Size: 30, Colour: Bluetint Gray

The slim dungarees are one of Outliers staple items and also one of the most popular. Its on the lower end of the price spectrum especially for Outlier at a price of $198. Despite the name the dungarees aren’t made from “dungaree” fabric, which is a type of durable fabric similar to denim and used in work clothes. They are in fact made from a Workcloth Doubleweave Canvas thats made of up of 82% Nylon, 16% Polyester, 2% Elastane. It also comes with a “nanosphere” coating that repels liquids to a high degree. Unfortunately though they do still get soaked in the rain, however due to the fabric they dry within about 30 minutes. The fabric has a soft yet tough feel almost gauze-like. The inside of the fabric is very soft, softer than the outside. They are also very breathable, I’ve worn them in tropical Asian countries and in cold winters without feeling to hot or too cold.

They are as durable as, if not more so than both traditional dungaree fabric and denim combined. They wear nicely and can be dressed up or down depending on what you wear with them. The slim dungarees feature a ‘Gusseted crotch’ and ‘Reversed yoke’ which help reduce stress points and make the pants more comfortable to wear. Theres a bit of 2-way stretch that also improves the comfort of the pants. These features make the pants ideal for cycling and just general everyday life.

This is a great pair of pants for travelling, they are not only lightweight but they also are quick drying and repel water. The ‘nanosphere’ treatment also repels odors, so the pants can be worn for days without washing and they dont stink or show creases. The water resistant ‘nanosphere’ coating does wear down with time though, however it can be revitalised by throwing them in the dryer for about 5 to 10 minutes. Over time though, you may want to reapply a water resistant coating. Abe, The founder of Outlier recommends using the UK based product Grangers waterproofing ‘wash-in’ proofer.

The pockets on the pants are deep, really deep, and this is one of the good things about them. I’ve carried my passport in them and even an A4 piece of paper folded into the size of an envelope will fit in the pockets. The ‘coin pocket’ or ‘the little pocket that’s usually on the right side of jeans’ is angled on the slim dungarees. The reason for this, according to the founder, was to differentiate the ‘slim’ dungarees from their now discontinued ‘keirin cut’ dungarees. This causes a problem though if you put coins in the pocket. Due to the angled design coins will tend to easily fall out of the pocket.

Another good and bad thing about these pants is that they come with a 36” inseam. Good because you get more freedom of choice for the sizing but bad because it means unless you’re really tall you’ll need to get these tailored like I did. I had been going through a raw denim phase until I tried these out and I have to say that I don’t think I’ll ever wear another pair of jeans again. These really, as Outlier puts it, a ‘A 21st century take on jeans’.