San Francisco-based Dockers has teamed up with six style standouts including L.A.-based Lizzie Garrett Mettler of the blog Tomboy Style and Dockers SVP of Global Design Doug Conklyn for the second part of its Men of Style documentary series. Conklyn has spent his career working on various fashion lines including Polo Ralph Lauren, Lily Pulitzer and Martin + Osa, and he’s been fine-tuning Dockers for the past three years. In the video, filmed blocks from San Francisco’s Pier 27 where Oracle just celebrated an astonishing America’s Cup victory, Conklyn discusses how to look polished in a city known equally for its black tie galas and hooded sweatshirts. Here, he expands on such notions and also gives tips on when to wear white pants, how to mix patterns, and what to wear with sport coats.

By Elizabeth Varnell

You mention in the video that you wore your father’s army pants as a teenager- what drew you to them?
There were so many things I loved about those old pants. I loved the rich, yet faded, tan color, I loved the button-fly, I loved how soft the twill fabric became once I washed all the starch out of them, I loved that they were unique and inherently masculine and rugged, yet refined. I also loved that they belonged to my father. On some level that I wasn’t able to articulate at the time, I understood a certain implied, romantic nostalgia in those pants and they inspired me.

Khakis return to the fashion forefront every few years. What’s bringing them back now?
There’s a trend towards a more refined and polished look within menswear in general, but the real excitement and interest has come through the new modern, slimmer cuts of khakis and the interest in both color and pattern.

Chinos, like jeans, have a certain authenticity.
Among true khakiphiles, there’s no denying the importance of the military pedigree of khakis. For the past several years, we’ve been experiencing a love affair with authentic products and heritage brands. Khakis enjoy an iconic status every bit as important as that of the blue jean. It’s just that khakis have suffered from a bit of an identity crisis, but fortunately all of that is starting to change.

Guys are wearing chinos the way that they wear jeans—cuffed, cropped, fitted—yet the look is more polished. Why is that?
Khakis are generally constructed with more refined details in the waistband, pockets, side seams and hems, so naturally they will appear more polished than jeans which typically have double needle construction and reinforcement throughout. The difference today is that due to the slimmer cuts and lower rises, khakis can now be worn with the same cool attitude that has typically been reserved for jeans. I have some that have simply replaced my jeans and I wear and accessorize them exactly as I would a pair of jeans, right down to the specific shoe and belt. I also have some really great refined khakis that demand a more tailored approach with respect to shirt, jacket, shoe and belt choices.

Why do blazers look so much better with khakis than with jeans?
For one thing, you really need to know what you’re doing when you decide to pair a sport coat with jeans. It’s the most consistent faux pas I see. You cannot simply replace your suit pants with a pair of jeans. Jeans are casual by nature and look best with a tweed, corduroy or other seasonally casual sport coat. By contrast, khakis are typically a bit more refined, so in general they are a better fit with sport coats when you want to create a tailored yet relaxed look. I suppose that’s what I’ve always loved about menswear, the subtle distinctions of what goes with what, and how great style is created by understanding the nuances of clothing.

When you dress, what item of clothing determines your overall look?
I have often referred to my closet as a theme park. I dress according to my mood or a certain look I’m trying to achieve that’s inspired by vintage military, old-school Ivy League, bespoke gentleman or California skater. But I always tend to start with my pant choice first.

Why pants?
When your look starts with colorful or patterned pants, everything else must play a supporting role. It used to be that men expressed their individuality through their neckwear or their shirt.  In that case, the pant always had to play the supporting role, typically in a neutral color.

So what do you wear with patterned pants?
Stick to solid or semi-solid shirts or muted plaids and checks. Mixing patterns is an art form. Herringbone pants are great with tartan shirts and pinstripes look great with graph or tattersall check shirts. If you do decide to mix a patterned shirt with a patterned pant, it’s not a bad idea to add a fine-gauge sweater in a complimentary color to help break up the patterns.

The khakis in the Dockers fall collection have been treated and distressed chinos. What inspired the various looks?
Stone Cutter has a dusty finish inspired by the stonemasons who helped create the grand buildings within San Francisco. Old Book seeks to replicate the worn patina of an old leather-bound volume inspired by the rich publishing history of the city, and Oil Slick was inspired by the pearlescent oil deposits found along Fisherman’s Wharf. All of these finishes are found within our more casual offering and would be natural alternatives to denim.

In the video, you wear you wear slim khakis rolled and without socks. What type of khakis are you wearing and how do you typically style them?
In the video I’m wearing the SF Khaki, which is a member of the Alpha family. I typically wear them with a neat center crease and more refined accessories. I’ve been rolling the bottoms of my khakis since I first discovered my father’s army pants. Then it was out of necessity, but it became part of my own personal style over time.

What color do you favor?
If I had to choose one, it would be my white cotton twill Alphas. I must have 10 pairs and I wear them with everything from flip-flops to Vans to cordovan penny loafers and depending on the rumple factor, they look as cool with a T-shirt or chambray work shirt as they do with a navy or seersucker blazer. And, with the relatively consistent temperature in San Francisco, I wear white pretty much all year, unlike where I grew up on the East Coast when I was limited to the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

You’ve recently taken up skateboarding again. How do you dress when you skate?
I typically skate to work in my Alphas, but when I’m skating pools I always wear shorts.

 

Pictured: Doug Conklyn
Photo courtesy of Dockers

Email This To A Friend