REVIEW: TAD Gear Aspect RS in the Quick Recon

David Massey has received his new TAD Aspect RS Pant - and immediately took some cheesy "action photos" for a quick visual check. First verdict: the pants look sharp and the new design is an exciting departure from the traditional TAD Cargo pant a la F10. Moving the pockets a few centimeters can make a big difference in how the pants look. How so, you ask? Well, the Aspect RS don't feel as bulky as the F10's, so they also look more street-friendly. I feel like I could wear these pants to a biz-casual event where the F10's might seem out of place.

FIT: The "modern," tapered cut is nice, but the pants are not too "tapered" so it would limit mobility. There will be critics who will complain that because of the new fit, it's a "hipster pants." Guys with big thighs will complain because "every day is leg day." And: "If I wanted tight pants, I could borrow my girlfriend's yoga pants." The Aspect RS are "modern" ... I like modern.

I have short legs, and if you have short legs, the pants don't fit quite right because they stretch too far. You end up looking like a kid who borrowed his big brother's pants. Yes, I know they are probably too long. But most companies don't make pants shorter than length 30. And having them hemmed shorter leads us into the realm of humiliation. So I just pretend to be taller - and my pants fit.

POCKETS: The pockets have snap buttons, which is something different for TAD. Maybe they just wanted to avoid unnecessary and excessive work with an additional flap and button. It definitely works, as the pockets are not too bulky, they are inconspicuous and pleasing. They are surprisingly subtle. The placement was inspired by pilot suits that have their pockets on the thighs for easy access.

As I mentioned, when you have short legs, pants and pockets do not fit quite right. The bottom of these pockets touches the top of my knee a little, so I won't be carrying anything too heavy in them. It's not a dealbreaker at all, just something I noticed, something us "Shortys" might find annoying. And there are no welt pockets, neither inside nor outside. TAD is trying, in my opinion, to move away from this design and integrate it into the pocket organizer that was introduced with the Agent Chino. It would have been cool to have some internal leg organizers like the F10, just to prevent things from moving around.

Even the back pockets have flaps. I love that. I don't know why, but I love flaps. They give off a vibe of toughness, durability, and adventure, and keep your stuff in check.

FINISH: It looks like they started the new pants in black to see how they were received. They will look great in Desolation, and if they come out in AC or the Vector Material SC, I will buy them in every color. The small TAD embossed leather patch on the right leg is a nice touch. The knees are reinforced, they don't have the additional knee reinforcement like the F10.

CONCLUSION: The TAD Aspect RS Pant is a nice addition to our favorite brand's collection of great looking pants. They are not too tight, the new pocket format is different but functional and absolutely cool.

The Aspect RS Pant costs directly from TAD GEAR 165 dollars. TAD GEAR is available in Germany at TACWRK.

TAD GEAR online: tripleaughtdesign.com

PS: If you don't like my TAD pants...I will cut you.

Special THX to David Massey