In Review: The J. Crew Brushed Twill Pant

J. Crew Brushed Twill Pants in 770 Straight Fit or 484 Slim Fit – $62.65 w/ FESTIVE ($89.50)

About the Author: Brandon D. is a trial attorney for the government living in Houston, Texas. He’s a new dad (#girldad for those of you who do hashtags), which has made working from home that much more interesting for him, his wife, and their dog Charlie.

He’s back to writing about pants? Well, after I wrote my last review and asked Joe how the feedback was on the shirt, the big question people had was “where did he get those plaid pants?”  So I figured I should go back to my roots and write about pants. That and J. Crew finally brought back their excellent 770 straight fit pants in a plaid option.

Brushed Twill Pants in “Blue Navy Plaid.” It’s plaid, but it doesn’t shout.

And on that note I’ll start with the plaid. It’s a homerun, especially for someone who wants to venture out into wearing patterned dress pants by wearing plaid, but not PLAID!!! Since they’re navy, these go with just about anything you’d wear with your other navy dress pants. And since the pattern is large enough to be noticeable, you’ll get full credit for being the guy who’s bold enough to wear plaid. If all of this sounds great but 770 isn’t your fit, you’re in luck because J. Crew also sells these pants in their 484 slim fit.

99% cotton/1% elastane, but looks like a wool trouser. Surprisingly versatile.
Should go with just about anything you’d wear with your other navy dress pants.

Made from 99% cotton and 1% elastane, and that 1% was a pleasant surprise. Not because J. Crew doesn’t have other 770 pants with elastane, but because usually with J. Crew, if they’ve got elastane woven into the fabric mix, they’ll put the word “stretch” in the name (see their Stretch Chinos). Usually if that moniker is absent… no elastane. None. But that’s not the case here! I know, confusing. Bottom line is despite these brushed twill pants not being called “stretch brushed twill pants”, they do, in fact, give a little bit.

Like my other 770 brushed twill stretch pants/chinos from J. Crew, these are also slim (but not too slim) and stretchy (but you’d never confuse these for tech pants). And even though they’re cotton, they very much look like wool dress pants. So you should be able to wear them to work, fancy dates, and holiday parties. I also find these to be a touch warmer than standard cotton chinos. This makes them ideal for the late-fall through early-spring seasons. And if plaid isn’t for you, J. Crew also has solid color options in Olive, Gray, and Navy (though they do have a Donegal look).

Available in the blue/navy plaid in slim or straight fit, 
or in pattern-less olive, gray, or “dark green navy”… also in slim or straight fit.
And they’re all on different product URLs. Go figure.

Beyond that, these have pretty standard features for dress pants and chinos. Slanted front pockets, two back pockets (only one has button closure – so keep your wallet there!), and extra buttons just in case one or both get lost or break. These pants have double-button closure for the zipper, which is also fairly common for dress pants (though J. Crew previously used a single-button closure for these exact pants a few years ago , I’m not sure why they changed it, but both work for me).

One area that’s different, but not necessarily bad, is the size.  These are a 36×32. My other 770s from a few years ago are a 34×32. Sure, I got older and had a kid. But I feel like I’d have realized that I went up two pant sizes. So first I tried on my other 770s, in my “old” 34×32. They still fit. Just as well as when I bought them.  Second, I measured my other 770s and these ones. Same measurements in all regards despite clearly being different “sizes”.

Size shown is a 36×32 straight fit (770) on 5’11″/200lbs

Long story short: I think J. Crew used to do vanity sizing and now they don’t. Who knows? Our bodies change over time (well, almost everyone).  But if you haven’t purchased anything from a J. Crew in a while, you might be a new size even if you’re the same size.

So these pants, while not labeled as “stretch” do in fact have stretch in them, and a 36×32 in 2021 measures out the same as a 34×32 from a few years back.

Right. A bit frustrating.

Despite that confusion, overall, these are great for anyone who needs new dress pants, and especially for those of you who venture into the uncharted waters of , patterned pants.  You’ll be glad that you did!

Sportcoat by Spier and sold out (but they have a DB version), maybe try this BR Corduroy?
Sweater by J. Crew. Shirt by Banana Republic and reviewed here.
Boots are by R.M. Williams.