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Ripstop fabric is misunderstood and under rated.
in the pursuit of the perfect pants for every occasion, i found myself searching for a pair with the following requirements:
breathable
casual
good for travel
loose fit
durable
comfortable
in short, effortless summer weight pants i can throw in my carryon that felt at home in Dublin, Sardinia, and NYC.
twill chinos, canvas painters, and denim are out since they’re never going to be light enough in the summer.
anything with a linen blend misses the mark because they wrinkle if you look at them too long, and durability is a concern.
poplin chinos would be perfect, but i always feel like im babying them and they get holes quickly.
the criteria list inevitably led me to research Ripstop.
invented in the 1940’s for use in parachutes, Ripstop’s main advantage is in its superior strength to weight ratio, and its ability to localize failure points (to “stop rips”).
during the Vietnam war, the Tropical Combat Uniform, a light weight cotton poplin, were wearing out so quickly in the dense humid jungle that the government needed to find a new solution and fast - so they created the first cotton ripstop fabric.
still light weight and 100% cotton, but with stronger nylon threads crossing through the weave, the material kept soliders cool and stood up to the demanding conditions it was subjected to.
when the military changed the uniforms again in 1981 to the Battle Dress Uniform (BDU), the hot weather version was a cotton ripstop.
today, nearly every combat uniform issued by every branch of the US Government uses ripstop fabric, whether 100% cotton or not.
fascinated by this miracle fabric, i become obsessed with finding the perfect pair of pants.
here are some recommendations i came across on my search, and i will leave the pair i settled on after much deliberation for last.
Engineered Garments:
overly baggy, looked like a costume
Carhartt WIP:
wanted to like these so bad but the fit was off in the waist.
Stan Ray:
too tight in the thigh, but love the fatigue silhouette and desperately wish these were the right fit for me.
Rothco:
i would not have bought these if i was online shopping. i was lucky enough to walk into Dave’s New York, now one of my favorite clothing stores on the planet, and explained the criteria list to one of the salesmen on the floor. he listened, nodded, and B-lined directly to these pants. they were the perfect fit, and i was shocked that i’d be spending $45 to end my search. if the engineered garments ones were the perfect match, i would have gladly paid $400.
