Dickies · Stain-Resistant Professional Workwear
Dickies Men's 873 Slim Fit Work Pants
Lower concern because bare cotton twill won't need PFAS treatment.
Dickies 873 pants are pure cotton twill with no waterproofing or stain resistance mentioned, eliminating PFAS coating risk. Bare cotton naturally avoids fluorochemical treatments.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
100% cotton twill
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What Dickies Men's 873 Slim Fit Work Pants is made of, ingredients and materials
Dickies 873 pants are 100% cotton twill, a tightly woven plain-weave fabric known for durability and breathability. Cotton twill does not require water-repellent or stain-resistant chemical finishes to function, which is why PFAS contamination risk is lower than in treated work pants or outerwear. The fabric is naturally resistant to wear and does not degrade quickly, reducing the timeline for replacement and repeated chemical exposure over a garment's lifetime.
What’s concerning
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Residual dye migration and skin contact
New unwashed cotton workwear may retain loosely bound dye particles. Pre-washing before first wear is a standard precaution to remove excess dye and minimize any irritation risk, particularly for sensitive skin or prolonged contact areas.
What’s reassuring
Base material not linked to PFAS
The main material recorded for this product is not one associated with PFAS.
Azo dyes
No specific azo dye restrictions or complaints are on record for Dickies 873 pants. Standard cotton workwear uses conventional dyes; if azo-based, they are typically fixed to the fiber during manufacturing and not a significant skin exposure risk in finished garments.
Formaldehyde / VOCs
100% cotton twill requires no formaldehyde-based wrinkle-resistance or crease-setting finishes. Untreated plain weave cotton does not rely on formaldehyde releasers, making this hazard class absent for this product.
Source, ATSDR ↗Antimony in polyester
This product is 100% cotton, not polyester, so antimony contamination is not applicable.
Flame retardants
Dickies 873 work pants carry no flame-retardant finish. Cotton twill is not chemically treated for flame resistance and does not pose this hazard.
Source, EPA ↗The full breakdown
The brand's record and disclosure
Williamson-Dickie (Dickies parent) does not publicly disclose detailed chemical management policies or PFAS restrictions as of available records. The brand has no documented major safety recalls or public health controversies tied to this product line. Dickies holds no recognized third-party certifications (such as GOTS or Oeko-Tex) for chemical safety, though this does not indicate a hazard, only that independent verification is absent.
How it compares in its category
Dickies 873 work pants are standard commodity workwear comparable to Carhartt, Wrangler, and other mass-market brands. Cotton twill work pants in this price tier typically receive no special chemical treatment, putting them at lower chemical hazard risk than treated canvas, flame-retardant textiles, or water-repellent finishes. Fit and durability are the main differentiators; safety profiles are broadly similar across untreated cotton workwear.
If you buy it
Wash new pants before wearing to reduce any residual dyes or finishes. Standard cold-water washing is appropriate; hot water is unnecessary and may accelerate fade. Inspect seams and fabric integrity annually; cotton twill degrades from repeated washing over 2-3 years of heavy use, signaling replacement. No special storage or care is required; standard laundry practices are sufficient.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 78% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Dickies has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
More stain-resistant professional workwear grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.