Fast Company Draggin' Jeans
FAST COMPANY DRAGGIN' JEANS
CW EVALUATION
Curve-huggers with hidden protection
EVER HAD TO SWING BY THE SUPERMARket while decked-out in flashy full-coverage riding leathers? You might as well be wearing a NASA moonsuit for all the odd stares cast your way. Certainly, a leather bomber jacket and blue jeans are a more fashion-forward
combo, but in the event of a fall, the latter simply don't match the abrasion resistance of dedicated riding pants. Even chaps, with their open-seat design, leave your ass-end exposed should it kiss the pavement.
Like many motorcyclists, we’ve been willing to risk a skinned knee or a fresh rump raspberry for the comfort and convenience of a favorite pair of Levi’s. Until now, that is. Draggin’ Jeans from Past Company (1010 3rd Avenue Drive NW, Hickory, NC 28601; 704/327-2644) mate contemporary jeans fit and classic boot-cut styling with the abrasion resistance of Schoeller Keprotec.
Keprotec is a durable, breathable synthetic that combines the strength and tear resistance of woven kevlar with the comfort and flexibility of lycra and nylon. Generous portions of the high-
tech fabric cover the knees and seat, running from inseam to outseam. Other than the additional stitching above and below the aforementioned areas, the stone-washed, 14.5-ounce jeans are as traditional as any you might find in a department store.
Popular with staffers for both commuting and sport riding, our production samples have withstood thousands of riding miles and many wash/rinse/tumble dry cycles with nary a frayed thread. Admittedly, we haven’t put the $80 jeans (available in waist sizes 30 to 42 and inseam lengths 30, 32 and 34) to the ultimate stress test: a jarring, high-speed crash. Nonetheless, our seat-of-the-pants impression is that the Draggin’ Jeans are extremely durable and just as comfortable as conventional blue jeans-all at no cost to your social standing. □
