I am a man of many proclivities, and you better believe that “good denim” is on the list. I have been lucky enough to work in jobs that allow me to wear jeans whenever I please, which equates to every day (summers included). So, when I got an email with the subject line of “Meet your new everyday jean”, you can rest assured I was intrigued. Swrve makes durable apparel with what they call the “trifecta of style” in mind: the office, the bar, and beyond. They shipped out a pair of their new Slim Fit CORDURA Jeans, and I set about putting them through my own version of the trifecta.
Straight out of the gate, these jeans surely look the part. Dyed in a classic dark indigo wash, the fit and finish are on point. They have a nice cut that falls somewhere between regular and skinny, which to me is perfect because you never want to go “full hipster.” The CORDURA fabric blend did not feel any different than other pairs of jeans, and swrve elected to use stitching that matches the color of the pant fabric which gives them a very clean look. Branding is kept to a minimum (a small patch on the upper rear and an even smaller tag near the left belt loops), as well as the seam stitches, which goes a long way toward comfort. Okay, the swrve pants sure looked good, but how would they perform? I saddled up on a couple of my bikes to give them the business.
If you peruse swrve’s website, it’s clear these folks are into bicycling. It definitely resonates with their design philosophy: the Slim Fit Jeans are ideal for bike commuting. The CORDURA fabric is not only tough, but stretchy as well, and felt great when riding around the streets of Salt Lake City. Perhaps my favorite feature on these jeans is the reflective piping on the interior legs; it’s hidden until the moment you roll up your pants and hit the pavement. The more ways a motorist can see me at night, the better, and swrve clearly had riders in mind when they added this to the jeans.
These dungarees did great around town, so it was time to log some more miles in them, this time on my motorcycle. I wore the swrve CORDURA jeans on several long (100+ mile) rides, and was happy with the results. Motorcycling during a Utah summer is a sweaty proposition, and the swrves held their ground admirably. I worked up a huge sweat zipping through the canyons of our fine state, and was impressed by the short amount of time it took to cool off once I dismounted. Please note: while the CORDURA fabric woven into these jeans does make them 4x more abrasion resistant than a non-CORDURA pant, you will still need to wear additional body armor when motorcycling. Even the swrve Slim Fits have their limits when it comes to high-speed slides on pavement.
Urban bicycling, sweaty motorcycle rides, office casual, and out on the town: I did it all in the jeans. However, I really wanted to test their limits, so I did what any reasonable person would do: threw them in my backpack and headed out for a three day trip to the Uinta Mountains! Rolled eyes and plenty of teasing were the initial reactions from my fellow backpackers when I donned the Slim Fits in our backcountry camp; but, those emotions turned to pure jealousy after a short time. Yes, these jeans can actually take a beating in the wilderness. I wore them while hanging bear bags, scavenging for firewood, and during a day hike to Rocky Sea Pass on the Highline Trail. Moment of truth: a hailstorm caught us by surprise, and I had to pull my rain pants over the swrve jeans. I was shocked when after two hours I hadn’t overheated, and quite pleased that I was bone dry. Even after two long days and nights in the mountains, these bad boys looked no worse for the wear.
The Slim Fit jeans’ performance in the mountains sealed the deal for me. These are most definitely an “everyday jean”. After a few months of use and abuse, and several trips through the washing machine, these pants look as good as the day they arrived at my doorstep. Honestly, they didn’t develop as much a thread pull, which is more than I can say for some of my other outdoor apparel. If you want legit toughness and performance, but don’t plan to compromise on style, put the swrve Slim Fit CORDURA jeans on your short list.
The Good: Tough yet stretchy CORDURA fabric is suited for any activity.
The Bad: Nothing! These took a beating and still look great.
The Verdict: Swrve’s trifecta of style is for real- these jeans will do the job in the office, at the bar, and in the backcountry.