Ballroom Jeans weren’t designed for dancing. These are workingman’s pants. A diamond-shaped gusset in the crotch allows for ample comfort when straddling a saddle, regardless of how wide. The legs allow room for knee flexing and there’s no problem fitting the cuffs over my boot tops.
These aren’t a wimpy pair of designer pants. Constructed of pre-washed, 14.5 oz., 100 percent denim, the main seams are triple stitched. Pockets are made of Duluth Trading Company’s trademark “Fire Hose” fabric and both the cuffs and waist are “taped” with the same material. The front pockets and the watch pocket are riveted for extra strength. Those front pockets are 12″ deep—much deeper than on regular jeans. This factor becomes important when riding a motorcycle; I don’t want to retrace miles of pavement looking for my lost house keys. The zipper and pull are metal, the waist button is metal, and the belt loops will accommodate a 1 1/2″-wide belt.
The temperature dropped to -37 degrees with the wind chill—too cold for riding, but this offered a great opportunity to test the flannel-lined version of Ballroom Jeans. At these temperatures restriction in the crotch area wasn’t much of a concern, but my legs managed to remain comfortable for more than an hour. According to the wind chill chart, I’d have to be riding 60 mph in 0˚F temperature to even come close to similar conditions. I suspect one could ride for hours in 50-degree temperatures and be comfortable when wearing them.
Duluth Trading Company makes a similar pair of jeans for women. Since a crotch gusset on women’s pants would be as useless as… well, let’s just say that these are not smaller sizes, but the women’s jeans are designed to accommodate the female form and feature a no-gap waistband. Obviously they have to be called by a different name: Original Work Jeans.
Rugged, extremely comfortable, affordable and good-looking, these are exceptionally fine jeans. Their only shortcoming for a motorcyclist is the lack of Kevlar lining for abrasion protection.
Ballroom Jeans
Duluth Trading Company
Ballroom Jeans: $49.50 (dark indigo and denim)
Flannel-lined Ballroom Jeans: $59.50
Original Work Jeans: $49.50
www.duluthtrading.com
800.505.8888
