Jeans are a staple in the wardrobe of most men and have become more acceptable in more places. Of course we love our jeans on the trail, commuting on the bike, or grabbing a pint at the local pub. This month, Under Bluetakes a look at eight pairs of men’s jeans that are designed for adventure.
Toad&Co Drover Denim
Current but not trendy, Toad&Co claim their jeans are great for going out or just hanging out. But you don’t need to be told what jeans are good for. Not too low and not too high, they sit great on the waist and drop to a comfortable, straight–legged fit. Not to tight, not to baggy. The added spandex gives the pant the perfect amount of flex, whether riding a bike or climbing over boulders. Overall a great everyday pair of jeans that aren’t afraid to get dirty. Toad&Co also have sustainability practices in place and are members of the Outdoor Industry Association.
These jeans are made from 98.5% Organic Cotton & 1.5% Spandex and available in a dark denim and smoke.
Retail: $89.00 | https://www.toadandco.com and shown above with the Toad&Co SingleJack Flannel top.
Stio Rivet Jean
The Stio Men’s Rivet provides a classic slim style designed with athletic performance and comfort that works in the office or on the trail. The Elastane adds a surprising amount of stretch to these jeans, just in case you decide to hop on the bike or chase the kids around the yard. A gusseted crotch gives a little extra room for the boys when squatting down, climbing over boulders or whatever your adventure might include. Stio adds a touch of function and style with rivets in high-stress points, and if you look close enough, you can even find their “pine cone” engraved on each rivet.
These jeans are made from Switchback Denim, 65% Cotton, 34% Polyester, 1% Elastane, 11oz with Sorbtek. They are available in dark denim to ward off stains.
Retail: $125.00 | www.stio.com
Patagonia Performance Demin
Patagonia’s Performance Straight Fit Jeans provide comfort, stretch and durability for the many demands of the daily grind. Perfect for grilling out, a long day on the trail or whatever mischief you pursue. Patagonia designed this pant for a more active lifestyle and overall they did a pretty solid job. The jean provides a slim fit through the thigh and the length was spot on or maybe even a tad long, perfect if worn with low shoes or sandals. The organic cotton made for a soft feel while the COOLMAX polyester provided ample stretch for most activities. The waist was on the snug side, but nothing horrible. At $119.00 they are on the top of the price scale, but at the end of the day they seem to be worth it. Patagonia supports fair trade for their denim sewing and works to reduce the adverse social and environmental impacts of their products.
These jeans are made from 71% organic cotton & 29% COOLMAX T400 polyester mechanical stretch denim.
Retail: $119.00 | www.patagonia.com
Eddie Bauer Men’s Flex Jeans – Slim Straight
Eddie Bauer claims to offer “the most comfortable pair of jeans you’ll ever own”. While that might not be 100% true I can’t see anyone really arguing it. Eddie Bauer has added 2% elastane to the cotton denim, so it moves when you move and holds it’s shape pretty well. After washing and drying, the stretch fabric initially tightens. But with just a couple of hours of wearing, it relaxes. Sizing on this jean seemed to be pretty spot on. The 33×34 fit our handsome 6’2″ / 183lb tester perfect. The jean is slim, but not too slim. You can find Flex Jeans at most of their retail stores as well. At $70.00, this is the lowest priced in the lineup and is a heck of a jean for the money.
These jeans are made from 98% cotton/2% elastane. We tested the Standard Fit jean, and Eddie Bauer does offer a slim fit as well.
Retails: $70.00 | https://www.eddiebauer.com
Outdoor Research GoldRush
Yep, Outdoor Research makes Jeans. Actually, they make a ton of apparel and do a pretty solid job. These durable jeans of a cotton/nylon/Cordura® blend that provides them with enough stretch to accommodate some impressive moves on the climbing wall. Pair these with a fit that that offers ample leg room yet still providing a modern styling will make them a go to pant when you need room to move. The Goldrush Jeans offer a little heavier feel then some of the organic cotton pairs but are still pretty comfortable.
Material: Cordura 80.5% cotton, 13.5% nylon, 5% polyester, 1% Lycra
Retail: $99.00 | outdoorresearch.com
SWRVE Cordura Slim Jeans
SWRVE wanted an everyday jean in a trim fit with a clean design for everyday wear, a fit that falls right between their regular and skinny fit. SWRVE then took the knee articulation out for a cleaner look. (But don’t worry! Thanks to the stretch in the fabric, you can still do cartwheels in them!). SWRVE is a very bike happy company so the first thing they did was hop on their bikes and take them for a spin. Flexibility was great, not restricting or uncomfortable. Now I would not want to bike 40 miles in them, but a nice little 10-mile jaunt to the office, grocery store or pub would be great. SWRVE also places reflective trim on the inside of the pant leg, roll up the leg to avoid chain greese and you have an instant reflector.
Material: 100% CORDURA® denim
Retail: $100.00 | swrve.us
Mountain Khakis Camber 109 Jean Classic Fit
Jackson Hole-based Mountain Khakis toss the Camber 109 into the mix and even provide a Bison bottle opener keyring. Hey a little bribery never hurts. The Camber 109 provides a really nice classic fit, accented stitching, and a little bit of attitude with some pre-fading going on. MK was also nice enough to toss in some camo pocket liners for a little extra bling (is camo bling?). The fit on our 33×34 offered a snug waste and lot of room through the legs for just about any activity.
Material: Cordura 10oz 99% cotton, 1% spandex demin
Retail: $75.00 | www.mountainkhakis.com
Kuhl Disrupter
The Kuhl Disruptor pant is their newest high performance denim offering 360-degree stretch. The coil-shaped yarns and cut of the pant offers plenty of movement. The legs taper from the knee down, offering more of a modern fit while leaving a little extra room in the thigh area. It is subtle, but it works. Kuhl’s gusseted crotch and articulated knees add to the freedom of movement, while an elastic drawcord is encased in the hem for cinching. Kuhl keeps this unique from everyone else with the fly. They use a two-button system that is convenient once on, but it is a pain to button if you are in a hurry. Don’t worry, if you need to take a leak, it won’t be an issue.
Material: 55% Cotton, 44% Elasterell
Retail: $99.00 | www.kuhl.com
