Made In The USA Throwdown: Origin vs. American Giant

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“i don’t cotton to these”

Forever in blue jeans! Neil Diamond’s song about preferring love to ambition must have been a bit more evocative in 1978, back when denim pants still had a tiny bit of counterculture credibility. (A very tiny bit, mind you, which is how we go from denim being genuinely offensive to a lot of people in 1965 to being a wink-and-nod from an establishment pop songwriter.) Today, blue jeans are a universal accessory, a default choice for most of America. You can get them at WalMart for $19.99 or from a Japanese selvedge artist at $2,975, with a thousand steps in-between. At any given time, they are probably the most common clothing item in most Western cities.

Here’s the irony: they are no longer the choice of most blue-collar laborers and tradesmen. The “cotton duck” canvas trousers that were in common use around 1860, and which represented the bulk of early “Levi’s” before the transition to denim, have come roaring back in the trades, largely due to Carharrt’s insistence on making and selling them regardless of market trends. Not as comfortable as denim, they are warmer and significantly more durable, especially over long periods.

So now we are starting to see “boutique” canvas trousers, for people who want an alternative to denim. The higher-end stuff is in the $300-800 range. Beneath that, but above plain slave-wage WalMart fare, are the USA-made canvas trousers from All American Clothing, Rustic Dime, Grown&Sewn, Los Angeles Apparel — and our two contenders for today!

In the right corner we have the American Giant Roughneck Pant, from the people who brought you everyone’s favorite hoodie and endless promotional materials that talked about the length of supply chains before that was cool. They’re $150 and available in four standards colors, including the “Cast Iron” tested here, plus three limiteds. Two fits, straight and taper. Available sizes: 28/30/32/34/36/38 waist, 30/32/24 length. Price is $150, and discounts have been rare up to this point.

In the left corner we have the Origin MOAB (Mother Of All Britches). Five colors including “Battleship” as tested. Straight or taper, sized 30/32/34/36/38/40, lengths 30/32/34. Price is $129, frequently discounted as low as $89.

For today’s discussion we have 36x32 pants. Both brands are careful to note that they do not “vanity size”, a claim that seems slightly more true for American Giant but is really accurate for either; I am 37.5 inches at the hips but had to buy the “36” because the “38” in both would have given me enough room to carry a bottle of Ketel One at the waistband.

The biggest practical difference between Origin and American Giant is shown above: the waistband, which features a separate stretch fabric band in the MOAB. I think this is aimed at people who carry pistols and/or tools on their belts, because it’s not very useful otherwise. It makes the pants look bigger and more ungainly from the outside, as well. The Roughneck, by contrast, just has some stretch woven into the canvas in the belt area. Unless you have an IWB holster as part of your daily routine, it’s a better setup, and more comfortable.

Further reinforcing the “daily carry mentality” of the MOAB is the double belt loop in back, with belt loops that are both sturdier and larger.

The Roughneck is more carefully finished inside, although there’s nothing to complain about the way the MOAB is stitched. This would be a good time to note that the MOAB canvas is a bit softer, with less stretch, than the Roughneck. I have the impression, not yet confirmed by wear, that the MOABs will not be quite as durable. The contrast stitching of the Roughneck is a nice touch, and will perhaps impress anyone who seems them next to her or his bed.

American Giant spends a little more money and effort riveting the pockets in traditional blue-jean fashion. This is a stylistic departure from the Carharrt template, and it renders the pants much less usable for mechanics and other people who have to be careful of what they might damage or scratch with those rivets.

Both pants use a bespoke metal button and size-5 YKK zippers. After some exhaustive investigation I can confirm that the AG zipper doesn’t just look more expensive, but is more expensive. By a dollar or two. The MOAB zipper, however, is a locking design. Your choice, but even in my inactive late middle age I’d rather have a zipper with curb appeal, and that is the AG, especially in combination with the polished button.

Speaking of the distaff opinion: A not-that-randomly-selected audience of one woman indicated that the American Giant pants look quite a bit better than the Origins, being cut closer and in more flattering fashion. It was also felt that the AG pants are just close enough to normal trousers to perhaps work with a sportcoat, the way you might do with Gustin jeans or something similarly upscale, while the MOABs would be awkward in the same situation.

I think it’s fair to say that both pants are truthfully represented by their makers. Origin shows the MOAB at work, in outdoor situations, doing some light hunting. American Giant has the Roughneck modeled by a diverse array of CrossFitters. It’s more of a fashion item.

I prefer wearing the American Giant Roughnecks and will happily pay more for them. They are a better alternative to denim in almost every situation, from overseas travel to office work. I think the MOAB is more fairly compared to the $82.95 canvas pants from All American Clothing — which I also wanted to have in this test, but a full three return cycles later, I still haven’t been able to get a set that fit correctly. That being said, I feel a bit guilty doing any farm or mechanic work in $150 fancy work pants so I got a few extra colors of the MOAB for race-and-tree-planting season. You could get both, they’re not really in conflict. I also think that both of them represent a more interesting and more versatile choice than just yet another set of blue jeans. I’ve been wearing canvas pants pretty steadily for the better part of a year now. Will likely continue. For how long? Well, forever in canvas! just doesn’t have the same vibe, does it?