Infantry Blue Stancliffe Corduroy Trousers

Fort Belvedere has christened this model of trousers the Stancliffe, evocative of a stately English manor house secluded amongst verdant trees and rolling hills, redolent with a life of ease, sport, and gentlemanly pursuits. 

Favored by many armies in the 18th and 19th centuries, these elegant trousers easily pass muster and will quickly become a staple in your wardrobe, as they can harmonize effortlessly with almost any color they encounter in the field. Charge!

How to Pair Infantry Blue Corduroys with Shoes & Socks 

Blue is the most common color in menswear, and these mid-blue trousers will afford many opportunities for both casual and formal ensembles. 

For a more sedate look, consider simple pairings that employ other shades of blue and neutral colors. This approach allows for incredible versatility but thanks to the rich hue of the trousers themselves, there is no risk of your look appearing boring. Light blue and very blue provide perfect contrasting harmony, as do navy or royal blue for a distinguished and formal appearance. A similar understated effect but with more pop can also be achieved through blues paired with warm colors, like orange, red, or yellow.    

To emphasize the formality of these trousers, consider pairings that incorporate gray or black and white: they go a long way in imparting dignity to these trousers. You can also achieve a more dramatic look with the introduction of red through a more grounded color, such as navy or midnight blue.   

Footwear Colors

For footwear, contrast or complement will provide the greatest visual interest: unique texture, like suede, or unique detailing, like the open lacing system of a derby, will harmonize with the weave of the trousers.

Dark browns and black will help to emphasize a formal air, while medium browns can ascend or descend the Formality Scale. For times when a little boldness is in order, inject red with oxblood, maroon, or claret shoes. 

Boots + Corduroys = Winner!

Boots, especially boots with contrast elements like suede, are always an excellent companion to corduroy because of the intersection of transitional-weather seasonality and unexpected texture. These trousers will appear elegant with a wide range of boots, from any shade of brown to black, and even to more unusual shades like reds, grays, and even some blues.  

Summer Shoes + Corduroys = Faux Pas

In general, be wary of pairing corduroy with hot-weather footwear. As a rule of thumb, the fabric is simply too heavy for use with any style of shoe with which you might wear no-show socks.

For a casual look that remains elevated and elegant, let’s employ simple two-tone light blue socks set off by a pair of medium-brown loafers. A light lilac dress shirt introduces another cool tone that harmonizes beautifully.      

To keep things light, start with a blue and white striped shirt and add a light gray sport coat, with a playful blue and green pocket square. We’ll keep things bright and light with a tan cognac belt and tan loafers with gray and turquoise socks, which make the trousers appear even more vibrant.    

Finally, a navy blazer with an orange-detailed tie and white shirt creates a formal air that is completed by blue and navy socks and dark brown oxfords: the sedate colors help to elevate the formality of the trousers.   

In general, the weight of corduroy requires a certain balance between your upper and lower half which is easily accomplished by layering. The simple addition of a sport coat will go far in making an outfit with corduroy look exceptional: focus in particular on textured fabrics, such as tweed, that will contrast while harmonizing with the cords of the trousers. Be wary, however, of hot-weather textured fabrics like seersucker, which is too seasonally incongruous to wear with corduroy.

You can achieve a similar effect with knitwear, such as a tennis sweater in the warmer months or cardigan in the cooler: add a scarf during colder weather to ensure that your upper half is as insulated as your lower.