Original Sporthill Pant for Men and Women : My Love Endures

Generally, when I talk to companies about testing gear, I'm interested in what's new for the upcoming season. However, I'm also a huge fan of the classics that so many of us still love. One of the best examples of this second category is the Original Sporthill Pant.

Honestly, I can't think of a garment that I've worn more often than my Sporthill pants from 1992. I exercise in them, I wear them when I fly, I wear them to bed, I wear them at the gym, I wear them for yoga, I wear them for days at a time in winter when I don't leave the house, I wear them for hiking and power walking, I wear them all the time. (I've even worn them as part of a Halloween costume.) They've been to Ireland, England, New Zealand, Canada, California, Minnesota, and every other vacation destination I've visited in the past 17 years.

One pair is so thin from wear that I use them as pajama bottoms. The other pair I turned into knee pants many years ago when I hacked off the legs with a very blunt pair of scissors. So, despite the fact that my Originals are still in use, I thought it was time to check in with Sporthill and see what a new pair might be like.

As I suspected, from the minute my new Original pants arrived, I've been in them. I'm a huge fan of natural fibers, so I don't really like wearing many of the popular technical fabrics. Cotton just feels better on my super sensitive skin. The Original pant is a cotton/poly blend with a pinch of spandex, so it feels like cotton, performs better than cotton, and has enough stretch that I can move about freely no matter what I'm doing. (Note: the pants pictured above look much more peg-legged than the actual pant.)

I love that the pant isn't a tight. Tights are revealing, tights mean real exercise, and tights are no good for lounging and traveling. I'm not saying I can't get a good workout in my Originals, just that the pant style, the looser fit, gives me so many options. I love the straight-leg style; I never trip over my pant legs and my long legs look great in these pants. Now, I did notice that the Original pant I have now has more of a tapered leg than my Originals from 1992. Maybe because the current Original is made from the original pattern from 1985. I'm all for slim-legged but not tight pants!

Yes, the piping down the front of the pant legs and the fabric stirrups are a bit 80s (my neighbors, who were born in the 80s mock my pants - but they are too young to know anything about workout pants that double as every-day-too-comfortable-to-take-off pants.) I don't wear the stirrups, but I like having them hanging on the heel of my shoe. It's a style thing. (If you don't like them, it's easy to snip them off.) The tiny key pocket that sits inside the front of the pants is still here, and I use it all the time.

One new feature: a smaller, more discreet logo. I appreciate that. As I get older I prefer tiny logos (or no logos at all). The older Originals had a large white fabric patch under the waistband. I never minded it so much, but my former husband (who was a sponsored athlete) used to remove it so he could wear my pants for workouts and not get caught wearing another brand! Even the new logo is stitched in place so you can remove it if you want to.

I love these pants. They fit well, they look great, I can wear them for so many activities and events, and they only come in black! The only thing I would change -- I'd make this pant in a low-rise version for women. I love wearing pants as low as possible because they feel better around my hips. Then again, because I'm so tall and have such a long torso, I like being able to tuck in my tops when the weather gets cold. Note to Sporthill: I'd definitely love a merino wool version of this pant.

Available in unisex sizing (S-XXL, sizes M and L are available in long length, too). I'm a women's size 10 in pants, and usually a size M in women's and in men's exercise pants, and the size M long fits me perfectly.

Bottom LIne: I wish I had five or six pairs of this simple but versatile pant. Obviously, I'm not the only one who feels this way or Sporthill wouldn't be making them again. In fact, if you want some, order now before they run out of your size.--E.D. (Nov. 09)

BUY ONLINE : $50 milemarkersports.com

Manufacturer's Site: www.sporthill.com

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