If I come across another pair of pants or shorts that “transitions seamlessly from the office to the trail,” I’m gonna throw up in my own mouth. That said, I get it. We don’t all have time for endless wardrobe changes as we navigate a day that isn’t as dominated by desk work as it used to be.
I never expected Levi’s to enter this particular fray, either, but here we are. Behold the Levi’s XX Tech Chino Shorts. I ended up ordering them for two reasons. First, my waist size has recently expanded, and I needed a pair of jeans I wouldn’t be in a constant fight with, so I was on the Levi’s site. Second, it’s summertime and so I took a quick peek at the various jorts Levi’s has on offer, wondering if there was anything vaguely not a jort I might add to my wardrobe.
That’s when I saw these shorts. And they were on sale, so I took a flier.
Of course, the bike biz has plenty of purpose-made cycling shorts. The beef I have with most of them is that they’re too big and baggy. I’m not that tall, and I’m bow-legged, so big, long shorts make me look like an Oompa-Loompa, not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s really more that on the bike, I don’t like to be swimming in my pants. The XX Tech Chinos have an 8” inseam. That may be too short for some of you, but it’s perfect for me.
When they showed up, a few things surprised me. They’re well made. A lot of the global clothing makers are squeezing dollars out of their products by using cheaper fabrics and engaging cheaper manufacturing. The XX Chinos are well-made. They are nearly 50% recycled polyester, with a decent amount of stretch AND UPF 50+ sun protection. What I extra like about them is that they have a secure, zip-up pocket in the front and another in the back, so your stuff doesn’t fall out while you’re getting rad.
They retail for $49.50, but are on sale, right now for $39.99 on the Levi’s site. They come in black, khaki and navy. Sadly, there is not a women’s specific version. I don’t know why. If any of our female readers have a favorite bike/life short, we’d love to hear about it in the comments.