3Sixteen Fatigue Pant

The standard-issue army fatigue pant is one of the great pieces of clothing design and almost nobody set out to make it beautiful. It has a high rise because a soldier has to bend, a roomy top block for the same reason, a straight leg that clears a boot, and gusseted back pockets that hold their shape when they are full. Every one of those decisions was made for a reason that had nothing to do with how the trouser looks, and the result is a trouser that looks better than most things designed to.

3Sixteen has kept the drafting almost intact and improved the cloth. The fabric is a heavyweight Japanese herringbone twill, mill-washed before making so it arrives with a broken-in hand while still carrying real weight, and the buttons are replicas of the originals. It is a faithful pattern in better material than the original ever had, which is the most defensible reason to reissue anything.

Why we selected it

This is the trouser we recommend to customers who have decided they are finished with denim and do not know what comes next. It has the same weight and the same honesty as a good jean and it goes to more places. The colours are the other reason: 3Sixteen puts this pattern in shades nobody else attempts, and the rust is the clearest example.

Military patterns are the second half of 3Sixteen’s vocabulary, and the Fatigue is the one they have kept closest to the original.

Materials and construction

One hundred percent cotton herringbone twill, mill washed, made in the United States. Four-pocket layout with gusseted back pockets and replica BDU buttons. Colour: rust.

Fit notes

High rise, generous through the seat and thigh, straight through the leg to an opening that clears a boot. It sits at the natural waist. The cloth is heavy and has been washed before making, so it is soft on arrival and will not shrink much. Sizing is straightforward; take your waist.

Styling

Rust is the colour to be brave about. Against a cream flannel it is the best thing 3Sixteen does in a colour. Against black it is quieter than you expect. With the alpaca crewneck in Oak the two browns need enough distance between them to read as a decision, which they do.

Care

Machine wash cool and hang to dry. A washed cotton this heavy takes a long time to dry and does not need a machine to do it. Our fabric care guidance covers the rest.

Related pieces

The same trouser in a very dark blue is the Fatigue Pant in Midnight Washed HBT. Also built on this drafting are the Cargo Pant and the Work Pant. Against rust, the shirt to reach for is the Crosscut Flannel in Cream/Black. Everything we currently hold from 3Sixteen is listed together.