Review: REI OC Granite pants

[KnottedYet]

Ok, they're men's pants. REI doesn't make or carry "real" pants any more for women. So we are back to the dark ages (oddly enough, what it was like before REI got into women's clothes in the first place). Searching through the men's clothes for some that fit women's bods.

All the pants I could find in the women's section were mall-rat pants. Low loose waists that gapped terribly and the pants were ridiculously tight through the hips. Oh, and tons and tons of cutsie capris. (I've written letters to the buyers at the behest of REI clerks who are disgusted at the selections they are making for the women's department... no reply, and no change.)

Went to the men's department in desperation. They have organic cotton pants, recycled poly pants, cargo pants, clean-line pants, a tremendous selection of sizes and lengths ALL FOR LESS THAN $50!!!

Was running late, had to get out fast, tried these on and loved them. http://www.rei.com/product/722073?vcat=REI_SSHP_MENS_CLOTHING_TOC Organic cotton. LONG legs. A waist that not only sits at my *waist*, but also doesn't gap one bit!

Nearest I can figure, the men's baggy style gives the roomy hips and long rise, and the necessity of keeping them from falling off gives the relatively small waist band. Which puts the dudes firmly in the fashion, and gives the gals a pair of pants that actually fit.

I'm usually a 12 or 14 Tall, and bought these in 34 waist 32 length. Perfect.

Love the fabric, the "bronze" color is great, the little zipped coin pocket is very silly but might be useful, and the thigh pocket is small and subtle.

[Trek420]

Sounds great except for the long legs part. I don't have those :(

[DebW]

REI's Sahara convertible hiking pants in women's are still good pants with a proper fit. I'm on my 3rd pair (#3 was on sale for $20 a couple months ago). I ignore women's fashionable pants. I've found that Men's Dockers in 30x32 fit me perfectly, so those are my normal pants for the office.

[xeney]

Ah, see, I love the capris at REI. But I live in a place where it's shorts weather 8 months out of the year, and I prefer capris to shorts. I like them for riding a bike, I like them for gardening and hanging out with my kid, and all around I am a big fan of capris. My favorites are Mountain Hardwear, Prana, and an REI branded pair with articulated knees that they discontinued a while ago (but not before I got several pairs).

[KnottedYet]

I love capris, too. But everything I saw at REI this week was the cutsie kind with the gratuitous embroidery and faux "wear" and little dangly gew-gaws all over. (a little embroidery is good, too much is just too much)

Very frustrating.

(and I needed a pair of pants. Even Isis pants didn't fit me, and ususally I can count on Isis!)

I didn't see the Royal Robbins clam-digger capris that REI has had for the last few years. I'm hoping RR didn't discontinue them, cuz those were great for work and bike and I'm about ready for a new pair. Capris are warm enough for our cool summers, and they cover my honkin' varicose vein. :D

[Drtgirl]

[QUOTE=KnottedYet;300660] (I've written letters to the buyers at the behest of REI clerks who are disgusted at the selections they are making for the women's department... no reply, and no change.)
QUOTE]

My hubby works at REI's HQ (not a buyer tho). I'll make sure he passes along the tip.

I have the same issue with pants at nearly all stores. I know they use "regular" size fit models so why do they only design stuff for twigs? Ugh.

[KnottedYet]

20 years ago REI was *the* place to get women's pants, the good tough kind that you can wear hiking and camping. Anywhere else, you pretty much had to go to the men's dept. REI had their own brand, and they had great cargo shorts and camping shorts, too.

I'm frustrated by how now at REI there aren't women's versions of all these great men's pants, and I'm kind of stuck shopping in the men's dept. (I whined about this a couple years ago, and that's when one of the clerks begged me to write some letters. He said they were all frustrated by what was being stocked in the women's dept.)

But I will say the OC Granite pants are GREAT women's pants. You just have to convert men's sizes to women's sizes, and the clerks in the men's dept have little laminated cards in their vest pockets that convert sizes! (tells you how often women are shopping in the mens, eh?) And the Organic Cotton Granite pants are only $40! Much cheaper than anything I found in the women's dept. And COTTON! And ORGANIC! (there's another cool pair of men's pants that are partly recycled poly, I might have to get some of those, too.)

[bmccasland]

For those of use who's only option is REI catalog sales, or internet, I guess I'll have to call customer service to get the conversion? The closest REI store is in Houston or something - way too far away. Can't get my office to send me to Seattle for training again.

[KnottedYet]

From the way these fit me, I'm guessing a 34 waist in the Granite pants is a 14 women's. 32 would likely be a 12 womens. 30 probably a 10. Something like that.

32 inseam is a women's Tall or Medium Tall. 30 inseam is probably a Regular (too short for me, like most women's pants)

Best bet to figure out inseam would likely be to measure the inseam on a pair of your favorite pants and convert from there.

[Jolt]

All the pants I could find in the women's section were mall-rat pants. Low loose waists that gapped terribly and the pants were ridiculously tight through the hips. Oh, and tons and tons of cutsie capris. (I've written letters to the buyers at the behest of REI clerks who are disgusted at the selections they are making for the women's department... no reply, and no change.)


Yeah, a lot of the stuff doesn't seem all that functional. And how about the length of a lot of the women's shorts? I prefer longer shorts (which means I'm happy that Bermudas are in style right now) but it's not that easy to find women's hiking shorts etc. that go past mid-thigh. Kind of annoying.

[emily_in_nc]

[QUOTE=KnottedYet;300660] I have the same issue with pants at nearly all stores. I know they use "regular" size fit models so why do they only design stuff for twigs? Ugh.

Ok, but I'm a "twig", but short as well, and I have a horrible time finding pants that fit too. If they fit in the hips, they are either too short (a lot of petite inseams) or too long (most everything else). So, the fit issue comes in all sizes!

Emily

[emily_in_nc]

20 years ago REI was *the* place to get women's pants, the good tough kind that you can wear hiking and camping. Anywhere else, you pretty much had to go to the men's dept. REI had their own brand, and they had great cargo shorts and camping shorts, too

Knotted, have you tried LL Bean? I can't wear their pants (their petites are too short and their regulars too long for me), but they do seem to have a wide selection of real pants (for hiking and such).

You are lucky to be able to wear mens pants! I am way too short...

Emily

[KnottedYet]

Yup, I wear a lot of LL Bean for work.

[Jolt]

Knotted, have you tried LL Bean? I can't wear their pants (their petites are too short and their regulars too long for me), but they do seem to have a wide selection of real pants (for hiking and such).


+1 for L. L. Bean--quality, functional clothing that fits nicely. One of my favorite brands. Emily, what about getting the regular pants and hemming them, if they fit other than the length? Bummer to be between sizes!

[emily_in_nc]

+1 for L. L. Bean--quality, functional clothing that fits nicely. One of my favorite brands. Emily, what about getting the regular pants and hemming them, if they fit other than the length? Bummer to be between sizes!

Hemming is just too much trouble and never looks exactly right when I do it. And the smallest "regular" size LL Bean pants is probably too large for me in the hips (Petite sizes are cut slimmer through the waist/hips and have less rise). So I just make sure to buy my pants at places where I can be sure the inseam is long enough (29") or try them on in person.

What LL Bean hasn't yet "gotten" is that most of us prefer a longer inseam for boot-cut or flared pants (esp. if you wear a shoe with any heel at all) than for straight legs with flats. All their petites pants have a 28.5" inseam no matter what the cut of the leg. That inseam works for me in straight legs, but I like boot-cut pants, and they're just too short for that if there is any shrinkage at all (and there often is as they sell a lot of cotton). I've emailed them to mention this, but they haven't made any changes.

Fortunately, a couple of weeks ago, I was able to find long-enough jeans at both Talbot's Petite and Gap (their "Long and Lean" Ankle length, all their other "A" sizes are too short for me also). Isn't it strange that I'm only 5'1-1/2" and have such a time buying pants that are long enough? I guess pants are kinda like bikes sometime.... :D

Emily

[Jolt]

Hemming is just too much trouble and never looks exactly right when I do it. And the smallest "regular" size LL Bean pants is probably too large for me in the hips (Petite sizes are cut slimmer through the waist/hips and have less rise). So I just make sure to buy my pants at places where I can be sure the inseam is long enough (29") or try them on in person.

What LL Bean hasn't yet "gotten" is that most of us prefer a longer inseam for boot-cut or flared pants (esp. if you wear a shoe with any heel at all) than for straight legs with flats. All their petites pants have a 28.5" inseam no matter what the cut of the leg. That inseam works for me in straight legs, but I like boot-cut pants, and they're just too short for that if there is any shrinkage at all (and there often is as they sell a lot of cotton). I've emailed them to mention this, but they haven't made any changes.


I hear you about hemming being a bit of a pain. I didn't know about petite sizes being cut differently--interesting. I usually wear regular length (even though I'm only an inch taller than you are, petites are usually a little short on me), so I haven't had the opportunity to notice that I guess. The x-small regular pants from L. L. Bean might actually be OK for you in the hips--they fit me really well and I'm pretty skinny too (108 lbs). It's hard when you can't try things on though--I'm always a little hesitant about buying clothes online unless I know the brand.

[KnottedYet]

Beware the incredible shrinking inseam!

After several weeks of washing and drying and wearing, the inseams on these pants have quite clearly SHRUNK.

The waist/hips/thighs are still amazingly wonderful, but the legs are waaaaay too short now.

I'd recommend buying the next inseam up. They may be too long at first, but after a couple months of steady shrinking, you'll be glad you did.

(my next pair will be 34 inseam... cuz I already have enough too-short pants.)