Real stories · Trousers that finally move

Malcolm's trousers have been at war with Malcolm for years — these surrendered

Trousers a man can actually move in — that's what these turned out to be, and it has ended a war in this house that started sometime around his sixtieth birthday. Malcolm's options were always the same two: smart trousers that filed a complaint every time he sat down, or tracksuit bottoms, which he refuses to be seen in beyond the wheelie bins. Comfort or dignity. Pick one.

He picked grumbling, mostly.

Then I found the Darian from a British label called York Boutique — proper cargo trousers in a soft fabric with real stretch in it: a waistband that gives when he bends, knees that move when he kneels, and a neat cuffed ankle that keeps them looking deliberate rather than baggy.

The stretch is the whole argument. Trousers only fight you where they refuse to move, and these move everywhere — which is why I watched a 68-year-old man crouch all the way down to greet Winnie in the park, and get back up again, without a single wince or shuffle. And the pockets: six of them. Reading glasses, dog treats, the crossword — all stowed. He calls them 'the trousers with the office'.

Soft fabric with proper stretch and six real pockets — which is why comfort and dignity finally fit in the same pair of trousers.

They were £34.95 in the sale — half the usual £70 — and I did check I could send them back if the fit was wrong: a fortnight, free delivery. He's worn them five days straight, so returning them has rather left the agenda.

I asked whether five days straight was a review or laziness. 'Both,' he said, from the sofa, sliding his glasses into the thigh pocket like a man who has finally been issued the correct equipment.

If there's a man in your house still choosing between comfort and dignity, do have a look. The Darian is rated 4.6 out of 5 by more than 190 customers, comes in grey, black or beige, in UK sizes 29/30 to 40/42 — and at half price the grey goes first.