OUTLIER CLIMBER PANTS

The irony here is that these pants are actually designed for cycling. Not climbing. I bought these pants at Bicycle Film Festival in NYC earlier this summer, and instantly knew they were going to become a favorite. These things are probably about as close to the perfect pairing of fashion and function as you can get. A nice slim fit, made from 4Season Lotus soft shell fabric, these things stretch, repel water, breathe and look damn good. The reversed yoke reduces the normal friction areas that would be a problem whilst riding...or rock climbing for that matter. And the curved waistband keeps your thong from hanging out when you're riding or topping-out on your favorite boulder problem. It's also worth mentioning that these pants are made in NYC. OUTLIER has a no-compromise aesthetic using nothing but the best fabrics and quality construction right in the Big Apple. As a result, the prices are a bit steep for the average climber/cyclist. These pants clock in at $180. But frankly, are well worth it. The biggest problem in the outdoor industry for years has been it's lack of ability to keep up with the rest of the universe in regards to fashion and lifestyle. If you go to any outdoor retailer trade show, most people there look like some sort of urban hippy poser. It's really a shame. And unlike most other fringe sports like Skateboarding, BMX, etc. climbing has nobody doing anything that even remotely relevant on a fashion level. Unless, of course, you are in to bedazzled tee shirts (Not that there's anything wrong with that.). The moral here: The outdoor industry needs a swift kick in the pants. It needs to catch up with the rest of the world. There is no reason why you can't have fantastically functional clothing that also looks amazing and is fashion forward.




The bad news? Luckily there isn't much. The only things I would change here are the back pockets. At least one of them needs to have a closure of some kind, and they are just as stretchy as the rest of the pants, so when I am riding, I feel like my u-lock and/or my wallet are going to fall out. Outside of that, these things are freaking genius. They ride amazingly, they climb amazingly, and they look and fit awesome. They also come in a lighter weight summer-time fabric (which I am wishing I had right about now.), and they also made some killer shorts as well. (What's up guys...send me a pair!)

Outlier is killing it. Super fine craftsmanship, great product, and killer style. Hoodies, hats, pants, shirts. Get in to it.