The pants provide a full fit and will allow for layering of insulated underwear products without binding in the thighs. I have not worn them in cold weather yet because I bought them in May 2010.
Ordered these pants for my husband and had to return them. He wanted to purchase a winter weight slacks that were made from refined Merino wool. These however were not a dress slack and would be perfect for outdoor winter activities.
The Bean's men's washable woolen pants that I bought a year ago were to back up and eventually replace a similar pair that I had bought from Bean's in 1979! The greatest material difference between the 1979 pair and the 2008 pair is that the newer pair is "washable" (I use quotes since my wife cautions me that we still clean the new pair in cold water on a gentle cycle and with Woolite). The 1979 pair is still frequently used for white-knuckle downhill skiing, hiking, cross country skiing, cod fishing, ice fishing (for fish, not bobbing for ice cubes!), pond hockey, and for shoveling duties during blizzards. Their primary use over the DECADES has been for skiing. While in the Navy and stationed in Europe in the early 1980s, I was able to wear these pants skiing a few times in the Alps, where I was often complemented for these pants and asked -- even in Verbier! -- where they could be bought. The pants' durability was frequently confirmed as they bounced along stretches of washboard ice layered among slopes on two continents; they are so tightly woven that they act like chaps when trundled through brier patches; they have survived #7 hooks without a blemish; they've endured hours at the wood pile in sub-zero weather; and, cleaned, they have looked great at holiday parties near the punch bowl and winter solstice bonfires on icy beaches. These pants are warm, exceptionally durable, roomy, very practical, and are somewhat fashionable in a classic sense. They are, in my opinion, an investment and a very practical value. Above I mentioned the material difference between the 1979 pair and the 2008 pair; the other great difference is that the 1979 pair has been an accomplice in many great (and cold!) winter activities and memories, while the 2008 pair is just beginning to share in accumulating great memories. These are great pants.
These pants are warm and rugged. They stand up well to the abuse of CRP while pheasant hunting and look good enough to wear in town. The loose fit is great for layering over thermals. The fact that they are washable is icing on the cake.
