European-style work pants are gaining popularity in the states. Tools of the Trade contributing editor Tim Uhler recently reviewed new work pants in this article on BUILDER's sister site. He writes:
Truewerk G2
Truewerk has designed its line around the “industrial athlete.” It is true that a lot of what we do in the trades requires some level of athletic ability. This is especially true of tasks that require working at heights and in a harness. The G2 pant is designed to be abrasion and tear resistant, but flexible. It is also designed not to melt but rather burn if the wearer is dealing with sparks from tasks like grinding or welding. The seams of the pant are stitched with “Core Spun Poly thread-constructed like Kernmantle climbing rope.” This resists abrasion but will stretch. The stretch in the work pant, too, has been optimized directionally for the way we move on and around buildings as we work. The wear points of the pant feature Cordura Nylon 6.6 to extend the life of the pant.
The G2 has pockets that zip to the pant in the front and rear that allow the user to store tools and so on. I know from some finish carpenters who wear the pant these pockets mean they don’t need to wear tool bags. This pant just doesn’t fit me. I wear a 36w x 30 inseam and these are still too long. They are deliberately made this way for harness work. My recommendation is to order 2 inches or 4 inches shorter in the inseam if you don’t do harness work.
Snickers Workwear
AllroundWork Trouser. Snickers has a variety of trouser and short options for tradesmen and tradeswomen, with everything from high visibility and built-in outside pockets available. I opted for the AllroundWork Trousers, which don’t have outside pockets. As a framer, I have to wear tool bags, so pants with built-in pockets tend to get in the way. This pant is a little slimmer cut than American pants, but has a Cordura stretch crotch gusset (which is the most common wear point in pants). Behind the knees are openings to allow for ventilation. The Cordura-reinforced knees allow for kneepads to be inserted from the outside.
What sets Snickers apart from other brands is that the company has a much larger selection of sizes. I highly recommend these pants, but know that they are a little slimmer so if you have larger legs (like I do), then they’ll be a little snug. You can buy them from Snickersdirect.com for about $80. I opted for the “petrol” color and love them.
