Dickies Performance GDT Premium Work Pants Review

March 12, 2021

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Dickies has launched a new line of high-performance workwear that are designed to meet the needs of women and men who are elite authorities in their trade. The new work clothes are designed with best-in-class fabrics and also modern aesthetics.

Dickies says that the modern design and function of their new Performance Workwear enable the wearer to portray a professional appearance no matter how hard, cold, or dirty the work.

In other words, workwear that works for you, but also looks good.

They sent over their new Performance Workwear GDT Premium Pants for review, as well as a Performance Workwear Professional Bodywarmer Vest. The bodywarmer vest seems to be sold out for the season, but the pants are available now.

The Concept

The Dickies Performance Workwear GDT Premium Work Pants have a lot of things going for them.

Hardwearing Fabrics such as Cordura ensure durability.

Flex construction features 98% cotton and 2% Lycra for comfort and movement.

Reinforced crotch gusset for freedom of movement and comfort.

Cordura knee pad pouches for convenience (knee pad inserts are sold separately).

Full Features

Cordura trims on the back pockets
Cordura trimmed cargo pockets
Cordura knee pad pouches
Reflective detailing (on Black & Grey Pants)
Cordura kick plate
Wide reinforced belt loops
Reinforced crotch gusset
98% Cotton/2% Lycra
Machine washable

Dickies says this about the pants:

Dickies’ Performance Workwear GDT Premium Pants instill the confidence you need to master even the toughest tasks. The protection provided in these trousers is unyielding.

Construction

I loved the pockets.

2 side pockets
Enlarged “watch” style pocket on the left
Rear pockets with hook-and-loop flaps
Back thigh pockets (layered, right side)
- Deep pocket (inner)
- Reinforced pocket (middle)
- Smaller flap-closure pocket (outer)
Cargo pockets (left side, layered, reinforced bottom lining)
- Wide pocket with flap closure (inner)
- 2 narrow pockets (each 50% width, middle)
- Expandable outer pocket

I loved the construction – the materials have a top-notch feel to them, and thought went into how each pocket might be used.

The bottom hem is reinforced, which is a nice touch as this is where a lot of my pants tend to see added wear when I wear shoes or sneakers instead of boots.

Did They Work Well for Me?

The fit was off for me. A 31″ inseam was the only fitting option at the time, and is currently the only option on Dickies’ website.

Pants with a 30″ inseam work best for me. Sometimes longer pants can work too if I’m wearing work boots, or I roll up the bottom.

I loved the elastic-supported closure, which meant a belt was optional.

I kept trying to make the pants work well for me, but I was forcing it. The reinforced bottom is nice, but not when the pants are rolled up. Besides which, do I really want to create a surface that will accumulate sawdust, metal shavings, or drywall dust? It might also be a snag point.

The knee pad pockets sat a little too low. They were still functional, but the inserts I used with these pants didn’t sit right. With a 30″ or 29″ inseam option, they probably would have been better placed.

With knee pad inserts, the top of the insert and pocket sat just below my knee cap when standing up. When working on the floor, I did like the shin support and didn’t find it uncomfortable. But, it took a little effort to align things properly, and my knee placement shifted around when on smooth interior floors. There would be less movement when kneeling outside on concrete, and that’s when the abrasion-resistant fabrics really shine.

If you work with one knee bent on the ground and the other bent with a firmly-planted foot, there’s going to be less movement than if both knees are on a smooth floor. I don’t like to work like this anymore, with one foot bent and supporting weight, due to the fatigue and strain on my feet.

In online photos the camo-colored pants look to be made of a different material. That could just be appearances. I received the grey and black versions for testing.

The pocket place was unfamiliar to me, but convenient.

If my legs were a little longer, or the pants a little shorter, they might have worked out a lot better for me. Sometimes it’s okay to go a little long, but in this case I think I’d have preferred if the pants were a little too short.

My Typical Work Pants

For context, I am much more of a plain denim, blue jeans, and basic khaki work pants type of wearer. I wear cargo shorts, but tend to be minimal when it comes to pants.

These pants might have come close to converting me if not for the slightly less optimal sizing. While I didn’t make good use out of every pocket, I liked having options.

Compared to cargo-style work pants I tried previously, these felt better designed, rather than just featuring pockets sewn onto the legs.

Recommendations

Speaking candidly, I am very much against the idea of flex fabrics. To me, when you say flexible men’s pants, I think of stretch jeans, and by extension I imagined stretchy work pants. Does that sound durable to you?

These pants have a little give to them, but you almost can’t notice it. When wearing them, you forget about this.

Do you want highly durable work pants?

Do you like the idea of thoughtfully placed and reinforced pockets?

I think these might be worth a try, especially if you’re close to the available sizing.

As much as I tried, I couldn’t find a way to force these to fit me. However, this was an interesting and beneficial experience nonetheless.

For one, I’m used to thinking of Dickies pants as the lightweight bland and basic workwear brand. I used to have short sleeve coveralls with my high school robotics team branding on it. And no, that didn’t fit me very well either, it was a size too big. Most of the Dickies workwear I’ve seen is made of a similar lightweight fabric.

Sure, I’d think, they make popular everyday pants or uniform-style clothes, but workwear?

Well, these pants sure changed that for me. This is why I tried to hard to make them work despite the mismatched fit.

Dickies has free shipping and they seem to have a reasonable return policy. I’d say that these Performance Workwear GDT Premium Pants are worth a closer look.

If you try them, or already have a pair, I’d love to hear about how well they work out for you!

Price: $69.99

Buy Now via Dickies

Also, my favorite parts of the bodywarmer vest are the raised cuff and extended hem. It’s out of stock right now, but you can learn more about it here.

Also in the Dickies Performance Workwear Collection (2021)

If the rest of the Dickies Performance Workwear collection are as well-designed and comfortably constructed as these pants, they’re worth serious consideration as well.