• Bonobos

  Bonobos.com; 877-294-7737

  Though the company’s 45 varieties of cotton twill, corduroy, and wool trousers cost in the $100 to $200 ballpark, they fit off-the-rack, exactly like tailored designer lines. “All the magic happens above the thighs,” is how co-owner and designer Brian Spaly explains the way his pants seem to universally flatter all backsides, from robust athletes to skinny hipsters (the slim fit is their best style). The hand-sewn waistband sits snugly on the hips, which lets you ditch the belt. There’s no bagging, of the kind often seen in chain-store pants (Spaly dubs it “khaki diaper butt”). Also different and better is the way you buy them: online. Although it’s based here, the company’s studio/workroom is tiny, so all business is done via the website. You can buy and return pants by mail without handling or return-shipping charges. And if you wear your Bonobos a few times and don’t like them (doubtful), you can send them back, no questions asked.

From the 2009 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine