On Instagram I follow this dude, @jujimmufu He's a "tricking" (looks like Capoeira) bodybuilder/strongman who sells grip products among other things. Through his webstore I found these awesome jeans: https://frandenim.com/ They're jeans marketed to the weight lifting community. So there's ample leg/hip room for those of us with big thighs and glutes. Why am I talking abut it here? Because I believe it has real merit in the CCW community.
So... regarding a pair of 36x34 Daniels straight leg in the dark wash variety:
They're stretchy as hell. I'd go so far as to say you could do an ECQC course in "slim/hipster fit" jeans without tearing or having them limit BJJ-style leg movement (or your PatMac style workouts).
I had a problem with jean sizing and my holster printing. If I got pants with a proper waist size, sticking a holster in the waistband would cause printing and completely removed all the slack around the hips. So I'd have to get a size up but then the pants would be baggy without a holster in them. The Fran jeans fixed that. No more holster printing, I still got room in the seat, and if I forgo the holster the jeans still look decent (no bunching up when you pull the belt tight).
The waistband is really stretchy, I can probably get 2" of stretch out of it. Good pants for the Holidays, but I'm thinking it might be compatible with the Unity Clutch worn IWB. It would certainly work with a Phlster Flex. I don't utilize a Clutch or a Flex so I can't really say, but it'd be worth trying out. If anyone gets these jeans and uses a Clutch/Flex please let me know if you had to size up or not.
The front pockets are good. Deep enough to use and not lose anything but not so goddamn deep half your forearm is in your pocket before you hit bottom (like the Duluth's).
Their return policy works without issue. I was overly optimistic about my waist sizing and ordered a 34x34 Daniel in the light wash. Wound up sending it back for a 36x34 and asked if I could get a dark wash instead of the light I originally purchased. They obliged with no issues and were really quick about it.
The waist button has this little plastic "washer" type deal between the fabric and the rivet. Not significant, but pretty neat. Less likely to pucker the fabric or tear out (not that I've ever had a jean button tear out).
Made in the USA (with imported components)
The gripes:
I've been overweight most my life and always wore my pants an inch below the belly button because I found it helped conceal my fatness. Well, I got used to wearing pants there and that's what I prefer. The Fran jeans are not meant to be worn that high. I mean... you could wear them that high, but then you get another kind of printing problemOn the plus side, I found out I'm actually concealing better with my jeans lower on the waist (though the fat loss probably helped too).
The watch pocket is tiny. I'd say you could fit a bic lighter in there at best, I use it to carry my chapstick. When I smoked I liked to use that pocket for a Zippo, but I don't think one would fit (I quit so I lost track of my Zippo otherwise I'd know for sure if it fit or not).
Cleaning - says dry clean or machine wash cold, inside out, on gentle cycle & hang dry. I'm not sure about most people but I don't dry clean my jeans, nor do I use the gentle cycle.
This isn't really a gripe, but kind of a heads up... in Levis I typically get a 32" inseam and roll a little short or get 34's and have them hemmed. With the Frans I went with the 34's and they fit well. So if you need an actual 34 it might be too short.
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They're a little pricey at $100, but if you check out Jujimufu's webstore and read the text you can find a coupon for 10% off. For the record: I am not affiliated with Fran or Jujimufu, and I get nothing for writing this.
If you want pictures or whatnot, send me a PM or post a comment and I'll do the best I can.
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