Double-Knee Pants Should Be Able to Do Everything

Double Tap to ZoomStyleThe Coolest Climbing Pants Are Carhartt-CodedWhat do the perfect pants look like? According to Gramicci, the mastermind behind Japanese streetwear legend Jun Takahashi’s favorite pants and some of this season’s most surprisingly luxurious legwear, it looks like a pair of grandpa’s old work pants but feels like an adventure trouser.Gramicci's striped work pants utilize an overdyed striped cotton inspired by 20th-century railroad workers and even come with all the bells and whistles of a traditional carpenter pant, from the reinforced double knees to the extra tool pockets on the side, but they are still technically climbing pants. They have Gramicci’s signature integrated belt for a comfy fit, a diamond cross gusset for extra strength, and are roomy enough to allow a full range of movement when scrambling up a mountain face. Or sitting at the cafe.Combining time-honored American workwear with a quintessential piece of the Californian climber uniform is “basically perfection,” according to Gramicci’s product description. It’s hard to disagree. Double-knee pants are some of the world’s most in-demand pants thanks to their structured and useful design. It’s the reason why everyone from Nike to Louis Vuitton won't stop recreating them, why Japan’s most vital menswear retailer even turns sweatpants into carpenter pants, and why the luxury Carhartt collabs just keep coming. And climbers aren’t immune to the workwear-ification of everything.Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Instagram post.There’s a long history of mountain-scaling Californian dirtbags even wearing jeans on their adventures, but the new generation of climber work pants takes a more technical approach. Arc’teryx produces double-knee climbing pants infused with nylon to cut weight while Levi’s and Satisfy’s partnership, which later this year will expand into a full-blown climbing line, added the world’s strongest fiber to its double-knee rock climbing jeans. Even outdoor brands who operate at the cutting edge of fabric innovation can’t resist the charm of old 20th-century blue-collar legwear.Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase. Want to shop the products our editors actually love? Visit our SHOPPER page and subscribe to the newsletter for recs on all things fashion, footwear, and beauty.We RecommendLevi's Look Better Large & Lived-InPack It Up, Everyone. Chanel Perfected Carpenter JeansHow Did It Take Us This Long to Get Levi's for Farmers? (EXCLUSIVE)This Arc'teryx Jacket Wants Everyone to Know Its Arc'teryxLoro Piana Wool Climbing Pants Are as Crazy as They Are ExcellentWhat To Read NextDouble-Knee Pants Should Be Able to Do EverythingThank This South Korean Perfumer for Making the Lower East Side Smell NiceNew Balance’s Croccasin Stunner Is a Total Triple ThreatYayoi Kusama Had Nothing to Do With These Nike BootsNike's City-Ready Sneaker Is Still One Heck of an AthleteThe World’s Finest Grandpa Shoes Ain't Just Shoes Anymore