Corduroy - time for a revival? How to be a geography teacher of style

Corduroy has never quite shaken off its Victorian reputation as a working man's cloth; robust and far from crisp in appearance. It can have a somewhat fusty feel, with memories of baggy cord trousers worn with tweed jackets and brogues by geography teachers or country gentlemen. But things have changed.

Corduroy as it was (left) and in its modern form (right) - jacket Marks & Spencer, shirt Gieves & Hawkes

That combination of tweed, corduroy and chunky footwear may be old-fashioned, but, like much that has withstood the test of time, it has become a classic. But to make it look good you must lose the shapeless appearance by ensuring that everything fits and is well-cut. Here Richard James, the Savile Row tailor, shows how stylishly relaxed a well-tailored and shaped suit in dark green corduroy can look. How about a bespoke corduroy suit?

Image of Richard James (C) Grey Fox Blog

Being soft and durable, corduroy is one of the more comfortable fabrics to wear. Naturally pliant, it doesn't leave the wearer feeling they mustn't cross their legs (as a fine flannel can do) for fear of crushing the cloth and it needs none of the breaking in that a robust raw denim requires. Its little sibling, needlecord, finer than corduroy, makes shirts and lightweight suits.

Engineered Garments cord Norfolk jacket from Oi Polloi

For me, the images above of the Norfolk jacket, and below of the Nigel Cabourn Atkinson cord jacket (which can be matched to waistcoat and trousers), exemplify what corduroy is all about - casual, crumpled, comfort.

It's time for a cord revival. But where can you find corduroy? Here I identify a few suppliers for you to try. The links are at the bottom of the post. Please get in touch if you have any corduroy favourites.