These Are the Hands-Down Best Travel Pants Out There
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Welcome to The Esquire Endorsement. Heavily researched. Thoroughly vetted. These picks are the best way to spend your hard-earned cash.
I am a big pants person. My wardrobe is…expansive, to say the least, and the bulk of it is pants. In my opinion, they can make or break an outfit: They define a silhouette, balance proportion, and, at the end of the day, are there for you no matter what the rest of your fit looks like. So, I love pants. And my standards for them are pretty damn high.
I’ve been through many, many pairs and the selection I’ve curated is the best of the best. They need to have the right silhouette (I don’t want to be wearing skinny jeans, nor do I want to be wearing balloon-legged trousers), the right fabric (what’s worse than stiff, scratchy pants?), and the right details (sorry, but the color metal on the button and zip does matter). I’m talking about pocket size, belt loops, waistband, and everything else—right down to the stitching. If a pair of pants can pass these checkpoints, it’s good. Norse Projects’ Aaren Travel Light Pants are simply great.
For a single pair to stand out in my closet is an achievement in and of itself. The Aaren Travel Light Pants, however, have become an immediate staple even when I’m not traveling; when I’m at the bar or the office or on the subway, I’m wearing these pants. In fact, I’m wearing them right now.
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They're sleek, stylish, and easy.
Norse Projects is a Danish clothing brand that combines the effortless minimalism of Scandinavian style with the coolness of cosmopolitan streetwear. The garments are simple yet stunning, and of everything I’ve tried from the brand (including outerwear and shirts), the Aaren Travel Light Pants are definitely my favorite.
They carry with them the timeless, understated elegance (any “quiet luxury” fans here?) consistent with Norse Projects’ vocabulary, but they also have a versatility that lends them to any wardrobe. For example, while these are men’s pants, I found that these were up to any fit I wanted to concoct. With a white tank top and sneakers on a hot summer afternoon, they give me a cool, model-off-duty street style look. Casual, nonchalant. At the office, with a blazer and loafers, they're easy yet elevated, with their light pleating and straight-leg silhouette.
It’s rare to find a pair of pants that become your go-to for any and all occasions, but within the first month of having these, I reached for other pairs of pants maybe…once? Twice? I found myself wanting to wear these all the time, because, really, they’re just the perfect pair of everyday pants. The legs aren’t too wide nor too slim, and, although the waistband has an elastic backing (thank goodness for that extra bit of comfort!), the front and sides of these pants look like they were tailored specifically for you.
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They don't skimp on performance.
These are “travel pants” for a reason. They get you where you need to be.
See, one thing about me is that I hate airport style. I hate having to wear clothes that are kind of ugly and frumpy just to be comfortable on a long flight (you will not catch me falling asleep in jeans). Norse Projects eradicates that dreaded feeling; although I wear the Aarens everywhere, they are made for traveling.
In fact, they're so damn comfortable, it seems unfair that they should be stylish, too. Like, if brands were capable of combining this level of chicness with this level of comfort all along, why haven’t they been? Why have we been sacrificing one for the other? It seems that not everyone has Norse Project’s tech down, but they make it look oh so easy. See, the first thing I noticed about these pants—even before I unfolded them from the package they came in—was the fabric. It’s soft. Not fleece-y, sweatpants soft, but lightweight, airy, and perfect for almost every endeavor.
They’re thin, too—perfect for running through the airport or commuting on a train with no AC. I was worried they might be too thin for cold environments, but then I wore them on a three and a half hour Amtrak ride from New York to Washington DC—one of the coldest environments on planet earth, mind you—and they struck the right balance. They’re breezy enough to let some air in, but not too much. Norse Projects also advertises these pants as being “fast-drying,” and they aren’t lying; just ask the other pairs of pants that didn’t pass the test of delivering moisture-wicking tech on a 40-minute, underground commute on the F train on an 89 degree afternoon in New York City. Yeesh.
Shop Now $270 norseprojects.com
The details go above and beyond.
You know when you get a pair of pants and you’re like, “Damn, these would be so perfect, if only they were a little more [insert your complaint here]?” Yeah, you won’t have that issue with these.
Norse Projects thought out every detail of these pants, from waistband to hemlines. That elasticated waistband I mentioned earlier is a fuckin’ treat, but what takes it to the next level is the smooth, invisible zip (I hate when zippers show on pants), thin belt loops, and lie-flat drawcord closure.
There’s some short and sweet darting at the hips to elevate the pants a little bit more, and the fabric is especially stretchy both horizontally and vertically, so don’t think twice about doing a little sprint to catch your train or bus or plane. The sweat will dry anyway, and you’ll look composed and cool. As always.
Shop Now $270 norseprojects.com
Photography by Joe Lingeman. Prop styling by Heather Greene.
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