Cheap, good quality travel pants?
Cheap, good quality travel pants?
Looking for recommendations on good quality, affordable, technical (lightweight, low cotton, high stretch) pants (no zip off legs, please) that will travel well, largely wrinkle free, and can dress up and down depending on pairings. Trying to avoid the cargo pant look. Does such a thing exist, or is it like the old saying: good cheap or fast, pick two?
These Denali nylon pants seem to fit the bill. I've had a pair for ~3 years and they work well traveling. https://www.samsclub.com/p/members-mark-mens-denali-travel-performance-pant/prod26700694
Surprisingly cheap! Are they really stretchy? Also, are they also stretchy around the waist?
Says 94% Nylon/ 6% Spandex, so ima guess stretchy.
Those are worth a look. Thanks!
"High stretch" and "good quality" are strictly incompatible. Elastene is garbage. It loses its elasticity after 1-2 years. It will sag, and you will dump it in a landfill.
People got caught up in stretch when they thought they had to wear super slim pants everywhere. Now that people are starting to wear not-incredibly-slim cuts again, they need to realize—stretchiness is bad, and pointless, and not good.
Ok, will keep in mind. Any suggestions for an alternative?
A few... What about these chinos from bronson (in brown or khaki)? They're creased and pleated chinos, so they can be dressed up, but they're based on milsurp styles, so they can also be dressed down. Chino cloth does wrinkle a little, but it's supposed to, and it doesn't really look bad like that.
As a more expensive option that hits a lot of your other requirements, Suitsupply's Duca is a good cut. Wool trousers should not wrinkle normally, and if you fold them right and hang them for a minute when you land, they should look good when traveling as well. Some wools travel better than others—you either want a heavy weight wool or a "high twist" wool (usually more expensive).
Is your budget lower than that?
You could also try thrifting vintage Ralph Lauren corduroys. The "Andrew" cut is very popular and available for pretty cheap—it's a double forward pleat with a straight leg, and it's shockingly versatile.