Williamson-Dickie · Stain-Resistant Workwear
Dickies Men's 877 Loose Fit Work Pants
Lower concern. Basic work pants without water-repellent treatment.
Dickies 877 pants are standard cotton-polyester twill with no disclosed water-resistant or stain-resistant finishes. No PFAS treatment indicators typical of untreated work wear.
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Material
cotton/polyester twill blend, no water-repellent finish
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
Why this grade
Safe base material
Made from a material with no inherent PFAS use (ceramic, mineral, or natural fiber).
Category baseline
clothing is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement about PFAS in this product.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
The 877 is a cotton-polyester twill blend (typically 65% polyester, 35% cotton) with no water-repellent or stain-resistant finish applied. This absence of finish chemicals is a safety advantage because it eliminates exposure to legacy PFAS, silicones, or other durable-press resins that many work pants carry. Twill construction is durable and simple; the material itself is inert once manufacture is complete. Polyester in the blend adds strength and wrinkle resistance without requiring chemical treatment.
The brand's record and disclosure
Williamson-Dickie manufactures Dickies work apparel and has no publicly documented PFAS commitment or transparency statement on their website. The brand does not list OEKO-TEX or bluesign certifications for this line. Industry records show no major chemical-related recalls tied to Dickies work pants in recent years. The company operates primarily in the basic workwear segment where chemical disclosure is less standardized than in premium or eco-focused brands.
How it compares in its category
Unfinished cotton-polyester work pants sit in the lower-chemical tier of the category; most competitors (Carhartt, Red Kap, Cintas) apply water or stain treatments that introduce PFAS or silicones. The 877's lack of finish is typical for budget work pants and reflects a trade-off: convenience is sacrificed for chemical simplicity. For durability comparison, the twill is standard industrial quality, comparable to Carhartt FR and Dickies' own premium lines, but without performance coatings.
If you buy it
Wash in cool to warm water before first wear to remove residual dyes and finish dust from manufacture. Standard laundry detergent is fine; no special care needed. Expect occasional shrinkage (1-2% in the first wash); size accordingly. Replace when seams fray or fabric thins at stress points (typically 1-2 years of heavy work use). Do not bleach or dry-clean; tumble dry on medium is safe and will not degrade the fabric.
Beyond PFAS: other things we checked
Established hazard classes for this product type, assessed from public information. These never change the PFAS grade; a Likely flag caps the Verdict at “Buy with care.”
Azo dyes (synthetic colorants)
Standard twill work pants use disperse and reactive azo dyes for color fastness. Dickies does not disclose dye chemistry or testing to restricted azo standards (such as ZDHC Gateway or BLUESIGN). Risk of residual aromatic amines is low but not independently verified for this product.
Formaldehyde resins (durable-press / wrinkle resistance)
The 877 is advertised as an untreated twill with no water or wrinkle-resistant finish. No formaldehyde-releasing agents are expected in the final garment; however, trace residues from fabric finishing mills are possible in all synthetic-blend textiles.
Heavy metals in dyes and pigments
Disperse dyes used in polyester can contain cadmium or lead in trace amounts. Dickies does not publish heavy-metal test results or comply with REACH Annex XVII limits publicly. Risk is low for dermal exposure but cannot be ruled out without testing.
Residual processing chemicals and finish dust
All factory-new textiles can carry residual lubricants, surfactants, and spin-finish from spinning and weaving mills. Unwashed wear may cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals. A cold water rinse before first wear significantly reduces this risk.
Antimony in polyester
Polyester can contain antimony trioxide as a catalyst; modern mills typically use antimony-free catalysts, and migration to skin during normal wear is not documented. Dickies does not disclose catalyst chemistry.
What we don’t know
This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 78% confidence. It is not a lab result.
No independent PFAS lab test is on record for this exact product. A lab test could move the score in either direction.
The brand has not made a specific, verifiable PFAS-free statement, so part of this score reflects that missing disclosure rather than a confirmed material.
Formulations and coatings change between production runs. Always check the current label before buying.
More stain-resistant 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.