The iconic pinstripe pants are perhaps the most recognizable piece of baseball equipment. Although originally strongly associated with the New York Yankees, the pinstriped baseball uniform has found wide use well beyond the members of this baseball team.
Well, the pinstriped pattern is indeed stylish, and though perhaps not as widely used today as a few decades ago, it still remains a common sight on the field.
If your kid also happens to favor pinstriped pants and if you are looking to buy a pair, then our roundup of the 5 best youth pinstripe baseball pants may be able to offer a few good options to you. Each of the pants has something unique about them, so you should be able to easily pick the right pair.
5 Best Youth Pinstripe Baseball Pants
These semi-relaxed pinstripe pants by Rawlings may be the right option for your kid if they are usually having trouble with finding proper waist size for their pants.
Thanks to the elastic waistband, the Rawlings pants should provide a tight fit, but only given that you do not choose a too small or too large size. Still, the waistband in this thing will be somewhat forgiving if you choose a slightly larger pant size.
What you may also like about these pants are their non-elastic leg bottoms which may be more comfortable for some baseball players. The Rawlings youth pinstripe pants have two back pockets with tie-downs as well, which should allow for secure item storage.
If colors matter to you or your kid, then you will probably be glad to hear that Rawlings offers these pants in 4 pinstripe color schemes – black, navy, royal, or scarlet.
As for downsides, we have two dislikes about these pants. First off, they seem to run shorter than indicated in the size chart, so you may want to pick a size larger. Secondly, the flat-lock stitching in these pants may be a major weak point, though it seems that no people have complained about it so far.
Pros:
- Good fit thanks to the elastic waistband.
- 2 pockets with tie-downs.
- Non-elastic leg bottoms.
- 4 color options.
Cons:
- Seem to run shorter than claimed by the size chart.
- The flat-lock seams don’t seem secure.
In terms of sizing, the Wilson Youth Deluxe pinstripe baseball pants are even more forgiving than the Rawlings pants. The Wilson baseball pants again have an elastic waistband, and they also have elastic leg bottoms that should allow for easy length adjustment if the pants turn out to be too big.
Even if the pants are just right, the elastic leg bottoms will allow you to easily wear these pants right below the knees.
The durability here seems to be excellent – these pinstripe baseball pants have received a lot of praise from users in this area, even though Wilson doesn’t list any specific features aimed to increase these pants’ durability.
For increased comfort, the Wilson youth baseball pants have moisture-wicking fabric. This feature should make these pants a little more bearable on hot days. For convenient item storage, these pants also feature 2 pockets in the back.
One issue with these pants is that they tend to run long, so again be careful when picking a size for you.
Pros:
- Good fit thanks to the elastic waistbands and leg bottoms.
- 2 back pockets.
- Moisture-wicking fabric.
Cons:
- Tends to run long.
Although very high-quality baseball pants, these pants have huge sentimental value to those who’ve watched and loved the film The Warriors. These pants are a replica of the baseball pants worn by the Baseball Furies in the movie.
A lot of people seem to have bought these pants for a Halloween costume, but they seem to be good enough for actual baseball as well.
Most remarkably, these pinstriped baseball pants have a durable double knit build and double fabric on the knees. The Furies pants should take quite a beating on the field.
What we dislike about these pinstriped pants is the absence of elastic leg bottoms or an elastic waistband. As mentioned above, these two features make baseball pants a little more forgiving when you pick the wrong size, and they also make the pants more comfortable.
Pros
- Reinforced double knit.
- Double fabric on the knees.
- Inspired by the uniform of Baseball Furies from the film The Warriors.
Cons
- No elastic leg bottoms or waistband.
The CHAMPRO youth pinstripe knickers are a highly durable and comfortable option of baseball pants.
For durability, these pinstripe knickers boast reinforced-double layer sliding seat & knees, which are very vulnerable areas in baseball.
For convenience, the CHAMPRO knickers have a few remarkable features. Running down to under the knees, these pants should be a good choice for play on hotter days. The elastic leg openings will also ensure a secure fit.
And interestingly, the waistband in these knickers features gel strips to keep the jersey tucked inside. You are also getting two pockets in the back for essential items.
The one downside in these youth pinstripe knickers is that they are not for cold weather. However, if your kid will wear tall socks, this shouldn’t be a problem.
Pros:
- Reinforced sliding seat and knees.
- Elastic leg openings.
- The gel strips inside keep your shirt tucked.
- Excellent for plays on hotter days.
- 2 back pockets.
- 3 color options.
Cons:
- Not for cold weather, unless you wear high socks.
Finally, we have the Wilson Youth Team Pinstripe baseball pants.
Just like the other Wilson baseball pants overviewed above, these pants are very convenient thanks to the elastic waistband and the elastic leg openings. Under-knee wearing with these baseball pants should be no problem, and the same goes for wearing with long socks.
Wilson again doesn’t indicate durability features for these pants, but judging by buyers’ experience, these pants are durable enough to withstand sliding, which is exactly what you want from baseball pants.
In the end, if you decide to go for these pants, then be mindful that they seem to run a little big.
Pros:
- Elastic waistband for a tight fit.
- Elastic leg bottoms for easy length adjustment and comfort.
- 2 back pockets.
Cons:
- Seem to run a little big.
Things To Look For In The Best Pinstripe Baseball Pants
How do you know which pinstripe baseball pants are the best for your kid?
Below, let’s have a look at the key things that you should be looking for in youth baseball pants. We’ll talk about the things that you should keep in mind with youth specifically, as well as about more generic pant features.
Size
First of all, you will need to choose the right size for your kid. And it’s pretty easy – if the seller provides a size chart, then you should be able to fairly easily pick a pant size. Even if other people claim that the pants run small or large, you can choose the size accordingly.
But sizing charts aren’t what interests us – what’s more important is whether you should buy tightly fitting pants, or perhaps a little larger pants with the growth of your kid in mind.
Ideally, you should buy high-quality and well-fitting baseball pants for your kid. This will probably allow for more comfort and better performance on the field.
With that said, many people will probably choose to buy larger pants for future-proofing. Buying larger youth baseball pants is more pocket-friendly since such pants may be able to stay a good fit for your kid for the years to come. Conversely, your child will probably outgrow tightly fitting pants very quickly.
If you have a limited budget, you may buy cheaper tightly fitting youth pinstripe pants, but know that you will be sacrificing quality. It may be better to buy one larger high-quality pair than to buy several low-quality pants over the course of several years.
As you can see, the sizing issue is a double-edged sword. And it’s difficult to say which way you should go. But if you can, we suggest that you buy well-fitting pants and replace them as necessary.
There still are a few other features that can make larger pants more comfortable.
Elastic waistband
We’ve seen a couple of pinstripe baseball pants with elastic waistbands on our list. Aside from providing a snugger and more secure fit, an elastic waistband will make the sizing of the pants more forgiving, which we’ve talked about as well.
An elastic waistband can ensure a good fit if the pants are slightly big or small for your child. This will depend on the size of the waistband when the pants aren’t worn, but generally, you could expect this to be true.
A little baggy pants with an elastic waistband may actually be an ideal choice – the bagginess will allow for some spare room as your child grows, while the elastic waistband will ensure a good fit.
Even if you aren’t worried about future-proofing, an elastic waistband can be useful if you pick a slightly bigger or smaller size.
Elastic leg openings
Elastic leg openings (may also be called hems) also make the sizing of baseball pants more forgiving. But while an elastic waistband may compensate for a too large or small waist size, elastic leg openings may compensate for excessive length.
Typically, if the pants are too long, you just roll them up to make them shorter.
Elastic leg openings make similar size adjustment much easier. You won’t need to roll up the legs of the pants – you may just pull the pant legs up, and the elastic material will keep them in place.
Aside from that, elastic leg openings will allow you to switch to below-knee pants wearing much easier.
Pants vs knickers
Since we’ve also had knickers (also called knickerbockers) on our list, we should briefly talk about them.
The good thing about knickers is that they usually are more comfortable in warm weather. They are simply more breathable than full pants, though if you tuck the knickers into the socks, this benefit may not be as evident.
Aside from that, knickers may be somewhat easier to wash since there’s less material in them.
On the other hand, full pants are much better for cold weather than knickers.
Furthermore, full pants can be pretty flexible in terms of weather – if your kid’s pants have elastic leg openings, they will be able to basically convert their pants to knickers.
Reinforcement
Baseball pants typically have reinforced knees and seat. These areas often make contact with the ground when players are making the run. With that said, not all pants will have reinforced knees and seat, but reinforcement is preferable.
Moisture wicking
Your kid will sweat a lot on the field, so it would also be a good idea to look for pinstripe pants with moisture-wicking fabric.
Moisture-wicking fabric pursues two goals – the first is to move sweat to its outer surface and away from the skin, while the second is to dry quickly so that the fabric doesn’t become saturated and loses its ability to wick moisture.
Color
Finally, you may also want to pay attention to the color of the pinstripes. The color will mostly come down to personal preference, but if there are any other factors in play, carefully pick the color of the pinstripes.
You may, for example, match the color of the pinstripes with the color of your kid’s shoes. Alternatively, you could match it with your kid’s team colors.
Final Words
Children are growing rapidly, and it can be difficult to provide them with well-fitting and high-quality clothes. Good pinstriped baseball pants aren’t at all pocket-friendly.
You have a few options though, as we’ve talked above. Many people, for example, would prefer to go for slightly larger pants to avoid having to buy new pants every year. However, you will have to decide for yourself which route to go.
And yeah, don’t forget to ask your kid what they like – they may dislike even the best baseball pants on the market if they, say, have the wrong color, so be sure to ask for their opinion as well.