q: fabric of BR Martin skinny pant? - YouLookFab Forum

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q: fabric of BR Martin skinny pant?

yublocka

(website)

Veteran

So I still haven't quite decided on whether to go for ponte pants, or a pair of black skinnies that I can disguise as pants for this season (here's the original post where I sought advice about this). As part of my "knee-rehab" I plan to go to a shopping centre tomorrow and walk around to see what I stumble across there.

Another option I thought of was the BR Martin pants which seem to be pretty popular here. What is the "weight" of these pants. Are they more summery/wintery/in between? Do they require ironing/any special laundering?

http://bananarepublic.gap.com/.....=760825002

Enquiring minds want to know

tam

Shopping

17 replies

Latest reply was from yublocka

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

Tam, I can't answer your question in detail, but from reading your previous post it sounds like something like the Martins would be the right blend of comfort and polish for you. I know Maya was desperate to get her hands on a pair so she could wear them to work, among other places, so I suspect they have an acceptable professional vibe (that would also make sense considering we're talking about BR). The style's popularity suggest they may have the comfort factor you're after, and I don't see why they couldn't be three-season pants.
Good luck with the hunt!

Maya

Veteran

I do not wear skinnies in summer, so they are 3 season pants for me. If you are used to heavy denim skinnies in summer, these will be comparitively lightweight, but the fabric is pretty substantial and drapey. They are good for tucking into boots if your work environment is relatively casual but doesn't allow jeans, and they are more fun and trendy than a pair of dress slacks.

The label says dry clean but I just wash them on a gentle cycle and hang them to dry and nothing disastrous has happened so far. They are 1000x better than ponte pants, which bagged out too much on me. But they were kind of tricky to fit. Since they are pants and not jeans, I wasn't sure if I should get them a little looser than normal. I decided against it since I didn't want them to stretch too much, but I could have probably gone with a 4 instead of a 2. However I haven't really tried them on lately so I don't know how my weight loss might have affected things. My jeans are definitely a little loose so I am guessing they might be more comfortable now.

Beth

Veteran

Maya has already said it all:) I too find them to be fairly substantial, possibly slightly heavy for summer, but it's not really an issue if you're wearing them to work in an air-conditioned environment. They go with just about everything and I think they're more versatile than a ponte pant. They've stretched out ever-so-slightly on me, but nothing significant. I could have gone smaller too, but I wanted to be sure they were work appropriate.

Maya, glad to hear you've laundered yours successfully. I was hoping I could avoid the dry cleaners~

lynne

Veteran

I don't know anything about the fabric, but they look very sleek and work appropriate. I might need these, too.

florida

Veteran

My Martin-fits are of a somewhat heavy fabric--to be worn in cool weather or air-conditioned offices only. But perhaps they sell that same fit in other, season-specific fabrics? GAP seems to do so...

yublocka

(website)

Veteran

Hmm this is sounding like a potential option then - since I already have my H&M pants for summer, I want these more for cooler weather.

So since you can tuck boots into these pants - is there a front seam that looks silly if you do? And how comfy are these vs jeans?

Now to decide - these versus black skinnies.......hmmmmmm!!!!!

Maya

Veteran

They are about as comfortable as jeans, perhaps more so. No front seams.

Scarlet

Veteran

Just in defense of ponte's, they don't all bag, but I think it's one of those things where you need to go more upper scale.

Kristine

Veteran

Do the Martin skinny pants wrinkle much over the course of the day?

Beth

Veteran

Kristine, mine don't wrinkle at all.

yublocka

(website)

Veteran

OK so after trying on and not being wowed by pontes today, its a toss-up between these and the skinnies. Ponder, ponder....

Kristine - good question!! Interesting that these don't wrinkle! (and an obvious benefit too!!)

Maya

Veteran

Tam, the BR pants will be more versatile for sure. They can cut through several dress codes at once. Ponte pants are limited to casual, but if your lifestyle is casual and you have no need for that versatility, then no worries.

Not all ponte pants bag out, it's true, but I just found them a lot trickier. Some were cut almost like leggings, while others were like pants, some bag out more than others and don't launder as well. In the end it wasn't worth the effort for me to find just the right pair, given how limited they are.

Also, the BR pants will last a lot longer. I think someone, maybe Shiny, mentioned that their ponte pants had started to pill.

yublocka

(website)

Veteran

Maya thanks for the input! I think I'm firmly against pontes now. The fabric didn't even feel that amazingly soft to me, but maybe Target pontes are not the best quality.

What about BR pants vs black UO skinny jeans? I think that's what I'm down to deciding between now...I hate being indecisive!!!

Maya

Veteran

I guess what I'm not sure of is what you are looking for. Casual? Smart casual? Biz casual? All of the above? Ponte pants and denim skinnies are more or less interchangeable, but the BR pants serve a different purpose. I need both skinny jeans and my BR pants in my wardrobe, so I couldn't choose between the two.

In any case, there is nothing special about those UO skinnies. Skinnies are everywhere and if they sell out, you can easily find another pair. It's not as easy to find a good pair of skinny pants that are biz-casual appropriate--believe me, I have tried! Most of them are casual and nothing more.

yublocka

(website)

Veteran

Maya I think you have hit the nail on the head here!!!

What I really need is biz casual pants (these are mostly for work after all).

I guess with the skinny jeans idea I was thinking the pants could also would with my largely casual lifestyle as well. The only thing I differ with you on is the comfort factor of the UO skinnies making them special - they are insanely comofrtable, that's why I was trying to get the best of both worlds.

Maybe I just do need both though after all hehe.

Tanya

Veteran

I am late here Tam, but I wanted to express my adoration of these pants. The material is very soft yet polished. You can tuck them n the boots or wear them with shoes, dress them up and down. They are incredibly versatile, so much that I have two pairs - black and charcoal.

yublocka

(website)

Veteran

OK Tanya, you and everyone else have me convinced to give them a go!!! Now to be even more annoying and ask about sizing.....