Note: these pants were provided for review by Outerknown.
I’ve been really enjoying my Outerknown Sur Sweatshirt (our review) ever since I purchased it over the winter, so when I got a chance to give their Verano Beach Pants a try, I jumped on it, especially given the current work from home situation.
Another benefit of Outerknown is their dedication to sustainability, sometimes that is just greenwashing, but it seems like Outerknown has demonstrated their seriousness here.
Of course, no can make a bad piece of clothing good, so let’s take a look.
Material
These pants are made from a 7 oz, 55% hemp, 45% organic cotton in a soft twill weave.
Even though the fabric content is the same as the Sur Sweatshirt, the weight and weave give this a whole different feel. While not a lightweight fabric, the fabric doesn’t have a heavy drape, and seems like it would be reasonably cool in the heat. There also isn’t any of that hemp roughness that can be in some hemp-heavy fabric blends.
The only negative to the fabric is that it gets quite fuzzy and a little bit pilly with the first wash, but it doesn’t seem to get worse.
Fit & Style
These pants are intended to be “trousers that wear more like joggers” and the claim is also made that “You could sleep in these and then wear them to a meeting and no one would think twice.”
As far as the fit, I agree they are trousers that fit like joggers. The elastic waistband and interior drawstring tie push them into the “joggers” category, with the shorter length (31 inseam on the XL) pushing them all the way over the edge. I was between the L and XL, so went with the XL. The elastic in the waistband isn’t particularly stretch/strong, so I do find myself relying on the tie if I have anything in my pockets.
As far as wearing these pants to a meeting, I don’t think I could get away with it for any meeting I’ve ever been to. Then again, Outerknown leans towards a west coast beach style, so maybe there are cases where these would be appropriate for a meeting. However, I can see that the slash side pockets and button back pocket do add a little extra towards the “less casual, casual” nature of these pants.
Performance
These have been great pants to wear while working from home. They are extremely comfortable (although not stretchy) and are warm enough for our still cool days here in the northeast. When taking the dog for a walk on some windy days, I did notice that these blocked the wind better than any of the synthetic joggers I own.
The magic of hemp here is that I think they will still be comfortable in the summer, as hemp in fabrics like this tends to breathe well.
Overall
The Verano Beach Pants will continue to be a comfortable pair of pants for around the house for me. I look forward to seeing how they perform as the weather warms up.
If you can push the casual style of these further, they could be a great, non-synthetic, summer replacement for jeans, as they are half the weight of a typical pair. Just keep in mind the fuzzy texture the fabric takes on. They also work well as a pair of casual pants for around the house, especially if you are looking for a more unique fabric blend or something different.
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