Western Rise Evolution Pants Review
The well known travel pants from WR. Just how good are they in practice though?
Western Rise Evolution Pants Review Introduction
WESTERN RISE had a hit on their hands with the AT Slim Pants long ago. Their next pants came with enough clout for the brand to launch it directly on Kickstarter - something they’ve done with numerous products now (which is good, it means you can trust their campaigns). That next pant? The Evolutions.
That was back in 2018, so these aren’t new. They were, however, new to me in the sense that I’ve never tested or reviewed them. They had been on my radar for a long time. Like a lot of the tech fabrics out there, they promised tech and travel friendly qualities in a lightweight fabric that was comfortable and durable. Sounds like my bread and butter right? For your warm weather planning, check out the Evolution shorts review as well.
This is my Western Rise Evolution pants review.
March 2022 Update - Western Rise has just launched a new Kickstarter for the Updated 2.0 Version of this collection. Make it to the end for the link! That also means if you’re from the future, the links here might be updated to point to the current versions of the pants.
As always for full transparency, I did reach out to Western Rise to request a pair to review and they were nice enough to send them over. This review is not sponsored in any way however, and the opinions are solely my own as always. I do use affiliate links which help to support the site if you decide to use them to make a purchase. You’re of course under no obligation to do so and there’s no additional cost to you. Thanks for stopping by!
Evolution Pants Overview
The Evolution pants are made from what is now a pretty well known fabric in the travel and tech clothing space - Evolution fabric. (What, you thought it would have a diff name? ;) )
We recently reviewed the shorts, and well, you’re getting the same fabric here. Let’s review the specs:
• Woven twill
• 173 gsm
• 2-way stretch
• Water and stain resistant
• Breathable
• Lightweight durability
They come in only one inseam (like most premium pants) - 32 inches - but come in all the usual waist sizes. The cut on these is kind of a pretty standard American cut (straight). More on that later.
The idea behind these pants is to be able to replace 3 different kinds of pants - jeans, khakis, or outdoor pants. Lofty claim, per usual with marketing. We’ll see about that.
These will set you back $149.00 USD, but are available in a variety of colors now which is great. I had the Navy for my testing. Keep in mind, if you’re replacing two pairs of pants, divide this cost by 2. Or 3, however many you’re replacing.
I would consider these meant for 3-season wear (non-real winters) but to be honest, I’ve worn them a few times in NYC this winter and really never thought about it.
Western Rise Evolution Pants Features
You can see the unique texture of the fabric here.
Like the shorts, the fabric here is a feature. Lightweight, soft, and very durable, especially for this weight.
They sell these as hiking ready, and are made to be abrasion resistant. From what I can see, this is pretty accurate. The stretch on these also helps from a movement perspective. They aren’t like a LuluLemon ABC pant or anything - I’d say these play in the more traditional look and feel space vs the athleisure pants that claim to look like biz casual pants. Shockingly, those don’t. These do however. For more stretch, you’ll want to look at the Diversion pants, which we reviewed in a previous article (Diversion pants review).
These pants are also coated with a DWR (durable water repellent) that helps them to bead water. They won’t be water-proof, but what it does is help in those scenarios where you spill a drink on your lap or leg, get caught in light rain, etc. I of course did pour some water on my leg to check it out, and works as advertised. Eventually it will soak in, but no one is claiming it’s hydrophobic (read: fully waterproof). DWR coatings are not permanent, so keep that in mind. That’s not a Western Rise thing, it’s a DWR thing. But the benefit to DWR is that it also helps the fabric stay clean and not attract dirt - it’s not just for water repellency. Travel. Friendly.
Another travel friendly feature would be the zippered pocket that hides underneath the rear right normal pocket. This is good for placing cash, a credit card or room key, passport, or your entire wallet. The zipper is small, and I don’t see anyone really knowing it’s there or being able to get to it without you punching them in the teeth first.
Additionally, a gusset helps with those leg movements to keep you comfortable, and there’s a phone pocket in lieu of a coin pocket on the front. This fits my iPhone 12 Pro no problem.
You can expect these to dry quicker than heavier cotton pants, too. YKK zippers used.
The Good
I said it with the shorts, and I’ll say it here too. The fabric is great. It’s very soft in wear and hand feel, has just the right amount of stretch, and you kind of forget you’re wearing it. It has a good “fall”/drape to it as well, and wrinkles sometimes work themselves out on their own.
Similar to the shorts, I like how tight they can be packed. Saves room in your packing cube and that means you might be able to get one more item in, OR just take a smaller bag.
When it comes to travel pants, for me I NEED them to be able to do double duty as either an actual “while traveling” pant + dinner out, or an around-the-town kind of pant + dinner out. I won’t consider them if they can’t do it, and I’m not someone that travels in joggers. Nothing wrong with those that do - just not my bag these days. These pants do double duty easily. They style like a 5-pocket but kind of look like chinos too - so dinner out is all good in these. Fine dining and Michelin level are all good here - though it will be personal preference if you think you can get away with a jacket in them (some restaurants require it). I think a casual one would look fine if you taper them. You can see how they fit with shoes in the pics.
Like the shorts, zippered pocket. Anything billing itself as a piece of travel clothing, needs this at least. I think this is a basic feature for travel peace of mind and is a must have.
DWR is handy and helps to also repel dirt (To a point, let’s not expect John Gotti performance here…Teflon Don? Teflon? Get it? Yeah, I’ll see myself out…).
Also just like the shorts, I liked the wrinkle performance. They might show a wrinkle or two out of the bag, but either the fabric’s own nature or from your body heat, the smaller wrinkles tend to fall out themselves. Don’t expect that to happen when you crumple it into a ball across three countries then take it out. Pack responsibly and it should help.
Liked all the color choices in these pants vs. the usual black/gray and navy. Below you can see the fit with both proper shoes and sneakers. For reference in the pics, I wore a size 30, which is my normal waist size, and while they were snug enough in the sense I didn’t really need a belt, they weren’t “too tight”. I think we tend to think pants are too tight when a belt isn’t needed. It’s actually the opposite. Pants are “too loose” when you need a belt!
The Bad
Nothing major, but noting it.
No issues with build or QA, which is always good to see.
The zippered pocket is only on one side, which might be a problem for left-side walleters. Not an issue for me, but noting this because I know those folks are out there and it’s important to you.
While this is subjective, personally I have to put the cut of these pants on here. I mentioned earlier it’s definitely more of an “American” cut below the knee, and for many, many of you readers, that’s going to be totally fine because that’s what you want. But, if you’re more into skinny-style or tapered style, you’re going to have to get these tailored. This is exactly what I did. I had them tailored and tapered below the knee and also because I’m short, I needed to shorten them. Again this is really personal and depends on the styling you like. I just tend to like more of a Gap-Skinny or European/British cut on my pants. I don’t mean spandex here (Sorry Jesse and Slater). But I fear the return of the boot cut. These are just pretty much a straight cut.
Something I see a lot in the Reddit subs is “bagging out”. Do these bag out? I wouldn’t say so, no. Do they get a bit looser after wearing a lot? Yes. But so do pretty much every jean and chino I’ve ever worn, and they go back to normal after a wash and dry. Do with that information what you will.
One thing I did notice, is that I saw some pilling on the left pocket. I believe this is in part to a high-friction scenario of carrying my hockey bag (which is very heavy and rough) - but I’ve not seen this anywhere else, nor read reports of this happening to anyone else. I’m considering this a one off thing.
The Improvement Requests for the Evolution Shorts
Like with a lot of premium brands, I’d love it if they offered different lengths and patterns (ie, the shape of the fabric pieces) that accounted for that. For those not familiar, that means that no matter the length they sell you, the pattern would still be the proper proportions for how it’s supposed to fit/look. If you’ve ever had to hem pants significantly, you know what I mean,. It can change how the leg looks pretty drastically if you’re not going to a real tailor that will re-do the entire leg. I might not have the entire process/terminology right there, but that’s the gist.
That’s it though - if they offered both fits (standard and skinny/slim/tapered) I think this would be a no-brainer-home-run.
For reference in the pics, I wore a size 30, which is my normal waist size, and while they were snug enough in the sense I didn’t really need a belt, they weren’t “too tight”. I think we tend to think pants are too tight when a belt isn’t needed. It’s actually the opposite. Pants are “too loose” when you need a belt!
Final Thoughts On My Western Rise Evolution Pants Review
Verdict on these pants: Once I tailored them, I loved them. They’ve instantly become a travel favorite I will grab for nearly every trip, and I also wear them in everyday life (including to an office building for work in NYC). The feel, comfort, and look really sold me. They really do double duty as day wear and night wear, but without the rivalry of Dayman and Nightman.
They’ve got that versatility for me, and don’t look like “tech pants” - the second key for me in terms of travel pants. Beyond that, if I wanted to, they can also be used on outdoor hikes. They might not LOOK like outdoor pants, so if that bothers you then maybe don’t wear them there. But in terms of durability, they’ll hold up just fine. (Though, they might also not be the same as outdoor fabric in terms of OTHER properties, so think on it first).
I liked them so much, I personally bought an additional olive green pair because I’m really into olive green right now (Lol, my wife rolls her eyes every time I say that, so I’m obviously going to say it all the time) - and I plan to use them as one of my two pairs of daily pants on my upcoming safari trip in June. They’ll more than hold up in that environment.
And in this case, you don’t need to just take my word for it. I’ve no affiliation with these other sites, but Carryology awarded them a Carry Award in the 7th edition of the awards, and AbrotherAbroad wrote a great write up, too (and you can see some different fit pics).
Highly recommend these pants!!!!
Do note, that in March 2022 they’ve recently launched a Kickstarter for an updated 2.0 version of the entire Evolution line. Through April you can check out and back that project here: Evolution 2.0 Campaign
They sell directly from their website:
Wander more - and wander smarter - everyone.
Head on over to our Travel Clothing Reviews page for more reviews on clothing like the Western Rise Evolution shorts review, or the Aviator Travel Jeans review. Or, check out our Travel Accessories reviews, Travel Clothing reviews, or Best of Travel pages as well!
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