What’s a guy to do? There’s no gold standard when it comes to a presentable pair of pants, one that’s office-ready or date suitable but not restrictive or, well, just odd-looking because it’s cut too slender or wide. However, the lululemon ABC pants have become a fan favorite trouser among male wearers since their introduction in 2014. When the ABC pant hit the market, the company’s sales of men’s pants exploded and lululemon rolled out multiple styles, including joggers, largely due to its ultra-comfortable fit. This year, lululemon has re-introduced a former trouser it had phased out—the Commission pant—as well as expanded its offerings of ABC pants styles, to include an ABC trouser. During research for an ABC pants story for PureWow, I came upon a wild firestorm of diverse opinions about which pants are better made and fit better. I enlisted my 18-year-old son—who I’m always trying to get out of sweats and into real pants, fwiw—to wear both pairs and share his thoughts.
lululemon’s New Men's Commission Pants vs. ABC Trousers: Which Is Better? A Guy Reviews Them Both
Like dress pants, but comfy
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How I Tested the Pants
I had my 18-year-old son wear both pairs around the house and then out to dinner for a test run. While his parttime work-to-college-to-couch (and repeat) lifestyle doesn’t offer much opportunity for frequent wear of the pants, he answered my questions about fit, fabric and feel, which I’ve shared here. Additionally, I did a deep dive into each style’s fabrications and design details. Finally, perused the many online reviews, including vigorous online men’s fashion commentors, to see how lululemon was living up to its rep as athleisure’s premiere bougie brand.
Commission Classic-Fit Pant Review
What We Like
- ultra-smooth Warpstreme fabric
- side-zip pocket
- cuff reflectors
What We Don't Like
- a bit baggy
- limited color options
- limited inseam options (30 to 34 inches)
lululemon
“Ah, this feels soft,” said my son, as he strode around in his Commission pants. The wholly synthetic fabric they’re made in, Warpstreme, has the slick feel of stretch silk and an equally fluid fit. On my son, the front of the pant looked a little loose—which means more comfortable. Since the fabric is four-way stretch and has a slightly wider gusset than the ABC trousers, even though the fabric is thin and breathable, there’s no chance that these pants are going to cling unflatteringly in the male version of a camel toe. I notice a slight hips accentuation in this pair of pants, since the classic fit (as opposed to a skinner-leg slim fit, also available) has a little extra room in the rear end and thighs, compared with the more straight-up-and-down look of the ABC trousers he tested in VersaTwill. My son said these felt like sweatpants in terms of comfort, if a little more dressy looking than he usually likes, since the fabric was so soft and drapey.
Fast Facts
- Fabric: Warpstreme: 53 percent Elastomultiester, 47 recycled polyester
- Fit: loose through glutes and thighs
- Pockets: two slanted front pockets, hidden zipper side pocket, two horizontal back snap pockets
ABC Classic-Fit Trouser Review
What We Like
- 28- to 37-inch inseam options
- 11 color options
- cuff reflectors
What We Don't Like
- VersaTwill seems stiff at first
- slightly smaller gusset
lululemon
“These are a little bit heavier and more stiff,” my son commented upon wearing these. In a cotton-blend fabric, these softened over time with multiple washes, without wrinkling. My son said they reminded him a bit of his beloved Dickies brand pants, a popular retro (and 60 percent cheaper) Gen Z pants label, but without a cargo pants pocket and with little lululemon extras such as the side zip pocket and snaps on the back pocket. I appreciated how the classic-fit trouser looked like a preppy pair of chinos. To this mom, the crisp look was a welcome break from the day-to-day overly baggy jeans I see my son in.
Fast Facts
- Fabric VersaTwill: 58 percent cotton, 29 percent nylon, 13 percent elastane
- Fit: chino-style straight up-and-down
- Pockets: hidden snaps on back pockets, slanted front pockets, hidden side zipper
Final Thoughts: Commission Pants vs. ABC Trousers
Commission pants are perfect for any sort of nighttime outfit in which the wearer wants to be really comfortable and needs to look a bit dressy, so performing artists, hosts and party animals would get a lot of use from them. By contrast, I see the twill ABC Trousers as a comfortable option every young man should have on hand to wear to a job or sit for an academic interview. Another plus for the ABC Trousers: these guys can take a few wears without needing laundry, since the ABC Classic-Fit Trouser is treated with No-Stink Zinc™, a process to inhibit the growth of odor-causing bacteria on the fabric. Thanks lululemon for using your athleisure knowhow in regular day-to-day garments.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Difference Between ABC and Commission Pants?
Overall, ABC pants and trousers skew casual while Commission pants are a bit dressier. Since both styles of pants now have many of the same features, such as a front button fly closure, belt loops and a hidden side-seam zipper pocket, the differences in the trousers are, in my testing, due to the fabric and a subtle tailoring distinction. The ABC Classic Fit Trouser in stretch cotton-blend VersaTwill has a more chino-like and stiff appearance, while the Commission Pants come in Warpstreme Fabric, a lightweight polyester blend. For the most casual-looking of ABC options, opt for the ABC 5-Pocket Pant ($128), which has a more jeans-like design with two diagonal pockets and a coin pocket in front, plus two patch pockets in back. The ABC 5-Pocket Pant style is available in Utilitech, yet another proprietary lululemon fabric that has a cottony appearance and feel, but is lightweight and stretchy due to high percentages of elastomultiester (a type of polyester) and nylon in its fabric formulation.
Is Lululemon Discontinuing Commission Pants?
Not anymore. In 2023, lululemon did briefly stop selling its Commission Pants, replacing them with an ABC Trouser (not to be confused with 5-pocket ABC pants, which look more like five-pocket jeans). The ABC Trouser has the same elevated look of the Commission Pants but without a back seam around the knee area. In 2024, the Commission Pants have been re-introduced, sans back knee seam, in classic- and slim-fit iterations, exclusively in Warpstreme fabric (as well as a few styles in stretch nylon for golf wear). lululemon touts the reintroduction as in “the comeback of the season, The Commission Pant returns, minus the back knee seam for ultra-easy movement.” The ABC Trouser, reviewed in this story, is still available, too.
What Are ABC Pants?
One Redditor, Vesper_97, who identifies as a lululemon Educator (the name the brand gives to sales staff), explains the name: “ABC actually stood for ‘Anti-Ball Crushing’ before, but now they're transitioning it to ‘Always Be Comfortable.’ What this means is that for lululemon men's pants, the gusseted crotch area is more spacious and offers more room for flexibility when you're moving around from your day-to-day.”
