Turns out, it's even more critical to the Carefree variety.

Getting rid of wrinkles is a stressful process.
"There's no such thing as a free lunch," Les said flatly. "You want pants that don't wrinkle, you have to accept that they aren't going to last as long as the kind that do. Period."

Why? Resins used to make products permanently wrinkle-resistant invade the very cell structure of the cotton, making it more rigid. So when resin-treated fabric gets crumpled, it wants to straighten out again.

"It works great on the flat parts of pants," said Les. "But in places where the fabric is turned or folded it creates stress."

Which makes using a stronger fabric to begin with — combed cotton twill — even more important.

"In the lab, we test for flex abrasion," Les explained. "We pull the fabric over a thin metal bar, so it has to make two quick 90-degree turns. If it can't withstand a certain number of reps, it fails. Combed cotton beats carded, hands down. And Lands' End is one of only two companies that make wrinkle-resistant pants in combed cotton."

Carefree Chinos. Strong combed cotton that stays neat for good.
They're classically styled too. Men's pants have onseam side pockets and two button-through welt pockets in back. Women's have offset side and a single rear button pocket.