Khakis Climbing to Top

According to an annual survey of men and their pants, khakis have emerged as the preferred pant style of choice.  More than 72 percent of men say they are buying more khakis today than five years ago.  Why? According to the survey’s more than 2,000 male respondents, khakis are more versatile than ever and can work for most every occasion. A full 86 percent of men also said that today’s khakis are now more stylish.

Mountain Khakis®, a leading mountain-inspired lifestyle apparel brand, has fielded the survey for the past three years to better determine what men look for in a great pair of pants. According to the Mountain Khakis survey, performance features like stretch, stain resistance and strategically placed pockets are in style, while pleats are definitely out. When asked to name the most important improvement to khakis, almost 44 percent of respondents said good riddance to pesky pleats and hello to performance.

«Today’s khakis are definitely not what your father wore,» said Noah Robertson, co-founder and design director for Mountain Khakis.  «Khakis are no longer relegated to casual Fridays and golf outings. Guys are wearing them in the boardroom, on the trail and everywhere between. The key to a perfect pair of khakis is that there is no limit to where and how they can be worn.»

A recent style addition from Mountain Khakis reflects this focus on performance and fit.  The Mountain Khakis Camber Collection, introduced in late 2014, has skyrocketed to the top of the sales charts with a combination of rugged yet classic styling paired with a stretch cotton fabric for active fit and comfort. «As a brand founded on the perfect pair of pants for the modern-day lifestyle enthusiast, Mountain Khakis prides itself on combining both style and function to bring the very best khakis to the market,» said Robertson.

The style improvements are definitely paying off.  According to the survey, 71 percent of respondents said they’ve been complimented on their Mountain Khakis.  «They’re classy but look tough,» said one respondent.  «People are always asking me what brand of pants I’m wearing.»  And women agree: 3 out of 4 female survey respondents said that their significant other looks much better in his khakis now than a decade ago.

The survey’s more than 2,000 respondents – from Gen Xers to Millennials, archeologists to accountants – overwhelmingly claim khakis as their wardrobe essential.  Said one respondent, «They’ve been welcomed into the fold, so-to speak, in terms of good-looking, high-quality clothing that crosses over with ease from the trail to dinner out.» Khakis, it seems, are never out of style and always right for the occasion.