These pants were provided by Wool&Prince for review purposes.

It’s no secret that Wool&Prince is a brand of choice in the performance clothing market. They started out with their button-down and dress shirts and have since expanded their line. The most recent addition is their Slim Chino, made from a wool blend fabric, these pants are designed to be able to be dressed up or down. After hearing whispers of these coming for a long while, I was excited to get a pair and put them to the test.

Fabric

Wool&Price developed a 60% merino wool/40% nylon twill blend fabric for these pants. You may notice that these are missing the typical stretch and DWR coating of most pants we review here, but the merino wool content makes them something interesting and different.

If you’re thinking wool pants, those must look drapey and formal like traditional wool slacks, you are wrong. The combination of the structure imparted by the nylon and the heavier weight of the fabric makes these wear just like a traditional pair of heavier cotton chinos. The subtle twill texture also helps with the traditional chino look and ability to be easily dressed up or down.

Fit

While Wool&Prince calls these pants the Slim Chino, I did not find the cut to be slim at all. I would describe it more as a standard/straight cut. For me, the pants fit fairly closely in the seat with plenty of room in the thighs and legs. If you are looking for a true slim cut (or even a tailored cut like Outlier), the cut of these pants is not for you.

For a first go at a pair of pants, I think Wool&Prince made a good call on the cut as it will work for more people than a true slim cut. I also think that this type of cut lends itself to the fabric, since it is lacking stretch.

This more traditional cut, along with the slash front pockets and button back pockets, also helps them blend-in in a business situation. When dressing them down, it also makes them pair with a t-shirt more like a pair of selvedge jeans than a pair of slim, tapered technical pants.

Comfort & Performance

While a pair of pants without stretch is never going to compete with a stretchy pair, I find these very comfortable. The more roomy cut certainly plays a big part. In wearing them in both casual and business casual situations, the lack of stretch was noticeable but not annoying. However, I don’t think I’d take them hiking, nor do I prefer them for a long flight.

Performance wise, these pants are like your favorite pair of heavy cotton chinos with a wool upgrade. I didn’t notice any benefit of the wool for time between washes, but I certainly noticed it from a temperature point of view. In a typical cotton chino fabric, this weight would certainly be reserved for the cooler months. The merino content in these pants helps extend the temperature window. I don’t think I’ll be wearing these in the hot summer months if I’ll be outside walking a lot, but think they could work otherwise.

I’m also looking forward to seeing how they perform in the winter, as my other heavier pants that can be dressed up tend to have a lot of issues with static when it is dry out.

Overall

Overall these pants are worth consideration, especially if you are looking for something with a versatile style, heavier weight, and a truly standard appearance — you can be sure you’ll blend-in in any situation.

While I haven’t had these for long enough to test them in temperature extremes, I think they will become my go-to pants for the cooler months and those weird days in the shoulder seasons.

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