I recently shared a post about my top three pants for travel, and one of those was the Western Rise Evolution Pant. You can check out that video here.
Not that I’ve had some time to wear these in a handful of different situations, I wanted to give you my updated experience with them. There are things that I love, and a couple things I dont, but they’re overall still one of my top picks for that category.
Disclosure Notice
Western Rise did initially reach out for a review, but I picked this style on my own without any additional input.
I also want to make a note that Western Rise seems to be working on a revamp for their products, so these pants are from the current generation of design. If anything updates to the style specifically, I’ll give an update like I did with the Kuhl pants.
About Western Rise
If you’re unfamiliar with Western Rise, this is the evolution pant in the classic fit. It’s a travel pant that can handle the trail and looks great in an office setting.
It features amazing 4-way stretch, it’s lightweight, super packable, and stain and water-resistant. That means you can pack less and save some weight for other things you may want to travel with.
The pants come in a fairly decent size range, featuring a size 28- 40 waist with either a 30-inch or 32-34 inseam. One neat thing that they do is offer extendable inseams for the longer lengths. The extra length is built into the pants, so if you need to make the pants the full 34 inches, you can pull the simple stitch out and drop the length of the pants down. This is the first time I’ve seen that technique, and I’ve been in retail for quite some time.
The pants were spot on with size, and the classic fit fits exactly how it says it would. Looking back, I probably would wear the slim version more as the majority of shoes I wear with this style are slimmer, but because I loved these so much, I actually bought an additional pair in the slim cut, so stay tuned for my feedback about those.
Western Rise Evolution Pant Pros
The material is lightweight but doesn’t feel flimsy. The woven twill is made of 90 percent nylon and 10 percent elastane. With that synthetic material, the twill still feels soft on my leg. No texture from the material at all.
On multiple occasions, I’ve worn these on the trail, they’ve been breathable and able to hold up in the outdoors. They feel at home on the trail, with the other, mostly fishing shirts, I pair with them.
Clipping my EDC knife on the pocket doesn’t sag, and the seam on top feels durable enough for daily wear.
These pants pair perfectly with my arcade belt, and that combo makes a killer airport combination. If you want to learn more about Arcade Belts, I’ll link the full video down below.
And speaking of travel, these pants also feature a zippered back pocket to help keep your items more secure. It’s in addition to the normal pocket opening, so it’s a little bit of a dupe. Still keep your extra valuable items safe, though, if you’re traveling with additional important cards or documents.
Western Rise Evolution Pant Cons
The front of the pants features a pocket that is intended to be for your phone, but the placement of it is awful.
When you’re walking around, it’s fine enough, but the second you sit down or need to lean over to tie your shoe, the phone pushes into your hip and is uncomfortable. I have the smaller iPhone, and it was noticeable plenty. I just kept the phone in my regular pocket. This is a nitpick, but I also didn’t like the right-side placement. It would be nice to have that stash pocket on both sides.
I also wish this pant was designed with the commuter in mind. There are no reflection points anywhere on the pants, and no cinches in the bottom leg opening. Folks who ride their bikes to work would be hard-pressed to choose these pants for daily wear. Probably not a deal breaker for most, but it is something worth noting.
At the time of this posting, the classic pant is $128, and the slim was clearanced to $48, which is a stellar deal if you can find a pair in your size.
Western Rise offers a 30-day return policy for certain regular-priced items and a warranty for any manufacturing defects. Just note that it doesn’t cover normal wear and tear, but based on my experience, that would take quite some time anyway.
And speaking of links, make sure you use my affiliate link for 15 percent off of your first regularly priced purchase. Purchases made through affiliate links don’t add to the cost of the item and go a long way to supporting this channel.
Are you already wearing Western Rise items? Let me know what your faves are in the comments below.