As a dirtbagger with a full-time job, I’m always looking for clothing that’s as comfortable in the office as it is in the backcountry. Teren Design’s Daily Driver line outfits me perfectly for both environments.
Subtlety is the word that first comes to mind when you see a Teren shirt. From afar, the pattern may appear to be polka dots, but upon closer scrutiny, you realize the shirt is emblazoned with tools of the outdoors—carabiners, kayaks, or axes. It’s like discovering your granola has bits of dark chocolate.
Deeper exploration of the Teren shirt brings another word to mind—genius. Let’s begin with the collar stays. They aren’t cheap plastic strips to keep your collar crisp. Teren turned them into fire starters. If I ever find myself lost or stranded in hypothermia-inducing conditions, I can simply reach under my collar and access my modern-day flint and steel. I put the collar stays to the test on a recent foray into the Uinta Mountains of Utah, and within a few strikes, I had my camp stove lit.
The second ingenious feature that I appreciate is the sewn-in lens wipe. As a bespectacled person, having a soft microfiber swatch to clean my glasses while hiking or during a Zoom call is beyond convenient. It’s also great for cleaning binoculars, camera viewfinders, and cell phone screens. Some may think these features are gimmicky, but they reflect the thoughtfulness built into the design.
More practical features include odor-resistant, UV-protective, and stain-rejecting bamboo fabric. I experienced the benefits firsthand when an inadvertent dollop of beef stew jumped from the spoon onto my shirt. A quick wipe with a moist cloth and voilà, after a couple of minutes, the remnants of the mishap had disappeared like magic. I can also attest that after nine days without doing laundry, my Teren shirts still didn’t reek.
Teren’s Daily Driver pants are as smartly designed as the shirts. I’ll begin with the button. There isn’t one. Instead, Teren uses a magnet to seal the fly. The chinos snap shut around my waist without fiddling with a buttonhole. I found them to be extremely comfortable both around my campsite and my office. I never felt any restriction while bending or kneeling, and their durable water-repellent (DWR) fabric kept me dry in the rain and mud. Two things to note: Due to the magnetic button, the pants should not be run in the dryer and should be hung dry, and DWR does not last forever. It’s recommended that you use Nikwax washes and sprays to preserve it.
Teren Designs might not be a brand you find in your major outdoor retailers, but it’s worth checking out their Daily Driver line if your lifestyle demands function and style for the backroads and the front office.
$120/shirt, $120/pants | terendesigns.com
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2025 Issue.
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