Dickies 85-283 Loose Fit Double Knee Work Pant

These are for anyone who looks at an 874 and thinks:

Good. Now give me more pant.

Extra fabric. Extra knee. Plenty of room. Concrete can do its worst.

The Double Knee takes the classic Dickies work pant and adds more room and more durability through the knees. It was built for work, but the skate logic is obvious: tougher where pants usually get trashed, roomy through the leg and easy to move in.

There’s plenty of 90s skate DNA in the shape, but it still feels current. Riders like Jamie Foy and Franky Villani have helped keep loose, straight workwear silhouettes firmly in the mix.

That order gives you the memorable line first, then backs it up with the useful product explanation instead of making the customer wait for the best bit.

First Wear

Fresh Dickies can feel pretty stiff straight out of the packet, which comes from the firmer workwear finish the brand has used for decades. It helps the twill hold its shape, resist wrinkles and keep that crisp Dickies look, which some people prefer to wear exactly as it comes.

If you like them softer and a little more lived-in, they break in nicely with wear and washing. After three or four washes the twill starts to relax and soften up, while still keeping enough structure to hold that classic Dickies shape.

Key Features

• Loose Fit
• Double knee construction
• Reinforced through the knees
• Extra utility pocket on the leg
• Wrinkle resistant
• Stain release finish
• Loose through the seat and leg
• 8.5 oz 65% polyester / 35% cotton twill
• Wide tunnel belt loops

Fit Advice

The 85-283 already has plenty of room through the seat and leg, so there’s no need to size up just to get a loose fit. Your usual waist size gives you the intended Dickies shape.

If you want them sitting lower and baggier for skating, going up 2 inches works well, but these are already noticeably roomier than an 874 straight out of the gate.

Size Chart

Waist sizes are listed in inches. Centimetre values are approximate conversions, not garment measurements.

About Dickies

Dickies has been making hard-wearing workwear since 1922, but by the 1980s it had found a second home in skate and street culture. Tough twill, roomy cuts and styles like the 874 and Double Knee made obvious sense for skaters.

By the 1990s, Dickies was everywhere. Tupac, Snoop Dogg and the Beastie Boys wore it, while skate, punk and hardcore scenes made the baggy workwear look their own.

More than a century on, the appeal is much the same: durable, practical gear with a genuine place in skate and street culture. That’s why Dickies still makes sense at Ballistyx.