LIVSN has built a reputation for quality clothing through its attention to quality and slow growth. Its sustainable Flex Canvas Pants are one of its most popular products and boasts glowing reviews from users and gear sites alike.
LIVSN Flex Canvas Pants use eco-friendly fabric to construct a midweight utility pant that can hold up during most outdoor activities, work, or play.
If you spent much of 2020 in sweatpants or joggers, consider upgrading to more practical pants without losing all the comfort. At a time when outdoor apparel is increasingly creeping into mainstream fashion, the modern fit of these pants may get you compliments away from the trailhead.
Shop the LIVSN Flex Canvas Pants
From the beginning, the design of LIVSN pants has gained attention. The brand presold 1,500 pairs in its first two Kickstarter campaigns, and customer feedback on the brand’s site includes hundreds of 5-star reviews. We can also point you to some praise here at GearJunkie.
One of our editors named the LIVSN Flex Canvas Pants his favorite of 2020, writing “From Day One, I fell for the LIVSN Flex Canvas Pants. With an aesthetic of a slightly more fitted, athletic Carhartt, I’ve been pretty much living in LIVSN.” Later, he called the upcoming LIVSN EcoTrek pants “darn-near perfect.”
Here’s an overview of the LIVSN brand and the philosophy behind its pants.
LIVSN Flex Canvas Pants
The pants are made from sustainable, 8-ounce-weight EcoFlex Canvas. It mixes GOTS-certified organic cotton with recycled polyester and just a touch of spandex for stretch. The canvas fabric is woven to feel like cotton against the skin while using the polyester inside for strength and faster drying. The fit is slightly tailored, like a slim fit that tapers up from the legs.
Construction techniques like reinforced seams and reinforced pocket bottoms should add to the durability of the pants. Similarly, nods to flexibility include a gusseted crotch and articulated knees.
Of course, practical pants have pockets. Here, LIVSN shoots for subtlety in its EDC pockets located on the thigh. They have zippered back pockets, a hidden security pocket holds smaller items, and the front pockets include phone sleeves.
Lastly, the pant legs can be rolled up and secured with a button. That can come in handy while cycling, scrambling over boulders, or on long walks along the beach (only half-kidding there).
LIVSN Backstory
LIVSN derives from the Swedish word livsnjutare, which the brand roughly translates to “one who loves life deeply; an enjoyer of life.”
The brand is based in Arkansas, where founder and CEO Andrew Gibbs-Dabney is an avid outdoorsman.
After a years-long quest to simplify his clothing, Andrew penned a list of design principles to guide the development of truly versatile clothing that would stand the test of time and avoid adding to a mounting global waste problem.
“Overconsumption keeps you from actually living your life. Our brand message is this concept of owning less and living more.” Gibbs-Dabney says. “I started with outdoor clothing because it has the potential to be extremely versatile if you build to be functional without being overly technical looking.”
The brand reinforces its ethos with a limited selection of products, sustainable and quality fabrics, and backs them up with a fair deal guarantee.
Gibbs-Dabney turned to Kickstarter to launch LIVSN’s first fleece and pants. The crowdfunding format helped prove market demand and established an early following for the brand. It was then that he also published the brand’s mission statement, which was what inspired him to create LIVSN:
“Build durable and versatile outdoor clothing that encourages people to wear it more, keep it longer, and spend more time outdoors.”
In its second year, LIVSN again took to Kickstarter for an updated version of its Flex Canvas pants. The company reached its $10,000 goal in 90 minutes, and eventually raised $108,000 over its 30-day campaign, an accomplishment that only 1% of Kickstarter campaigns reach.
After spending 2020 building out its online and retail presence, LIVSN returned to Kickstarter in 2021 to launch its EcoTrek Trail Pants, which are made from recycled ocean buoys. That campaign raised $514,624 from 3,611 backers.
Earning this kind of community following so quickly comes down to paying attention to details and honoring a mission. “You have to work tirelessly at making the best product that you can. That was our mantra from the start,” Gibbs-Dabney says. “We built a quality product that stands on its own before anything else. We made sure our customers were delighted when they got it.”
“We want our customers to have a growing appreciation for our clothing as they wear it, noticing more things they like the longer they own it.”
Now more established, the LIVSN website is stocked up and ready for direct-to-consumer sales.
Everyday Wear
The versatility of the Flex Canvas Pants speaks to those who dress in the morning for the possibility of various activities. That can mean cycling to work, chopping wood in the backyard, or scrambling up a rock formation on your lunch break. The point is, you don’t have to consider a different pair of pants.
Like an everyday carry knife, these pants aren’t built for any specific task, but to get the job done in many cases. And for work and play, these pants do just that.
The Flex Canvas Pants are indeed the crown jewel of the brand and come from LIVSN’s attention to detail and mission to make one pair of pants that’s suitable for most things you’ll do in a day. Any day.
Shop the LIVSN Flex Canvas Pants
This post is sponsored by LIVSN. Find out more about Flex Canvas Pants and other products online.
