What size are military trousers?

Military sizing is not high street sizing. Surplus-derived labels are written in centimetres and describe the body, not the garment, while nominal waist numbers drift between makers. Take a tape to the waist, seat and inside leg, then read the chart on the product page instead of ordering the number bought last time. A pair listed as 80/88/104 is quoting leg, waist and seat in that order, which is the single detail most often read backwards.

How should military trousers fit?

The rise is the distance from the crotch seam to the waistband, and it decides more than the waist number does. A higher rise sits on the natural waist, stays put when crouching and stops the back gaping under a rucksack hip belt. A lower rise sits on the hips, reads more casual and is easier seated, but it travels down once weight hangs from a belt. Pairing the trousers with a tactical belt holds a lower rise in place; a higher rise generally holds itself.

Which features are worth paying for?

• Pre-shaped knees: panels sewn with the bend already in them, so the leg follows the knee instead of dragging the hem up the shin.
• Double layers at knee and seat: longer life at the two panels that fail first, paid for in a little weight and some stiffness over the first few wears.
• Ankle drawcords or tabs: many cargo cuts arrive deliberately long so the leg can be bloused over a boot. For a clean break over a shoe, allow for hemming.
• Waist adjustment: side tabs or an elasticated section absorb roughly two inches either way, which is what a base layer underneath costs in winter.

For warmer months the same cuts appear cut short in the army shorts range. The classic four-pocket pattern sits in combat trousers. The cut built around large thigh pockets is sold as army cargo pants.

Where do military trousers wear out first?

The crotch, and it fails at the thread rather than at the cloth. Seams meeting at that point take the strain of every stride, which is why the number of rows of stitching there matters more than the fabric weight quoted on the label. It is visible in a close photograph. Two habits extend the life of a pair: wearing the belt line high rather than slung low, and refusing a fit that is tight when standing still.

What do military trousers go with?

A pair of combat boots takes the bloused hem and finishes the line the ankle drawcord is designed for. One point of restraint is worth knowing: camouflage belongs on one half of an outfit. Matching a camouflage top to camouflage trousers is the combination that draws comment, and plain olive or khaki on top keeps the trousers doing the work.