# Orvis Ultimate Khakis - Regular vs. Trim Fit



## Truth&Rights (Feb 15, 2018)

Couldn't find the thread where I brought this up before so I started a new one. I was about to try some Bills from their sale section but ended up passing on those (mainly due to fit reports) and ordering some of these in both the regular and the trim fit. Previous to this I wore khakis from Dockers, LL Bean, and Lands End. 

Anyway, just wanted to share my experience with these for anyone thinking about buying them. 

The regular Ultimates are very comfortable but I found them to be too full. I'm 5'7'' and the proportions were just off. I tried a few pairs of them for a week and ultimately exchanged them for the Trim Fit. 

Now, the Trim Fit are just a bit slimmer than the regular per Orvis' diagram. They are NOT skinny slim hipster pants. I would compare them to a well fitting but conservatively cut pair of suit trousers. They look very nice pressed with a crease in them and hemmed with cuffs (or without, if you prefer). If your employer has a business casual dress code, these work. The regular Ultimates were like a baggy weekend pant you wear with an untucked shirt. My 2 cents. 

A few observations: 

-Orvis' fabric is thicker than standard khakis from LE, LLB, and Dockers
-Ultimate khakis are must-iron. You may want to spritz them with water while ironing to get them pressed nicely.
-Orvis does a better job making cuffs than either LLB or LE. They use a thicker clear plastic thread to secure the cuff. It's almost like fishing line. It's not a perfect job but an pretty acceptable one. 
-Plain finished hems are neat. They look like they came out of a factory. Going forward this is what I will order. 
-The Slate color has an odd greenish hue to it out of the box that seems to lessen after a couple washings. 
-The regular "Khaki" color is very light. To me these are almost like "stone" colored khakis. Almost too light for me. 
-"Field Khaki" is more along the lines of what I prefer in terms of color. These look the best out of the colors I bought - IMHO. 
-The rise on the Trim Fit may be just a little too short for some folks. I found it to be okay.


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## ElPresidente (Jan 28, 2014)

Great Thread! I have said it before and I will say it again, I absolutely love Orvis's Chinos. I am partial to their Wrinkle-Free Supima Twill Chinos. I am considering trying out the trim fit, but have typically stayed with their regular fit. The leg opening is nothing short of perfection for me. My pet peave is when a small leg opening bunches up at the top of the shoe. I found the regular fit chinos to be the perfect balance of a large enough of a leg opening, but it is not created by an overly baggy fit. 

I have owned several pairs of Bill's Khakis, but I have had a fit problem with them too. Even with washing in cold water, I have noticed serious shrinkage and I personally don't care for their fits (not very comfortable to me). I will say this though; when I did wear Bill's, I would get my tailor to put a 2" cuff on them. I am 6'1 and was, at that particular time, pretty skinny (165 lbs.). The larger cuff really balanced out the proportions.

I am thinking about trying out the Ultimate Khakis by Orvis, but wonder if the cut is identical to the Wrinkle-Free Supima Twill Chinos.


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## fishertw (Jan 27, 2006)

Ive got a pair on right now. Since I'm retired, they are my "go to" khakis. I do not however iron them. Simply taking them out of the dryer just a bit early and hand pressing then folding them neatly gets me where I need to go for daily wear. I agree on the fabric and the cuff alteration issues and also agree that they are a bit full cut-- but then again, I have become what my alterations lady describes as "too prosperous" (meaning- Ive gained a bit of weight recently) and need the extra fullness.
Great review by "Truth and Rights" and welcome to the forum.


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## Fading Fast (Aug 22, 2012)

fishertw said:


> ....I do not however iron them. Simply taking them out of the dryer just a bit early and hand pressing then folding them neatly gets me where I need to go for daily wear....


While I don't own Orvis', you described my laundering strategy for everyday chinos perfectly.


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## 127.72 MHz (Feb 16, 2007)

Great topic about a staple item for me.

I own more pairs of khaki type trousers than I will admit to. (Plenty of Bill's are in the stable.) 

Orvis ultimates in the full cut are indeed just a tad too full for my tastes. But I am satisified enough that I own 6 pairs. Not as heavy a cloth as Bill's from what I can tell, but again, they are close enough given the price.

There is an orvis store here in Portland so I suppose I need to try the slim version.


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## FLMike (Sep 17, 2008)

I apologize that this is off-topic, but boy do I miss the traveling warehouse sales that Orvis used to have. They came to my area at least twice that I remember, and I was able to pretty much acquire an entire set of Battenkill luggage, including a brief bag and a shotgun case, using the profits from flipping (on eBay) more pieces of Battenkill as well as a few Barbour jackets that I bought at deeply discounted prices. It’s been several years now, but I have fond memories of making out like a bandit. 

Don’t think I’ve ever tried their khakis, though.


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## Truth&Rights (Feb 15, 2018)

There is an Orvis store near me but they don't stock the Ultimate Khaki line. Lots of other stuff in the shop though. Picked up some belts the other day and some Merino socks. I don't know if other stores are different. The Orvis.com rep I spoke to said they don't sell the Ultimates in stores because the stores don't have tailors on-site to hem them. Getting khakis delivered in one week, hemmed to the right length, is very convenient, so I don't mind that much. Picked up seven pairs so far. I'd buy a few more if they had more colors I liked.


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## August West (Aug 1, 2013)

I have a few pair of Orvis Ultimate regular fits that I had tapered; this way you don’t need to sacrifice on rise. 

The regular khaki color if just right IMO, especially when compared with LL Bean which I find to be closer to stone. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## gamma68 (Mar 24, 2013)

I was happy when Orvis first released the trim fit in its ultimate khakis. Over time, I've found that the fabric is overly stiff and doesn't soften with repeated washing. It also shrinks slightly (and I let my pants air dry). They also seem to attract little bits of lint and what not and hold them like a magnet.

Supposedly, Orvis has refined the fabric since I bought the first iteration of its "trim fit" khakis, so maybe things have improved. But I look elsewhere for my khakis. Jack Donnelly is back now, so that might be an alternative.


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## Charles Dana (Nov 20, 2006)

gamma68 said:


> Supposedly, Orvis has refined the fabric since I bought the first iteration of its "trim fit" khakis, so maybe things have improved. But I look elsewhere for my khakis. Jack Donnelly is back now, so that might be an alternative.


Or All American Khakis? I haven't bought from that company (yet), but I'm intrigued by their products. Their website is now up and running. Their trousers are generally available in slim, original, and relaxed fits.

https://allamericankhakis.com/pants.php


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## Truth&Rights (Feb 15, 2018)

Charles Dana said:


> Or All American Khakis? I haven't bought from that company (yet), but I'm intrigued by their products. Their website is now up and running. Their trousers are generally available in slim, original, and relaxed fits.
> 
> https://allamericankhakis.com/pants.php


Haven't heard to this company. If anyone buys them, please post a review. They certainly look like they're worth trying.


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## Truth&Rights (Feb 15, 2018)

gamma68 said:


> I was happy when Orvis first released the trim fit in its ultimate khakis. Over time, I've found that the fabric is overly stiff and doesn't soften with repeated washing. It also shrinks slightly (and I let my pants air dry). They also seem to attract little bits of lint and what not and hold them like a magnet.
> 
> Supposedly, Orvis has refined the fabric since I bought the first iteration of its "trim fit" khakis, so maybe things have improved. But I look elsewhere for my khakis. Jack Donnelly is back now, so that might be an alternative.


Haven't had this problem yet and some of the pairs I've worn and washed a few times now. I'll keep an eye on them. Shrinking hasn't been an issue either. If they did shrink at all, it wasn't noticeable. I wash cold and dry on low.


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## fishertw (Jan 27, 2006)

FLMike said:


> I apologize that this is off-topic, but boy do I miss the traveling warehouse sales that Orvis used to have. They came to my area at least twice that I remember, and I was able to pretty much acquire an entire set of Battenkill luggage, including a brief bag and a shotgun case, using the profits from flipping (on eBay) more pieces of Battenkill as well as a few Barbour jackets that I bought at deeply discounted prices. It's been several years now, but I have fond memories of making out like a bandit.
> 
> Don't think I've ever tried their khakis, though.


I bought my sons first Barbour for him at one of these events and, like you, do miss them. I also miss their outlet which was in an old strip mall near Roanoke for years. Have not been by there recently but seems I had reason to believe that it was closed down.


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## August West (Aug 1, 2013)

Reviving this old thread as I just took delivery of 2 pair of Orvis trim fit khakis. I opted for cuffs. The cuffs measure 1.25 inches. I mistakenly assumed they would be 1.5. 

It's amazing what a difference .25 inches make. The cuffs appear puny. I just concluded a live chat with Orvis customer service. He was not sure if they would actually cuff to 1.5, but offered to make it right either way with waving return fees / shipping charge etc. I certainly cannot complain about that level of customer service.


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## mhj (Oct 27, 2010)

I bought a pair of Ultimates several years ago. They shrunk quite a bit after washing in both the waist and length. I launder them at home and put in the dryer at normal heat which may be a contributing factor but I that with all of my other khakis.

The fit was great although a little tight and the leg width was right on which is hard to find in a 42" waist. Has there been any change in their fabric in recent years that may solve the shrinkage issue for me?


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## August West (Aug 1, 2013)

The fabric on these trim fits seems a tad less stiff and slightly less substantial than my other pairs of orvis khakis, which are all several years old. As to how that translate to shrinkage (or not) is anyone's guess.

The rise on the trim fits is perfectly acceptable to me, and overall I am happy with them aside from the aforementioned issues.


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