Review: Diamond Gusset jeans

[KnottedYet]

www.gussetclothing.com Made in the USA.

Allow me to wax rhapsodic...
Remember your first pair of Gramicci pants? (yeah, the black ones 20 years ago that you wore until they fell to bits) Remember how you could get on your bike and ride PAIN FREE for hours?

Now, imagine a pair of *good* jeans like that!

Diamond Gusset did it long ago, and apparently they've been beloved by motorcycle folks for years. There are even Diamond Gusset jeans with kevlar reinforcement for motorcyclists.

I've had experience with 3 different cuts of these jeans so far, and I have nothing but good stuff to say.

First off: their customer service is superb. I ordered my first batch and received them within a few days. Had to return a pair (I misjudged my size) and received the exchange WITHIN THE SAME WEEK!!! Very fast, and no errors, and another new return slip in case the replacement didn't fit right either. That is cool, very cool.

Sizing and Inseams: Diamond Gusset has a crazy-huge array of sizes and a tremendous range of inseams available within each size. If you need something special, say a 33 1/2 inch inseam rather than the proffered 33 or 34 inch inseams, all you have to do is specify it on your order and they will get it for you. SmallKnot is a tall skinny teenager who likes the slightly baggy look but doesn't want his pants falling off or his ankles sticking out. Diamond Gusset had skinny-waist long-inseam options galore, and SKnot is happy with his jeans. (29W 34L and baggy enough for his fashion sense, and no binding in the sensitive zones)

Cuts: SKnot is wearing the men's regular fit pre-washed. He likes the dark denim and the fact that he can wear them without a belt. They don't bind on him, which is a big deal for guys. (not being a guy myself, I wouldn't know, but I'll take his word for it.) I wear the women's regular fit. At first I ordered the relaxed fit, but the rise was way too high for me. (how often does that happen for tall-long-torsoed-high-waisted me? Never. How exciting is that?!?) Now I have the regular fit. They are delightful! The waistband sits perfectly below my belly button. No issues with the waist gapping in the back. The rear pockets cup my heinie, giving that firm perky-buns look. (contrasted with the pockets way too high that just make my butt look huge, or the pockets way too low that make it look like I'm wearing maternity pants)

Fit: For a cyclist with cyclist buns and thighs, these jeans are a godsend. (and for a slightly chubby cyclist who gained 20 lbs since the last triathlon, they are still a godsend. ) The gusset gives you room right where regular jeans will cut into you. The "look at these wrinkles in the folds of my groin and the wad of fabric in my crotch" thing just doesn't happen here. (I know this one first hand. Ewww.) These jeans are true to size. No size inflation ego-pampering here. If you are a 14, suck it up and order a damm 14. You will love them! (I want to think I am a 12. No, sugar, that aforementioned 20 lbs puts me squarely in a 14. 14 is good. Order the size Diamond Gusset's size chart says to order.)

Quality: I can't find a thing wrong with these jeans. And I'm kinda on the picky side. The seams are clean and tidy. There is no warping down the legs. The pocket rivets don't pinch the top edge of the pocket seam. The waistband is smooth. No loose threads, no hanging ends. The front pockets lie flat, no bunching or puckering. I am VERY pleased with the clean finishing inside the jeans. The stonewash (regular fit) softens the denim without any fraying.

Bicycle friendliness: Oh, yeah, here is where these jeans shine! Yes, they are great jeans. Yes, the quality and fit are grand. Yes, they are made in USA and keep vital manufacturing jobs in the Americas. But, honey, just set yourself down on your unpadded Brooks and feel the miracle of the gusset! That evil "seams meeting each other" lump? Non-existent with the Diamond Gusset jeans.

My next pair of jeans (after I lose these nasty 20 lbs) will be another pair of Diamond Gussets.

I think I'll buy my gf a pair, too.

[mimitabby]

what a great fun review!

[KnottedYet]

what a great fun review!

And you already bought your sons some of these jeans long before I tried them!

[mimitabby]

yeah, but neither of them put NEAR that much energy into describing THEIR jeans.

[KnottedYet]

jeans update:

I've worn mine several times now, and still love them. They are my favorite jeans. I just can't believe how comfortable they are.

SKnot has been wearing his all the time (except once when I got them away and washed them). He has asked me to order him another pair exactly the same. I might have to, just so I can get the pair he's constantly wearing washed once in a while!

[OakLeaf]

No size inflation ego-pampering here. If you are a 14, suck it up and order a damm 14.

Ah, but is that a 1998 size 14, a 1988 size 14, or a 1978 size 14?

-Oak, 2008 size 4/6, 1998 size 6/8, 1988 size 10/12, 1978 size 14, measurements substantially unchanged

IIRC - what I've read not what I remember personally - "misses" sizes originally indicated "young miss," what we'd call Juniors now. And the size numbers were supposed to correlate roughly with age - so a Misses size 14 would be worn by an average 14 year old girl, who of course was much smaller than today's average 14 year old girl. So this stuff has been going on for a LONG time.

In a few more years they're going to run out of sizes and someone with a 26 inch waist will have to buy size negative 4.

[bounceswoosh]

www.gussetclothing.com Made in the USA.

These jeans are true to size. No size inflation ego-pampering here. If you are a 14, suck it up and order a damm 14. You will love them! (I want to think I am a 12. No, sugar, that aforementioned 20 lbs puts me squarely in a 14. 14 is good. Order the size Diamond Gusset's size chart says to order.)

I hate women's sizes. Usually buy men's jeans just to get away from it. What the heck does "14" mean, anyway? Answer: it depends on the manufacturer. That's no way to buy clothing! I especially don't understand why men's jeans come in specific lengths, but women get regular and petite, maybe a long if they're feeling charitable. I have a 32" inseam. Don't make me guess. Just give me the number already!

Ahem.

I've looked at those pants for motorcycle riding, but I don't think anything would compel me to give up my armored overpants. That's especially the case since last week, when a friend of mine riding home from work on his motorcycle got in a tangle with a car. I'm not sure if his leg injury would have been any different with armored pants over his jeans, but it seems worth the extra effort ...

[OakLeaf]

I've looked at those pants for motorcycle riding, but I don't think anything would compel me to give up my armored overpants.

Good. ATGATT Impact protection and abrasion protection are two different things, and you need both. I guess one could wear one of those Lycra armor garments under reinforced jeans... but I'm not sure what the point would be.

But if you're wearing overpants rather than standalone riding pants, gusseted jeans would still be great to wear underneath so you aren't sitting on those seams!

[Bad JuJu]

I'm an ATGATT girl too, but I get a little slack in the leg protection department when the Florida summer gets to its full blast-furnace intensity. I think the Defender jeans might just be the ticket for those times. Too bad they don't make them in women's sizes, but I may be able to make a men's pair work for me, since they seem to dedicated to helping people get the right size.

[Flybye]

The rear pockets cup my heinie, giving that firm perky-buns look. (contrasted with the pockets way too high that just make my butt look huge, or the pockets way too low that make it look like I'm wearing maternity pants)

Hahahaha!!! SOLD!

[malkin]

*Adding those jeans to my covet covet covet list*

The size page is good, but not as good as the review!
http://www.gussetjeans.com/fitpage1.htm

[bounceswoosh]

Good. ATGATT Impact protection and abrasion protection are two different things, and you need both. I guess one could wear one of those Lycra armor garments under reinforced jeans... but I'm not sure what the point would be.

But if you're wearing overpants rather than standalone riding pants, gusseted jeans would still be great to wear underneath so you aren't sitting on those seams!

That could be. I have a really comfy seat on my motorcycle, and don't go on terribly long rides, so I haven't ever noticed my seams.

[malkin]

Questions for the DG Jeans owners:

Do they shrink at all in length in their first wash/dry?

Do they do the denim usual tighten up in the wash/stretch out when you wear'em thing?

What temp water do you use to was them wash?
Do you tumble them dry?

Okay, I freely admit I'm a just the teensiest bit neurotic about laundry, and about my feet sticking out of pants that don't fit 'just so.'

[KnottedYet]

1. Neither mine nor SKnot's shrank.
2. They do the usual "tighten when you wash, loosen when you wear" denim thing.
3. I wash all my laundry in cold water. All of it. (My hot isn't even turned on.)
4. Tumble dry low (it's cheaper than high temp) or hang dry. Doesn't seem to make a difference for us.
5. You can order an extra half inch to the inseam if you are worried about shrinkage. DG has their bazillion standard inseams at every inch for women, but you can request whatever you want.

[malkin]

Thanks!
Off to measure.