DISH pants are a spunky line of the most versatile jeans and professional bottoms designed for women. Made for the sophisticated lady who works hard to play harder.
DUER, the original brand, was born through the vision of two designers who had been in the outdoor and design industries for 25 years. They saw an opportunity for fashion to meet performance. DISH became the feminine complement to DUER.
DISH offered to let me review two different styles of pants. The first, L2X Performance Skinny Denim are snug fitting jeans from waist to hem. The second, Live Lite Chino, are a slim fit through the hips and thighs but taper in the legs for an office professional look.
What a great opportunity to do a side by side test of an everyday jean and more of a dress pant!
L2X Performance Skinny Denim (MSRP $129)
In February I started my testing of the L2X Performance Skinny Denim by participating in Winter Bike to Work Day. When I left my house it was 30 degrees. Bundled up, the rubber met the road, and Dish Denim met my saddle. Biking from station to station I started to generate some heat, specifically in the saddle region. Then, it started sleeting and the temperature dropped even lower. I started to get concerned I would start to sweat, get wet, and get very cold before I made it to work.
COOLMAX natural fibers proved their worth. By the time I wheeled into the parking lot, I was neither wet from sweat nor cold. COOLMAX had moved the accumulating moisture away from the heat source to keep me dry. The fabric also provided unexpected warmth even in the sub-freezing temps since Dish‘s L2X denim is actually 30% lighter than standard denim material.
Not only is the fabric lighter, but it provides 5x the stretch! The L2X stretch is what makes these pants so incredibly comfortable to ride in, with lots of play in the knees and backside for pedaling. There was no compromise in the formed fit (ie. no saggy areas), even after wearing them four days in a row.
Four days in a row… What product testers will do to write an honest review. From hip to hem the jeans looked and felt as good as the first time I put them on. Also, there was no noticeable odor, which is explained by the Silvadur™treatment. The only con I have with the Performance Skinny Denim is their mid-rise nature. Understandably, it‘s good to have a little more coverage for bike commuting. I‘m just not used to having a pant line higher than my hip bones.
Live Lite Chino MSRP ($112)
The first Live Lite Chinos test turned into quite the adventure. I intended to bike to work and do a little lunchtime yoga testing. Instead, the day turned into a story of the traveling pants. Getting off the bike and heading right into a meeting, I still felt comfortable. DISH‘s custom T2X Live Lite fabric is specially made to wick moisture. This kept me cool and dry in all the right places.
My lunchtime office yoga testing escalated to an impromptu climbing session. Wearing the Chinos that are designed to stretch up to 10x that of traditional woven fabrics, climbing seemed like a perfect test. I climbed my normal rated routes without restriction. The Chinos are incredibly supple, strong and so light it felt completely natural to climb in them. The really amazing part is that I was able to get off the wall, pedaled to the office, and walk into another meeting while still feeling fresh.
Finally, to end my day I met a few friends for happy hour. Once again, jumping on my bike I was able to join the social hour feeling great. Not only from the physical activity but confident in how outstanding I looked.
After a long day, and a plethora of activities, the Chinos still looked amazing. The pants even passed a sniff test thanks to the combination of cotton and eucalyptus TENCEL® that act as built-in odor retardant.
I‘m not generally one to wear khakis. Most pants that have the formal back pockets are not my style. I generally prefer more form fitted pants. The Chinos are perhaps a bit too formal for me, but they provide so much flexibility in use there’s not a whole lot of critique to be made.
Both the Performance Denim and Chinos have been incredible additions to my wardrobe. I love that they are not only durable and breathable but flattering for all body types because of the custom stretch materials. Watch out jeggings! DISH jeans give women an active and professional look, with an all-day comfortable feel.
I’d like to thank DISH for providing their pants for this review.