I admit: I’ve lusted after Stio’s Women’s Dulcet Pant for years, so when I had the chance to review a pair I was very excited.
Just as I’d expected from the images on the Stio website, the Dulcet pant is both stylish and sporty, super sleek paired with a dark grey top for downtown outings and perfectly high-performance for the trail with a merino top and wind jacket. I love the slanted, zippered front pockets, the lower rise, and the tapered legs. I never feel like a schlumpy hiker gal when I wear the Dulcet pant.
I wish all outdoor gear companies made narrow-legged pants. They’re very flattering, and I don’t ever get tripped up with extra material flapping around the sides of my hiking boots. The Dulcet pant is, hands-down, my favorite all-around pant.
I live in the Dulcet pant because I like looking a bit dressed up, and I have a walking lifestyle, which means I don’t have time to change clothes throughout the day. And I’m not wearing crinkly rain pants. It rains a lot here in Seattle, but I still prefer walking to driving. Luckily, the DWR coating on the high-performance soft shell material repels water. The drops and drizzles just roll down my pant legs without soaking into the material.
I think the fabric weight is perfect. Not too thin, not too thick, so it’s ideal for three seasons. I have room in mine to wear lightweight merino leggings, so I’ll be wearing the Dulct pant for snowshoeing, too.
I’m a big fan of companies who can design logo-free apparel that looks smart for casual wear and for travel, with the added bonus of technical fabric to help me live the lifestyle I want. I don’t have the space or the patience to have different wardrobes for every activity in my life. Thanks to the Dulcet pant, I can walk around the city in the rain, meet a friend for lunch, stop at the museum, and walk home. I can go for a hike in the park by my home, then stop by at a friend’s for dinner. Even if it rains, the Dulcet Pant looks and feels good no matter what I do or what the weather does.
I love the ankle zippers, which just look cool when I’m wearing the pants out and about and which allow me to have the tapered leg fit I like that’s adjustable so I can fit the pant legs over my hiking boots. Brilliant!
Available in sizes 2-12 in Tap Shoe (black) and Fallen Rock (khaki). I’m normally a size 10, but carrying about 30 extra pounds these days (the horror!), so went up a size. The size 12 pants fit perfectly, and surprisingly, are long enough even though I’m a 34″ inseam and the pants are more like a 32″ inseam.
Bottom Line: One of my favorites. The Dulcet pant is so stylish and also high performing. If I could only have one pair of pants, this would be it.
Manufacturer’s site: www.stio.com
$150 
Need some shoes with these pants? Free shipping at the Walking Store.