The 16 Corduroy Brands Each and every Denim jeans-Wearing Man Needs to Know

Corduroy and Denim: How to Pair Two Classic Textures

The title promises corduroy brands for the man who lives in jeans, so it is worth explaining why the two fabrics work so well together, and what to look for before buying. Corduroy is a cut-pile cotton fabric woven with raised ridges called wales. The number of wales per inch changes its character. Fine needlecord, at around 14 to 21 wales, drapes like a soft shirting. Standard or mid-wale cord, at about 8 to 11, is the familiar trouser and jacket weight. Jumbo or wide-wale cord, at 6 or fewer, is chunky and casual. Denim, by contrast, is a flat twill, so the two sit side by side without competing.

Pairing rules that actually hold up

• Separate the tones. A tan, olive or rust corduroy jacket over mid-blue jeans gives clear contrast. Dark indigo with chocolate cord reads richer and more autumnal.
• Match weight to weight. Heavy raw denim suits wide-wale overshirts and trucker-style jackets. Lighter washed jeans sit better with needlecord shirts.
• Avoid head-to-toe ridges unless the colours are deliberately tonal. A cord jacket with cord trousers in a different shade can look accidental.

What separates good corduroy from bad

Look for a dense, even pile that springs back when brushed against the grain. Check that the wales run straight down a garment rather than twisting at the seams. A small amount of elastane helps trousers keep their shape at the knee. Pure cotton ages more gracefully, softening and fading at the ridges much as good denim fades at the whiskers. Long-established workwear labels, heritage menswear houses and Japanese mills are all reliable starting points, but construction matters more than the name on the label.

Caring for both fabrics

Wash corduroy inside out in cool water and skip high tumble heat, which crushes the pile. Hang it to dry and brush it lightly along the wale direction to lift the nap. The same cool, inside-out approach also protects the colour of dark jeans.

The same attention to fabric, fit and proportion runs through our womenswear pages. If you are dressing as a couple for an evening out, browse the lookbook for styling ideas, or check the size guide before choosing a close-fitting knit.