At $180, the Outlier 4Season OG Pants are a specialty product created for a small, affluent market niche. Essentially, these are “performance dress pants,” a unique hybrid for office workers who bike commute or active types who want a comfortable pair of pants to do double duty in social situations and during moderate physical activity.
Made in New York City with Schoeller Dryskin Extreme fabric, the OGs pull influence from sources as distant as the world of fashion and mountaineering. The company (https://outlier.cc) calls the pants “the ultimate in versatility, both socially and technologically.”
In my test this past fall, the OGs have held up to bike commutes and long days sitting at a desk working. They are comfortable and nice-looking. The Schoeller fabric is a great choice, cloaking its inherent technical characteristics — water and stain resistance, stretchiness, breathability — with a look and feel that could be mistaken for a fine wool.
The cut is medium to slim, but it is comfortable because the fabric has built-in stretch. The leg opening is small, though most cyclists will want to still employ a Velcro strap on the right cuff to keep fabric out of the bike chain.
In a light rain, water beads and rolls off the OG pants. But raindrops soak in during a downpour. They are water resistant, though don’t confuse the OGs with rain pants.
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