Ladies and gentlemen, I begin with a question: is there anyone here who does not love corduroy? The softness, the distinctive appearance – what more could you ask for? Quite a bit, as it turns out, and Outdoor Research has chalked the Rutland full of quality.
OR Rutland Pants Features:
- Breathable
- Movement-Mirroring Stretch
- Belt Loops
- Button and Zipper Fly
- Front Jean Pockets
- Back Patch Pockets
- Fit: Standard
- Fabric 98% cotton, 2% spandex stretch slub corduroy
- Avg. Weight (oz./g): 17.4oz / 492g (34)
- MSRP: $85.00
Rutland pants do it in style
As much as I love reviewing technical gear and the latest in backpacking developments, there’s nothing as enjoyable as getting a lifestyle product from a great company. Good designers like those at OR can do an excellent job at translating the outdoor aesthetic into wearable, fashion-forward lifestyle pieces and the Rutland is an excellent example of this. This sturdy pant is nice blend of the two.
The base of the Rutland is a cotton/spandex blend; it’s 98% cotton, so don’t expect a whole lot of quick-drying synthetic performance or anything like that. That 2% of spandex does a heck of a job, though – the pants are not gusseted but they still have range of motion wide enough to boulder in. For hiking and scrambling they are more than sufficient, but I suppose the purpose of this pant is to be more at home squeezing in and out of booths and striding around downtown. A gusset would provide a little insurance against busting out the seams, but it would compromise the urban look that OR was going for.
It should be noticed that this is a pretty light pair of cords as far as they go – you can see light coming through them if you hold them up to the sun, so don’t expect a heavy-duty pair of corduroys here. Rather, they’re designed to breathe well for warm days or shoulder-season variety. I found this to be the case and the cotton certainly does something to help you stay cool on warmer days.
The pants are consummately practical – plentiful belt loops and the normal slate of pockets coupled with a subtle stretch in the waist help these pants regularly sneak onto the front shelf in my closet. They were comfy out of the box, but I have noticed that they’ve stayed with me through the vagaries of holiday-time waist-size shenanigans. They’re certainly comfortable, but OR might have done one or two more things to make them a wearer-friendly pant – I would have liked to see a back-pocket offset for my wallet. However, the nice touches like OR-emblazoned button and rivets do something to elevate the sense of quality in the Rutland pants.
The Good
- Classic design in a classy fabric
- Breathable and stretchy for activity
- Quality construction with some very classy touches
- Comfortable out of the box, slight elasticity in the waist
The Bad
- A gusset would help preserve the crotch seams
- Straight-forward pocket design; some nuance here would be appreciated
The Bottom Line: OR Rutland Corduroy Pant
On the whole, the Rutland has a lot going for them – they’re a sleek pant with all of the performance that you could ask for from a style piece. I like the careful touches that OR included and my two quibbles are really points of preference – all in all, an excellent addition to any outdoorsy guy’s wardrobe.
Buy Now: Available from Backcountry.com
