As a fashion statement, rolled-up pant cuffs can be traced back to the 50s and 60s when larger-than-life legends such as James Dean, Marlon Brando, and even Elvis, were immortalized in iconic photos depicting them in rolled pant cuffs. According to what we are seeing on the runway, it looks like rolled pants legs may be the new trend for the season. Doesn’t this remind you somewhat of the pegged leg jeans look from the 80’s? In 2nd grade it was all about pegging one’s pants properly. In the ‘80s, it was called the “French roll.” Then later, we learned about rolling pants as a way of communicating whether one was interested in buying or selling drugs in the urban environment.
Now the high-water look is back, not for classroom popularity or less-than-legal purchases, but for high fashion! This masculine poor boy style is currently being sported by trendsetting ankles from Paris, Milan,London and NYC.
Style arbiter Jim Moore, GQ’s creative director, urges that the roll should look somewhat unintentional. “Consider how Johnny Depp might roll his pants.”
The look is likely attributable to 1. the ongoing style romance with a slightly impoverished look, in which one imitates the togs of an artist squatting in a loft in an abandoned factory and separated into different “rooms” with the help of thin partitions and 2. the popularity of fabulous shoes and sneakers for men and women alike. Don’t hide those bad boys under boot-cut cuffs! Show them off!
In the summertime, a nice set of rolled cuffs is also a great way to keep cool while out on the street or warm up again once you get into a chilly air conditioned office or movie theater. Photos top to bottom Marlon Brando "The Wild One" 1953, Billy Reid, Z Zegna, Gilded Age, Junya Watanabe, Balmain Viva La French Roll!
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