When I first received word that Mountain Khakis planned to introduce a "narrower" cut of their flagship Original Mountain Pant, the OMP Broadway Fit, I was intrigued. In some circles, the wearing of narrow or skinny jeans is an act worthy of mockery or derision, yet the most common complaint about the Original Mountain Pant has traditionally been that it is a bit too baggy for daily wear.
The baggy crotch and legs of the OMP are design features of course—it's designed to be a work pant. The extra room can be a godsend when one is working on a vehicle, building a campfire, or pumping water from a stream. Sometimes, having a little extra room is just plain comfortable—but more fabric means more weight, especially when we are talking about the rugged canvas Mountain Khakis uses. There are other complaints as well—some people just have skinny legs and found them uncomfortable. Others found the baggy look to be impractical in daily life.
Which leads us to Mountain Khakis' solution: the OMP Broadway Fit. Let's get one thing out of the way— these are not skinny jeans. By bringing in the legs and crotch a bit, they have given the Broadway Fit more of a jean cut (as opposed the work-pant cut of the standard OMP).
The results of Mountain Khakis' tinkering are stellar. The pants are more comfortable, look better, and feel great. Yes, they have been brought in but I have worn my pair for about 10 days and can't imagine going back to the standard OMP. I even wore a pair for a few hours just to remember what they were like and in the end my choice was overwhelmingly in favor of the Broadway Fit. I don't miss the extra room at all and have not noticed any reduced mobility when getting my hands dirty.
In addition to the OMP Broadway Fit, Mountain Khakis also launched the Teton Twill Broadway Fit. The Teton Twill Pant is a light, yet durable pant that is extremely comfortable (it's made of twill, after all!). Again, the Broadway Fit is a marked improvement over the earlier version. They just fit better.
Mountain Khakis is a great example of a company that has listened to customer complaints, created a solution, and created something even better then the original. The Broadway Fit is a fantastic product that I would recommend to anyone—now I just need enough cash to replace my OMP collection.
- Charles Nordstrom
Charles Nordstrom is the owner and operator of ExpeditionApparel, a company focused on outfitting the apparel needs of the overland traveler. ExpeditionApparel sells leading brands such as ExOfficio, Mountain Khakis, Icebreaker, and Outdoor Research. He has a passion for all types of travel (visiting 51 countries so far) and as completed the 2010 Mongol Rally, along with several international overland routes. For more technical articles on apparel and how it pertains to overlanding, or to check out the one-stop-shop for "ExpeditionApparel" check them out on the web. [link]
