The Lab: iXS Women’s Carve Dungarees
One of fashion’s most enduring styles is slowly sneaking its way into the cycling world: workwear! iXS seems to dig the idea, adding the women’s Carve dungarees to their 2023 portfolio. We took a closer look at their casual women’s trousers to find out whether the new trend also cuts the mustard on the trail.
When it comes to female specific products, “Pink’n’Shrink” has long been one of our industry’s favourite development mantras. While sadly this trend has been going on for far too long, it finally seems to be falling into oblivion. With several well thought-out and stylish products, iXS’ 2023 women’s collection takes a more holistic view of women-specific bike gear. Particularly striking are the Women’s Carve dungarees, which bring trail style to a whole new level and fully commit to the workwear cause with their stylish straps. The Carve bib pants are available in two colours: an elegant dusky pink which we tested here, and a more discreet anthracite colour. iXS opted for an understated look and minimal branding, with only a small sewn-in label bearing the brand’s distinctive logo.
The fabric of the Carve dungarees is rather stretchy and makes a high-quality impression. A sewn-in elastic band on the ankles prevents the material from flapping around when you’re bombing down the mountain side at Mach10. The straps are adjustable in length and easy to hook on and off the chest eyelet, which comes in particularly handy when you want to sneak off into the bushes for a quick pee-stop. A single popper button on each hip allows you to loosen the waistband, making it easier to put on and take off the trousers. Three zippered pockets, one on each hip and another one on the chest, provide plenty of stowage space for long days on the trail.
As soon as you secure the straps on your shoulders, the Carve dungarees feel almost weightless, and both of our testers forgot they were even wearing trousers. No pressure points, no pulling, no need to readjust the seat or hips. In a nutshell, the Carve dungarees are a real pleasure to wear, which is partly due to the casual, comfortable cut. Only around the ankles is the fabric cut a bit loose, flapping around on fast descents and rubbing against the chainring despite the elastic ankle cuff. The casual cut and side poppers make it easy to put on and take off the trousers. Compared to conventional bike pants, dungarees protect you more against the elements, keeping away splashing water and flying mud. Together with the rather warm inner climate, this makes the iXS Women’s Carve Dungarees the ideal companion for transitional seasons. For long summer tours and midsummer bike park sessions, on the other hand, they’re too warm.
With the women’s Carve dungarees, iXS bring a cool touch of workwear style to the trails. Not only do they impress with a comfortable, casual cut and high wearing comfort, but also bring some real advantages to the trail, providing added protection against the elements and a cosy inner climate. All of the above makes the Carve the ideal companion for transitional seasons!
Tops
- Cool, comfortable cut
- Weightless feeling
- Better protection against the elements
- Cool colours
Flops
- Ankle cuff is too wide
Tester Katrin and Veronika
Duration 4 weeks
Price € 159
Weight 537 grams (size 36)
More information Manufacturer’s website