Introduction
With the pandemic, I was fortunate to have a full-time job that I could do from home. My employer is starting to make plans to open to a hybrid arrangement (part of the workweek at home and part of the workweek at the office).
While working from home, I did not have much need for the dress clothes that I wore to the office. I did not do telework in casual clothes, as I found that I could not get into work mode without dressing somewhat more formally than jeans and a t-shirt.
Now that I will return to an office commute (maybe?), I had an interest in refreshing my wardrobe. Perhaps, the reader is in the same position. First, I looked for pants. I tend to wear wool dress pants that I pair with a blazer or sports coat.
It is a neat outfit. However, rain can present a problem—soaking the wool and ruining the crease. This happened to me several times. While I will not give up on wool pants, I was searching for pants that are formal enough for the office and can deal with rain well.
I found a category of pants called men’s tech pants. The pants typically have cotton, some elastane for stretch, and polyester for some water resistance. I found several brands that sell this type of pants. Most are formal for a workday, and a few others have a casual design.
I also added two pants from Mott and Bow for comparison: The Everyday Chino and the Mercer Twill Denim. Both pants have mostly cotton with some elastane for stretch.
Brands of Tech Pants / Stretch Chinos
| Pants | Waist Sizes | Fabric Composition |
| Perk Feel Good Chinos ($108) | 28 inches to 42 inches | 97 percent cotton twill, 3 percent Spandex |
| Western Rise, AT Pant ($128) | 28 inches to 40 inches | 97 percent nylon, 3 percent Spandex |
| TAYLRD Tech Chino Pants ($89) | 28 inches to 44 inches | 96 percent cotton, 4 percent Spandex |
| Rhone Commuter Pant (five styles-regular, slim, skinny,five-pocket, and jogger) ($128) | 28 inches to 40 inches | Proprietary “Flex-Knit™ fabric” |
| Mack Weldon Maverick Tech Chino ($128) | 30 inches to 44 inches | 78 percent cotton, 17 percent Lyocell, 5 percent elastane |
| 2Eros Bondi Pants (Australian $120) | S, M, L, XL (28 inches to 37 inches) | 84 percent nylon, 16 percent elastane |
| TAYLRD Warp Knit Pants ($108) | 28 inches to 44 inches | 100 percent polyester |
| Mott and Bow, The Everywhere Chino ($99) | 30 inches to 40 inches | 97 percent cotton, 3 percent elastane |
| Tailored Athlete, Everyday Tech Trousers ($116) [article, clothing for bodybuilders] | 28 inches to 38 inches | 90 percent nylon, 10 percent Spandex |
| Five-Pocket Pants FourLaps Traverse Pant ($98) | 28 inches to 40 inches | 89 percent recycled polyester, 11 percent Spandex |
| Mott and Bow, Mercer Twill Denim ($118) | 30 inches to 42 inches | 98 percent cotton, 2 percent elastane |
| Western Rise Evolution Pant ($149) | 28 inches to 40 inches | 96 percent nylon, 4 percent elastane |
Review: Maverick Tech Chino
I decided to try Mack Weldon’s Maverick Tech Chino. I was familiar with Mack Weldon through previous orders. I decided to try the Maverick Tech Chino because it was like the pants I had worn for work from home days (100 percent cotton). I bought the belt that Mack Weldon recommends for the pants. I wore the pants as some when I received them.
Despite the cotton in the pants, the fabric is a little stiff. (The pants get a little less stiff with wear.) They are comfortable for my sedentary job. While I planned to use the pants for work, I also wore them to the supermarket and the coffee shop.
The pants have been working well for me. I will likely buy another pair.
Conclusion
New pants to suit at-home or in-office wear. Also, they can be used for casual events.
Have any of the stretch chinos discussed interested you? If so, let us know in the comments. If you have any questions about these pants, please send a message or write a comment. I will try to answer it in the blog.
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