7 months ago
Cute, great knees, love the pockets. When I bought these a few yrs ago, the biggest size was the size I got (16) so I'm very, very happy that REI has expanded their size options beyond that. Now to the cautionary tale:
I bought 4 pairs of these for a 10-week season of frontcountry trailwork (mostly hiking an average of 5 miles a day and picking things up+putting them down). By the end of that season, 3/4 had busted through at the inner thigh. When I asked REI about the 1-yr warranty for this item considering how fast they were damaged, they said it was normal wear and tear and would not qualify for the warranty. Since then, the 4th pair has naturally followed suit. I have repaired the inner thighs on all 4 pairs at this point because I do like the look and feel of these pants. This wear is common for me, but still annoying. My most worn pairs have suffered additional minor damage but in general have held up super well...if you disregard the inner thighs.
The *most* annoying thing about these pants by far is that the buckles break after a couple washes. A CRUCIAL part of the buckle breaks off and cannot be fixed as far as I can tell, even when I can find both of the little metal peices in the washer. I have replaced the buckle myself on one pair and just pinched closed the buckle on the rest of the pairs -- neither option worked super well but they kept the pants functional.
I still wear these overalls all the time, but everytime someone compliments them (which is relatively often -- they're cute!) I warn them that they are not worth what I paid for them, somewhere between $75 and $100 at the time (I cannot remember, unfortunately). As some point I ran into someone who had gotten a pair on sale for less than $45 -- that, to me, is a price I would be willing to endorse them for at this point. If you've never had an issue with the crotch/inner thigh of pants wearing through and you plan to hand wash them or replace the buckles every couple seasons, they will be a great choice for you.
I just finished mending another pair of these overalls hence the tirade. For a good while, I only had one functional pair -- the one in the pictures, trackable by the smudge of orange paint on the front.
Body Type:Curvy
Age:25–34
Weight:175–200 lbs.
Height:5'3"