Chi Pants

This entry refers to a departed business — a business that has closed or left town. Information here is mostly for historical reference.

At the Chi Wear Launch in Santa Cruz. Photo: July 2011.

Former Location

1521 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz

Former Owners

Laury Ostrow

Business Lifespan

1984-1991

Chi Pants was a brand of pants manufactured locally and sold out of a store downtown by the same name. Over 500,000 of the original Chi Pants were sold.

The comfort of Chi Pants is derived from the incorporation of a design feature from 14th century clothing, the gusset, which is a seamless hidden panel located in the crotch, that reduces the bulkiness and eliminates the 'knot'. In addition to the pants, they also manufactured shorts with the same comfort-fit.

The Chi Pants store was demolished after the Loma Prieta Earthquake, and the business suffered $1 million in losses. Chi Pants closed and production of their products ended. Laury Ostrow moved out of the area. He brought Chi Pants back in 1995, and today the brand is known as Chi Wear and the company is based in San Francisco. Their pants are called Chi Jeans now and are made out of imported indigo denim (98% cotton, 2% lycra).

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