These trousers in the past years have had a tremendous impact on the sartorial world, in fact, in the fashion world.
The trouser originates from the elite unite of the same name, Gurkah who came into conflict with the East Indian Company of the British empire around 1814 in the Kingdom of Gorkah. Despite overwhelming forces, the Gurkha troops did not surrender and even after food was diminished and overall resources used up, they fought their way out and managed to escape into their well known territory. Gurhkas were feared soldiers due to their intelligence and knowledge of terrain, the British forces respected them and so after overwhelming them by the number of soldiers, they set up a treaty called the Treaty of Sugauli, which allowed the British army to recruit Gurkha soldiers till this day.
With this alliance also came the introduction to the Gurkah trouser. They were distinctive with a specific buckling system that involved both sides and usually featured double pleats. Modified by the military, Gurkha trousers came in all shapes and sizes but kept their enlarged waistband and more relaxed fit.
Now you know a bit about the trouser history and the people that wore them. Now let me tell you my own opinion of this rather interesting model.
If we speak about Gurkha pants, we almost always will find a picture related to them in the style of Rubinacci signiture Manny trouser. I have admired Luca Rubinacci for a while, always wearing his style rather loose and a bit more relaxed. A very talented third generation Tailoring House with a taste of the past, reinterpreted in modern ways. When I think of these trousers, I think of an Instagram picture taken by Luca Rubinacci wearing the white Manny trouser, red striped shirt and a navy blazer. Super classic, very stylish with a relaxed fit to round of this rather perfect look in my opinion.
From that moment on, I wanted a pair of those and wanted them to sit like his trousers do. When we fast forward a year, my wardrobe now features three of these bad boys. A pair of white, brown and grey are my current go-to trousers for a nice ensemble in a more relaxed nature. From my own experience, I can tell you that Gurkha trousers are fucking awesome. They look cool, you believe your cool whilst others stare at you trying to figure out how the hell you are going to manage to go to the bathroom to conduct your business. And therein lies the first real problem I have encountered. I have been testing these trousers for little over 3 months now, and have worn them with pretty much anything my wardrobe has to offer. When it comes to taking them off and on, you might as well tell your girlfriend to order dessert as you might be a while… In the beginning your fine with it and you tell yourself that you will get used to it. The fact of the matter is, you wont. Not because it would be possible but because you wont have so many types of these trousers in your wardrobe and therefore most likely only wear them on special occasions or at times where it might be something different than your day to day wear.
If I had to choose between a classic trouser with side adjuster or a Gurkah trouser in the style of the Rubinacci tailoring house, I would go for the classics every time. It is like I said, a classic. You wont go wrong and you will be able to wear them for a very long time if they fit well. I have come to the conclusion, that this style is one that might be here for a while, but wont be long lived. It is simple too inconvenient for the modern man to purchase a tone of these styled trousers. As much as I appreciate Luca Rubinaccis style and most likely will still check him out, these types of trousers are not for me. I have 3 now… I don’t need anymore!
To all of those who want to try them. Please do! They are awesome and definitely will bring some change into your wardrobe guaranteed. It is all matter of perspective and with this being a review and my own opinion, this is totally legal I swear.
Now lets discuss! Give me your thoughts in the comments below.
Regards,
W
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Processed with VSCO with c4 preset
Thank you for this review, Will! I am also considering the gurkha pants for some time. The challenge I have is that you don’t get many on the market to try them out and rather need to order online (at least here in Munich). For me it is important to see them live to see If i really like the style and is this style fits me. Sure, I can order online and than return if I don’t like them, but this is a bit of a hassle. Do you know any shops in Munich or area which sell those (physically) ?
Hi Vlad,
Thank you for your message! Unfortunately, I do not know of any brands that sell them physically in Munich or in Germany. I guess this has also to do with the overall demand of these kind of trousers. What I can tell you however, is that, the Manny trousers from Rubinacci are a great pair and should always be bought a size smaller that your actual size. They come in very big. I wear the 48 in white and 50 in beige and grey. I prefer a looser fit nowadays and so the 50 does me well (my normal size). Another brand I would look at would be Craftsmanclothing. They have a beautiful range of Gurkhas as well. I didn’t try them yet but have seen some good reviews. I know exactly what you mean, by trying them in person. In this case, maybe the risk has to be to try to shop them online. If I find a brand that sells them here, I will let you know 🙂 Hope that helps.
Enjoy your day.
Regards,
W
Thanks, Will! Much appreciated!
Hi there, so you recommend to get a size 46 instead of my normal size of 48 as they run very big? Thanks
Hi Dirkman,
well it depends on the brand of the trouser. Some run quite big whilst others rather small. Take Suitsupply for example. They launched their on Gurkha model this year. In that particular pair I have to size up for example. With my current knowledge and what I did in the past, if their is no measuring table, I would go for your normal size. You can always send them back. However, don’t forget; more room allows for adjustments. Sometimes that already solves the problem.
Hey, beautiful review, I would like to buy a pair of gurkha pants but don’t know stores which sell them. Could you please help me out?
Hi Francesco,
luckily enough, this seems to be the year where more and more brands are adopting the Gurkha style. You will find most brands online such as Craftsmanclothing (great quality and price ratio), Rubinacci (style started by them) and a few other such as AMF Interantional. Most of the brands have an online shop and ship worldwide. Check them out and let me know if this was useful! All the best
– W
I have two pair (both Manny in linen) and as you say, they are amazing. They are certainly the most comfortable trousers that I own. I guess you have a point with the slow process of getting out of them, but it really isn’t too bad. I tend to drink so much that I’m running to the bathroom all day or all night.
I love pants that fit well and have only side adjusters (no belt). I really like the streamlined look.
I too will be looking for different options in the future, but there will be a few pair of the the Rubinacci Gurkha pants in my closet for some time to come. Linen is a plus!
SM
Hi Steffan,
certainly agree with you. I guess throughout my “trying on trouser” career, my tastes have changed. I personally like it more simple nowadays. A timeless look to me, is more charming and thats what I tend to go for. It really depends on your taste of course but gurkha trouser have seen a big following and it is likely that it will keep on going for some years to come. It will be interesting to see if it stays…
Hi Don, so for Rubinacci this brand, the cotton manny pants, my normal size is 48, do you recommend to the one size down?
Hey Don,
Which pair did you find more comfortable to wear? The larger of the two sizes you chose, or the smaller?
Thanks Don
Hi Adam,
I went with the bigger size. Personally, I find a Gurkha trouser should fit like the orignal. Slightly higher and more volume through the leg.
Hope that helps