Tactical Denim from Triple Aught Design

These days it seems that everyone wants to have their name in the denim space. Japanese selvage, American heritage, and everything in between – and that’s a great thing for those of use who love a great pair of jeans. And, with more flexibility in work wear along with denim being seen as a casual dress alternative, this is indeed good news for many office-bound guys.

Even with so many options from so many interesting and quality-focused brands, what most of us really want is one good pair of jeans that check some key boxes: great style, comfortable, built well, and classic enough for dressing them up a bit.

San Francisco-based Triple Aught Design (TAD) is one of our favorite tactical-outdoor brands and has been a leading label when it comes to blending purpose-built performance and real world wearability. With bona-fide tactical roots, the company has raised the denim bar by creating what amounts to tactical jeans. At first glance, their Intercept PD pants don’t appear to be anything particularly special, and that’s the idea.

Cleverly designed hidden pockets and reinforced detailing help to make these jeans tough enough of commando work yet appropriate for drinks at the bar. We will be first to say that pictures don’t necessarily do these jeans justice and, frankly, the name doesn’t really help either. They are fantastic and have become our go-to dress down denim option and pair well with a good pair of leather country boots.

All TAD gear is designed with functionality in mind. From combat-proven back packs to performance outerwear, OTC loves this brand’s consistent ability to easily shift between the worlds of an average suburban dad and a grey zone operator whose mission requires blending in across diverse environments.

TAD’s Intercept denim is built to help you prevail in whatever endeavor you happen to be engaged without standing out – unless you choose to. Combining a classic silhouette with engineered functionality, the Intercept comfortably straddles the line between performance and style.

 

The high-quality, uniformly woven Performance Denim (PD) is sourced from Greensboro, North Carolina’s White Oak mill, the oldest in America. Built for movement, it delivers long-wearing comfort that fits from day one and contains one percent elastane, allowing for some additional stretch and movement.

We found the overall design and fit of the Intercept jeans to be comfortable and familiar. The traditional straight leg, five-pocket silhouette is updated with modernized lines, has a shank button fly, and smart industrial detailing. The 11.75 ounce sanforized, raw denim feels substantial, but quickly molds to your body.

What makes the Intercept unique, and very TAD, are the cleverly concealed pockets on the yoke which can comfortably secure your phone or – should you be a secret agent – a spare magazine. For more practical purposes, they are also handy for stashing a few extra dollars or credit cards when you want to keep things light and leave your bag at home.

Tactically inspired rugged construction means that the carefully spaced, wide belt loops balance and distribute the weight of belt-mounted gear around the entire waistline. Bartacks secure all critical attachment points, and TAD-unique diamond reinforcements protect pockets from premature wear from knife or tool clips.

The jeans also have triple needle stitching on the in- and out-seams, a flat felled back rise, and a hidden reinforced heel cuff.

Most apparent to our non-special forces eyes is the fact that these are comfortable and seriously sturdy jeans. However, they are in no way bulky or overly produced. Frankly, for the most part, they look, feel, and wear just like any other pair of high quality small-batch production jeans.

And of course, from TAD’s perspective, that’s the whole point. So, if you are looking for on great pair of Made-in-America jeans that will last forever and age very well, give San Francisco’s Triple Aught Design a try.