It’s Double-Knee Season Again & These Are the Best Pairs

There was a time when double-knee pants were reserved for those who actually needed them: plumbers, carpenters, and the like. Nowadays, Carhartt double-knee pants are the bread and butter of contemporary wardrobes the world over. But for the uninitiated, the question stands: what are double-knee pants? Aren’t all trousers double-knee pants?

No.

Double knee pants are traditionally work pants and feature an extra panel of material — usually a hard-wearing cotton canvas — to each knee, sewn on and often riveted at each corner. The reinforced knees extend the lifespan of the pants which would usually wear and break at the knee first.

Take a walk around Brooklyn or East London, though, and you’ll quickly realize that the audience paying attention to double-knee pants has changed a lot. These pants, now the toast of Instagram moodboards, are everywhere. That’s why it’s essential to diversify your collection. Below, we’ve put together a list of the best double-knee pants to cop for fall and winter to stand out from the crowd.

Shop the best double-knee pants below.

Carhartt WIP Double Knee Trousers

Where better to start than with the OG? Carhartt double knee pants are royalty in the world of workwear pants but that also means they’re the most popular. We’re opting for this pastel pink colorway for a little twist on the classic this season.

TOMBOGO Convertible Double Knee Cargo Pants

More pockets = more clout. That’s just the way it goes in workwear. TOMBOGO kits you out with some beautiful convertiblism here, allowing you to detach the double-knee panels if you’re over losing your keys and phone every time you put them away.

Karu Research Double Knee Jeans

Karu Research is bringing bold new character to the world of double-knee carpenter pants. Patterned fabrics stand out against a clean white backdrop.

One Of These Days Work Pant

If you haven’t already heard of One Of These Days, then make a note because you’ll likely be seeing a lot more of them soon. Offering up pitch-perfect modern takes of Western-style and Americana workwear pieces, the label is the ideal place to look for a pair of double-knees. Sure, this pair is cut from classic indigo denim, but while others walk around with crisp double-knees, yours will be meticulously beaten, exhibiting spot-on fades to the heavy-duty 12oz denim.

BDG Double Knee Work Jeans

You don’t have to go big and bold to make your mark, though. This pair from BDG keeps things classic but adds subtle embroidered detailing to each leg for a unique finish.

BDG Embroidered Double Knee Work Pants

A slightly slimmer leg on this pair makes for a sleeker aesthetic. Our favorite aspect is the washed-out green hue of these, though.

Hayato Cesca Double Knee Trousers

Part of the Throwing Fits collaborative capsule, these exclusive Hayato double-knee pants are a big standout in the workwear landscape. Green is a striking color choice and the signature grid embroidery to each knee is a great touch.

Dickies Double Knee Work Pants

Okay, they’re not bold and they’re not likely to turn any heads, but we couldn’t leave out the classic Dickies Double Knee Work Pants. Sturdy and secure.

Kiko Kostadinov Antharas Wide Trousers

Not all double-knee pants come from the same planet. Kiko Kostadinov has long been proving his talent for making staple pieces into something completely different. This pair of double-knee pants has been distorted into something almost alien.

Pleasures Zion Double Knee Work Pants

Back to the bold with the help of Pleasures. As if a snakeskin print wasn’t enough, the mint colorway is the final flourish.

Sky High Farm Embroidered Workwear Pants

Embroidered patches bring character to this pair of carpenter pants which, without the detailing, would be understated and classic. With them, they’ve got an air of playful fun.

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