this post was submitted on 06 Jan 2026
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Buy it for Life

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pamts (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 1 day ago by artichokecustard@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/buyitforlife@slrpnk.net
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can anyone point me towards a pair of dark denim, like a black to gray sitch preferably, that will last me over a year, thank you anon in advance, it's always the thighs for me, but i wear them for work so they get a lot of use

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[–] evasive_chimpanzee@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

Brand isnt really the important thing, materials and construction are.

Brands like carhartt, Duluth, etc. make durable workwear, but a lot of people want clothes with the aesthetic of workwear, but in stretchy, soft fabric and slimmer fits, and those brands will accommodate that.

Duluth firehose pants, for example, are really durable. DuluthFlex firehose pants, though, look the same, but include 3% spandex. That means that the heavy duty cotton canvas is actually just held together by spandex, which wears out easily.

Whatever brand you get, just make sure they are 100% cotton, or maybe cotton/nylon blend. Something like wrangler 13mwz might fit the bill for you.

These pants don't have to be pricy, either. If you are shopping somewhere like rural king, tractor supply, etc, you can find pants like that for $20.

[–] Sludge@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Or the easy guy/strong guy fit from naked and famous

I understand that these are more expensive than something you'd get at target but they do last and the fades from working in them will be neat.

[–] kata1yst@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I blew out my unbranded brand jeans in 3 months. Levis last me significantly longer at a third the price.

[–] Sludge@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Could be fit (more snug with less wiggle room in the crotch can lead to blow outs, same with biking in the jeans) - I exclusively wear raw denim, admittedly brands other than the ones I recommended, and haven't had any blow outs. The only wear beyond fades on my momotaros is from leaving them cuffed for too long and had some slight scarring. Most of my pants are 6-10 yrs old at this point. I typically wear a relaxed fit or denim with a relaxed taper to minimize pressure points/stress spots on the jeans.

My favorite brands are Oni and Pure Blue Japan but they are likely above the desired price point.

I view Levi with elastene/stretch as fast fashion and am against the impact of pre-faded and washed jeans have on the environment and laborers in those factories. I prefer to go with unwashed/un-faded pure cotton.

Regardless, you can always go for something cheaper - I'm not forcing you to do anything, just presenting options that have worked for me.

[–] ace_garp@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Not sure, but this channel does clothes tear-downs, that can give an understanding about what makes a long lasting pant/pamt.

(C:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOaonfHliOc

[–] smh@slrpnk.net 3 points 1 day ago

Thank you for sharing. That's a fascinating video that I've forwarded to my stitch 'n bitch group :)

[–] teft@piefed.social 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Buy some carhartt or dickies pants. They last forever.

[–] BingBong@sh.itjust.works 1 points 17 hours ago

I've blown through 6 pairs of carhartts in the last 5 years including their double duck canvas pants. I'm not in the trades and the rough work is just basic home maintenance. I'd say they have gone downhill drastically from 10+ years ago.

[–] SaneMartigan@aussie.zone 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

Not fuckin Duluth trading co. Wore out in a few months, being in Australia the warranty is useless too.

5.11 cargo pants last me ages.

[–] evasive_chimpanzee@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Did you buy stretchy pants from them? I have Duluth firehose pants, and they are basically indestructible.

[–] SaneMartigan@aussie.zone 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (1 children)

Glad you had a good experience. That's what I bought and they were a total fucking waste of time and money. They wore through in a few months. Fuck Duluth, i feel like they were my first BIFL rip off experience.

The second being Opinel, the locking collar cracked and the tip snapped off without sketchy use.

[–] evasive_chimpanzee@lemmy.world 1 points 5 hours ago

I think opinel only exists to be a unique look. There's a reason other companies don't use a similar lock.

I have their oyster knife and mushroom knife, and they seem to be fine, but only time will tell. Neither gets super constant use.

[–] Nemo@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They also just... don't make pants for athletic body types. If OP is wearing out the thighs first, Duluth wasn't going to fit in the first place.

[–] prettybunnys@piefed.social 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The thighs wearing out doesn’t exactly scream “athletic” body type.

[–] RustySharp@programming.dev 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I reckon any athlete not skipping leg day can definitely feel a little tight in the thigh region.

[–] prettybunnys@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Yeah, don’t get me wrong … I do squats and when my quads started growing I found the fit of my pants to be an issue … BUT, my pants only ever wore out at my thighs from my chub rub 😬

[–] AngryishHumanoid@lemmynsfw.com 1 points 1 day ago

Second the 5.11, best pants I've ever owned, but if you are on the shorter side you might need to get them hemmed.

[–] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 day ago

i've had good luck with Brave Star and Gustin

[–] kata1yst@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago

Carhartt.