SCOTT Rockell Women’s Pant
Size: Medium (Inseam 30 in.; Outseam: 41 in.)
Reviewer Info: 5’2”, 120 lbs; Inseam: 28.5 in., Outseam: 38.5 in., Waist: 28 in., Hip: 37.5 in.
Fit: Athletic
Color: Black
Features:
- Fully taped seams
- Abrasion-resistant scuff panels
- Hem binding
- Articulated knees
- Water resistant zippers at hand pockets
Fabric Composition: 100% Polyester
Shell Fabric: GORE-TEX® Performance
Insulation: Strategic Thermal Regulation featuring Thinsulate® 80gr in cool zones and performance mesh in hot zones
Test Locations: Alta Ski Area; Park City Mountain Resort; Bridger Bowl and Moonlight Basin, Montana
Days Worn: 45
MSRP: $295
The SCOTT Rockell pant combines Gore-Tex with Thinsulate to make an extremely durable and insulated pant for women. Not only that, but the Rockell is also incredibly comfortable and great for layering, while still having a form-fitting look.
Fit / Sizing
First of all, it is important to understand that I have always had trouble finding pants that comfortably fit my specific body type and size. I am relatively short (5’2”), so even smaller pants are usually way too long. However, I am not a stick and definitely have some hips, soccer thighs, and a smaller waist. Therefore, I have to size up a little for pants to fit over my butt and thighs, but, as a result, the waist is always too big and the legs even longer. Even though snow pants tend to be much looser than jeans, I still have similar problems finding snow pants that fit properly.
My inseam isn’t even on SCOTT’s size chart, and my hip and waist measurements fall in the upper range for a size small. But I decided to get a size medium, mostly because I’m a huge fan of layering and, more importantly, comfort. The medium is not body hugging on me and instead fits more like a regular-cut pant while still having a bit of feminine shape to it. The Rockell is technically labeled as having an athletic fit, which I think would have been more evident had I gone with the size small.
I tend to prefer this type of fit: not tight but a little loose and only slightly form fitting. In this way, the Rockell fits similarly to some of my other favorite snow pants by Four Square and Oakley. They are all loose enough in the legs for layering, but not so baggy that they look sloppy.
On warm days, I only have long underwear under the Rockell, which is very comfortable because there is no restriction in movement. When the temperature drops and the wind starts to blow, I add fleece pants to the combo. Again, I don’t notice any restriction in the legs or waist.
As with my other ski pants, however, sizing up this way means the Rockell’s leg length is too long for me: about two inches for both the inseam and outseam. This is fine in ski boots (even though I do have to pull them up when clicking into my binding so they don’t get caught), but they are definitely too long when I wear them with any other shoes or boots. In such cases, I have to pull the gator up and over the bottom of the pants so they don’t drag.
The nice thing about the Rockell, though, is that the width of the gaiters is adjustable. When I am skiing, I can tighten the gaiter so they stay in place on my boot. Then, when I’m done skiing, I can loosen the gaiter to take it off my boot, then retighten them once I’ve folded them up over the bottom of the pants.
Sizing up to a medium also meant the waist was a little too large for me (as are the medium pants I wear in other brands). I prefer not to wear a belt, however, because I generally wear a lot of layers, and they all bunch together near my waistline; a belt seems to add to this already crowded area. The Rockell does have built-in waist adjusters, but they unfortunately don’t go small enough for my waist. Consequently, I am always pulling the pants up to prevent the crotch from sagging and restricting range of motion. While this is my only complaint about the fit of the Rockell, it could easily be prevented by wearing a belt, slightly increasing the range of adjustments for the waist, or sacrificing some layering by going to a small.