Thursday, July 9, 2015

365 True Things: 102/Pants

Today I did trail work and wore my "USFS green" Prana pants. They're comfortable—a little stretchy, a little sporty. And they're lasting well, which is good, because I hate shopping, especially for pants.

In the past, oh, twenty years, I've had two ultimate favorite styles of pants, both of which went MIA (discontinued) at some point. Though this evening, I've found that both (potentially) still exist. Or rather, exist again.

First, the classic button-fly Levi's 501s—for women. I'm too hippy to wear men's 501s.

And I just discovered that the women's 501s have been revived! Though the sizing is in waist inches, which I'm not confident about. Oh, but when I check my "529 Curvy Bootcut" and "505 Straight Leg" Levis, both of which I reluctantly settled for when 501s vanished, I see that both pair are 27 waist—so that should work. I'll order some and see.

This makes me very happy! I love 501s! (Or used to, anyway. Fingers crossed that this new incarnation is just as pleasing.)

The other style I miss is Gramicci climbing pants: a very simple design with no zippers or buttons, just a comfortable soft cotton material, high waist (oh yeah, I miss pants that actually extend to the waist), and webbing "drawstring." As the poor advertising copy explains, "The freedom of movement gusset is what makes Gramicci's Vintage G Dourada pants so special; like its name implies, the sky's the limit as you leap, bound and climb."

When I used to buy Gramicci pants, I found their quality control wildly inconsistent: a "small" pair of pants could fit me fine (typically the case with black) or make me feel like I was swimming in them (blue), or the material could shift from pleasingly substantial gabardine to very lightweight and see-through (not my favorite). Needless to say, I did not shop for Gramiccis from a catalog.

But: I have now found that Sierra Trading Post carries Gramicci pants. So I'm going to take a $40 chance and order a pair of "slate" trousers. 

Maybe these online purchases will buy me a little more time before I have to go shopping for clothes for real . . .

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