Gramicci Men's Shorts : For Gnarly Dudes

There's something you should probably know before donning a pair of ultra-comfortable, highly durable Gramicci shorts: given that the company is headquartered off Route 1 near Malibu and that the brand is favored by climbers who actually climb, people will assume you're cool.

I recently spent a week vacationing on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. On my first day, I stood on the beach in my Gramiccis as my brother-in-law Dean flung a tennis ball into the crashing surf for his drooling yellow lab. He's a climber and accomplished stunt kite flyer, and he was also wearing Gramaccis. Coincidence?   Not really, considering neither of us had brought along any other type of pants. (I should mention that Dean was also wearing a wide-brimmed hat made of hemp.)

Anyway, along came a surfer who, sans introduction, said, "Dude, I love my Gramiccis..." Next thing you know the three of us were singing the praises of their comfort and durability, the natural cotton fibers, the built-in webbing belt for that snug fit. Then they started talking about how the slant pockets are "totally" easy to slide your hands into while you're on a "gnarly" wall.  

I've climbed a bit--poorly, I might add, and never on a wall a real climber would call gnarly, so I got busy with the tennis ball and let them carry on without me. Mercifully, before they could move on to the gusseted crotch that allows unrestricted range of motion, the surfer spied a big set rolling in and charged into the water past our panting pooch, shouting over his shoulder, "Later, Gramacci dudes!"

Bottom Line: Rad comfort and durability for vertical pursuits or just cruising around town.--J. G. (Aug '06)

Price: $36.00

Manufacturer's Site: www.gramicci.com

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