Dandy & Dapper

Though currently associated with era of The Great Gatsby, after the recent Baz Luhrmann film, the notched waist, or V-split, originates further away in both date and geography. Generally, it is used on waists higher than the low-slung trousers of today, and adds comfort and flexibility from standing to sitting positions. (It also kindly averts unsightly bulging or "muffin tops", as the kids say.) The V-split is easily identified by a V-shaped cut-out at the back of the waistband, and it is an option on suit trousers, which any decent tailor should still offer.
Wow, really? Who knew? I thought "notched" was only used when describing jacket lapels. I have seen these waist details on the latest casual strides, such as Club Monaco's Prince of Wales check trousers in a British wool blend (HK$2,590; The Men's Shop, 1 St Francis Yard, Wan Chai, tel: 2527 7030), but I guess I thought they were new. A little online research (Dapper would be proud) threw up an awesome slim-cut pair in a herringbone check with a tab closure and hidden fly, by Asos.com (only HK$556!). Old-school chaps will probably be more comfortable with the plain-front corduroy trousers with "a two-piece curtained waist with V-notch at back" from Landsend.com (HK$615). And finally, here's a wild card: I stumbled across a site, Callisters.com selling cowboy gear, including Mens RangeWear cotton canvas V-notch trousers by Scully (HK$390).