Business Insider/Mountain Hardwear
- Jeans are one of the few closet staples I regularly splurge on. My favorite pairs include Rag & Bone purchases that top $200.
- But my favorite jeans for everyday wear - the ones I wear to work, pack for trips, and voluntarily wear on planes and long car rides - are a pair of skinny jeans from Mountain Hardwear that are currently $62.
- They're made from Cordura denim and feel as stretchy as leggings but with the glove-like fit of a great pair of skinny jeans. I recommend them to anyone looking for the perfect blend of form and function in a jean.
For the most part, my shopping falls into two decisive categories: investment (read: justifiable splurge) and frugal. Spending the lion's share of my day testing and reviewing the best products in online retail doesn't do much to upend this trend.
Typically, exceptional jeans fall into my splurge category, and that usually drives me to haunts like Rag & Bone for a $255 pair of bootcut jeans I use like a first-date uniform. But the best pair of jeans I've owned for the last couple of years have been an unsuspecting, admittedly accidental entry: the Women's Hardwear Denim Jean from outdoors brand Mountain Hardwear.
Typically $125, the pair has been knocked down to $61.98 - likely because it's a) buried under the crashing white noise of the internet, b) a product that looks normal but feels spectacular (not the simplest to convey over the web), and c) not what most Mountain Hardwear fans immediately associate with the brand.
They're called Mountain Hardwear's Denim Jean because, as the first and currently only pair, there's no real need to distinguish them by any other name. They're the jean. I don't remember how they ended up in my closet, but they've become my go-to for everything from day-to-day wear to fall hiking to traveling. I look forward to wearing them on long plane rides, and I don't feel any rush in taking them off once I'm home after a long day.
What makes the Mountain Hardwear Jeans stand out
So what makes the Mountain Hardwear Jeans so great? In short, it's the comfort and fit of their stretchy material. It's called Cordura denim, and it's described by the company as a high-tenacity fiber commonly used in workwear and military uniforms. These pants were made for you to bike and rock climb in, and like other high-level performance products repackaged for more mainstream uses such as Yeti mugs, they're an unsurprising improvement to the traditional denim option.
They look like any other pair of skinny jeans I own, but they're the only pair I'd genuinely volunteer to wear during physical activity. They have five pockets - the two in the front blessedly deep - and fit like a flexible glove.
Business Insider/Mountain Hardwear
For me, the Mountain Hardwear Denim Jeans spend most of their time tucked into fall boots and layered under sweaters, but since they were designed to withstand more arduous activities than apple picking, they've got a few useful performance upgrades. For instance, if you do bike home, you can roll up the legs of the pants to reveal a strip of reflective material along the seam to make you more visible at night. The belt loops layer on top of each other in the middle of the back of the band so you can adjust the fit one-handed as well.
Unfortunately, Mountain Hardwear's singular jean only comes in one wash (medium, shown above). In my mind, that's fine - one harassed Paul Bunyon behind a sewing machine does not understand why you would need more than one. And thankfully, it's the most versatile classic denim wash. However, it's been on the site for more than a year, and the sale means only sizes 2, 4, 8, 10, and 14 are currently in stock. And there's no guarantee there will be a restock.
Some reviews mentioned an awkward fit, but for me at 5 feet, 7 inches, about 125 pounds, and typically a size 27/4, they feel made-to-order even after a year of regular wear. It's worth noting, though, that unless explicitly stated otherwise in the sale, Mountain Hardwear's return policy says that you can return unworn, unused items with tags attached within 60 days of the date of purchase, though you won't be paid back for shipping or delivery costs. Find out more here.
If you're still looking for the best jeans for you, check out our favorite jeans of all-time here (yes, I included Mountain Hardwear). If you're interested in getting a good deal on a pair of jeans you'll thank god you found in the turmoil of the internet, I highly recommend checking this pair out.
Women's Hardwear Denim Jean, $61.98 (originally $125), at Mountain Hardwear
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