People walk in knowing they want Dickies. Very few walk in knowing which pair.

Fair enough, because the two we carry look almost identical folded on the shelf. Same brand, same price, same tough twill. Put them on and they sit completely differently.

We have sold both for years. Here is the honest difference between the 874 and the Loose Fit Double Knee, from people who have watched customers try both on in the same fitting room.

Same Price, So Fit Is The Whole Decision

Both sit at $109.99. Neither is the upgrade. You are choosing a shape, and once you know which shape you want, the rest is colour and size.

The short version:

• 874: high rise, relaxed through the seat and thigh, straight leg with a slight taper at the hem

• Loose Fit Double Knee: natural waist, generous through the seat and thigh, straight wide leg with no taper

Everything below is the detail behind those two lines.

The 874: Cut The Same Way Since 1967

The 874 has been in production since 1967 and the cut has barely moved. A proper work pant that became a skate and streetwear staple by accident, which is usually how the good ones happen.

The waistband sits high, on your natural waist rather than your hips, on a sturdy workwear band with wide tunnel belt loops. Through the seat and thigh it is relaxed without being baggy. The leg runs straight and then tapers slightly at the hem, and that taper is the detail most people miss. It stops the pant pooling over your shoes, which is why the 874 has always looked tidy with a low-profile skate shoe or a boot.

The rest is workwear hardware. Reinforced seams, hook-and-eye waist closure, welt back pockets that button shut, wrinkle resistance and a stain release finish. We stock black, khaki and the original colourways, sizes 30 to 40.

If you want one pair of pants that goes to work, into town and out on a Saturday without looking like any of those three in particular, the Dickies 874 work pants are still the answer.

The Loose Fit Double Knee: The Widest Leg We Stock

Dickies describe this one as the loosest pant they offer, and they are being accurate about it. Alongside everything else in our men's pants range, nothing sits wider.

The waistband drops to the natural waist rather than the high rise of the 874, and the cut is generous through the seat and thigh. From the knee down it runs straight and wide with no taper, so it breaks properly over a chunky skate shoe instead of stopping short of it. Add the extra layer across the knees that gives the pant its name and the front holds its shape long after a normal pant has gone soft.

The details are cleaner than the 874. Flat front, side pockets, dual welt back pockets with no flaps, and a metal hook-and-bar closure. The fabric is 8.5oz twill at 65% polyester and 35% cotton, which is where the wrinkle resistance comes from. Sizes run 30 to 42 in black, khaki and charcoal.

The Dickies Loose Fit Double Knee Pant is the pair to pick if your wardrobe already leans wide.

Where The Waistband Sits Changes The Whole Look

This is the part worth thinking about before you order.

A high rise, like the 874, shortens the look of your torso and lengthens your leg. It suits a tucked or half-tucked tee and works with a belt on show. It also stays put when you are moving, which is the entire reason work pants are cut that way.

A natural waist, like the Double Knee, sits lower and reads more relaxed. It suits an untucked tee or an oversized hoodie hanging over the top, and it is the fit that sits comfortably in the current wide-leg look. If you have been wearing baggy denim, the Double Knee will feel familiar straight away. We went through that shift in detail when we compared straight leg and baggy jeans, and the same logic applies here.

Sizing, And The Twill That Softens

Both are cut for a work fit, so neither is trying to hug you. Take your waist measurement rather than your jeans size, because jeans are usually cut smaller than a work pant of the same number.

The twill is stiff out of the packet on both. That is the fabric doing its job, and it softens through wear rather than through washing. Give either pair a fortnight of regular use before you decide the fit is wrong.

One thing to watch on the Double Knee: because there is no taper, the length reads longer than the same number in an 874. If you are between sizes on length, the Double Knee is the one that can afford a small hem.

Which One Suits How You Dress

Choose the 874 if you wear a tucked or fitted tee, prefer a tidy line over the shoe, want a high waistband, or need one pant that covers work and weekends without comment.

Choose the Loose Fit Double Knee if you wear oversized tops, own wide denim already, want the leg to break over chunky men's footwear, or spend enough time on your knees at work to appreciate the reinforcement.

Plenty of people end up with both. The 874 for the days that need tidy, the Double Knee for the days that do not.

Shop Dickies At Westside Surf & Street

Both fits are on the shelf in Greymouth and online, and both hold their shape long past the point where cheaper pants give up. Decide whether you want the taper or the wide leg, measure your waist, and the rest is choosing a colour.

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