Gramicci Pants in Canada: The G-Pant, Gadget, Voyager and How They Fit

Gramicci makes one of the few pants in streetwear that was genuinely designed for something other than looking good. Everything people now like about them — the drape, the belt, the room through the hip — exists because a rock climber in Yosemite needed to get his leg above his head.

This guide is about which Gramicci pant to buy. If what you need is sizing, we have a dedicated page for that: Gramicci Sizing Guide Canada.

Where Gramicci came from

In the 1970s a generation of free-climbers known as the Stonemasters took up residency in Yosemite, pioneering a faster, more stylish way of climbing. Painter pants and army surplus did the job up to a point, but they did not flex. Mike Graham, a Stonemaster with an eye for design, set about building the first true climbing short in his garage in Ventura, California.

Two ideas came out of that, and they are still the two things that make a Gramicci a Gramicci:

• The diamond-shaped gusset. Graham found it on a pair of kung-fu trousers and set it into the crotch, which gives full 180-degree leg movement. It is also why Gramiccis do not blow out at the crotch the way ordinary trousers do.
• The integrated nylon webbing belt. Taken from backpack straps, sewn into the waist, adjustable with one hand mid-move — with an elasticated waistband behind it for comfort.

The brand launched in 1982. The name is a moniker Graham had given himself years earlier, when a few of the Stonemasters attempted the first "all-Italian" ascent of Half Dome — none of them actually being Italian.

The shorts came first. The trousers followed, got dubbed the G-Pants, and by the mid-80s surfers and skaters were hunting down the hard-wearing pants with the little hand-drawn running man logo. Gramicci found its biggest audience on the streets of Tokyo, and when the brand needed a new home, Japan is where it went.

The main Gramicci pant styles, and who each one is for

The Gramicci Pant — the original

The direct descendant of the first G-Pants. Organic cotton twill, diamond gusset, integrated webbing belt, relaxed straight leg with a slight taper. If you have never owned a pair and want to know what the fuss is about, buy this one. We carry it in Black and Dried Sage, and in women's sizing in Black, Navy and Chino.

The Gadget Pant — the one with the pockets

Not simply the Original with pockets added. The Gadget is a long-lost Gramicci style from the early 90s, brought back from a vintage pair, and the details are specific:

• Large rectangular wraparound patch pockets that extend right around the trousers — and no back pockets at all
• A strip of banded webbing on the right pocket entry, for keys, carabiners or a bottle opener. Hence the name.
• Three seams per leg instead of two, running down from each side of the pockets to the hem, which gives the pockets structure
• Legs in organic cotton twill, pockets in thick canvas — the same material old carpenter pants used
• Garment-dyed, so the twill and the canvas take the dye differently and the pants come out tonal
• Slightly shorter than the G-Pants with a wider hem

Currently in Black, Olive and Brown Pigment.

The Voyager and EQT Pants — the travel end

Lighter, faster-drying, cut for moving around in rather than sitting still. The Voyager Pant and EQT Pant are the ones if you want something that packs small and does not need ironing.

The denim and corduroy styles — the winter answer

Gramicci's Japanese denim programme is the quiet highlight of the line. The Japanese 5-Pocket Denim Pant keeps the gusset but reads as a straight pair of jeans. For colder months there is also the Corduroy Loose Tapered Ridge Pant and the Big Wale Carpenter Pant.

The G-Short — where it all started

The shorts came before the pants, and the G-Short is still the most-repeated thing Gramicci makes. Same gusset, same webbing belt, and the one people tend to buy in three colours.

Which one should you actually buy?

• First pair, want the classic: the Original Gramicci Pant.
• You carry things: the Gadget Pant.
• Travel and shoulder season: Voyager or EQT.
• You want them to read as jeans: the Japanese 5-Pocket Denim.
• Okanagan summer: the G-Short.

For sizing on any of them, see the Gramicci Sizing Guide.

Where to buy Gramicci in Canada

Gallery Streetwear is an authorized Canadian Gramicci retailer at 588 Bernard Avenue in downtown Kelowna, BC. We carry one of the deeper Gramicci pant selections in the country — the Original, Gadget, Voyager, EQT, hemp, corduroy and the Japanese denim styles — in both men's and women's sizing.

We ship Canada-wide from Kelowna in 1–3 business days, and Canadian orders over $150 CAD ship free.

In Kelowna: come in and put a pair on. Across Canada: Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and everywhere between. Browse the full Gramicci collection, read more on our Gramicci Canada page, or see Climbing Clothing Canada.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I buy Gramicci pants in Canada?
From Gallery Streetwear, an authorized Canadian Gramicci retailer at 588 Bernard Avenue, Kelowna, BC V1Y 6P2. We stock the Original, Gadget, Voyager, EQT, denim and corduroy styles in men's and women's sizing, shipping Canada-wide with free shipping over $150 CAD.

What is the difference between the Gramicci Pant and the Gadget Pant?
The Gadget Pant is a revived early-90s Gramicci style, not simply the Original with pockets. It has large wraparound patch pockets and no back pockets, a banded webbing loop on the right pocket for keys or carabiners, three seams per leg, canvas pockets against organic cotton twill legs, and a garment-dyed tonal finish. It sits slightly shorter than the G-Pant with a wider hem.

What is the gusseted crotch on Gramicci pants?
A diamond-shaped panel set into the crotch seam, which Mike Graham adapted from a pair of kung-fu trousers. It allows full 180-degree leg movement and makes the crotch far less likely to blow out.

Who founded Gramicci?
Gramicci was founded in 1982 by Mike Graham, a Yosemite Stonemaster climber, who sewed the first pairs in his garage in Ventura, California. The name comes from a nickname he had given himself on an attempted "all-Italian" ascent of Half Dome.

Which came first, Gramicci shorts or pants?
The shorts. Mike Graham designed the climbing short first, and the trousers — the G-Pants — followed once word spread about how hard-wearing they were.