Arc’teryx Veilance Voronoi Review

Introduction

The Veilance Voronoi are a lightweight, roomy three-season pair of pants made out of quick-drying, wind resistant and breathable performance fabric. Released for the Spring-Summer 23 season, Arc’teryx Veilance revisited their staple Voronoi design and updated the silhouette to echo the current trends of more straight and roomy cuts. Touted as being stretchy, durable and, most of all, comfortable, they promise to be elevated yet functional pants made for all the landscapes one might inhabit. We’ve been wearing them for about six months now. From crisp spring mornings, warm summer outings to shifting fall days, throwing them through many different scenarios. Let’s see how they held up.

History

Arc’teryx Veilance has been releasing different iterations of the Voronoi pant over the years. The fabric composition has differed through the seasons, ranging from a very lightweight and stretchy nylon and elastic fabric called TerraTex to varied blends of cotton and nylon. Whatever the version, the Voronoi distinguish by the angular front pockets and complex patterning, creating an ergonomic 3D-shape around the wearers leg while maintaining a slim silhouette. This shape was especially noticeable with the cotton/nylon versions. While the fabric did not offer any amount of stretch, the intricate design and patterning made for a very ergonomic fit.

After being unavailable for a few years, they were once again released for the Spring-Summer season of 2023. This version saw a change in material package (Fortius DW 2.0) and design, all while still resembling its predecessors. Think softshell pants in a fashion-oriented silhouette.

Construction & Design

Arc'teryx takes pride in applying their expertise from crafting high-performance outdoor gear to everyday wear, which becomes evident in their Veilance line. The Voronoi pant showcases this fusion. Unique panels are seamlessly laminated and stitched together to create distinct 3D shapes. Notable features include an expansive gusset at the crotch, knee darts, and a singular seam running down the back of each leg, enhancing both mobility and aesthetic appeal. Two front pockets with an aggressive notch stylize the front. The back pockets have a unique, angled design that underlines the deliberate look defining the Voronoi. Nylon webbing forms the belt loops, with the back loop subtly branded with a rubber ‘Veilance’ text applied to it in tonal colouring.

Described as a “regular” fit we’re more inclined to call this straight-loose; with a rise that can be comfortably worn on or above the hips. The pants offer plenty room around the thighs and taper down gently from the knee down.

Veilance relies heavily on lamination to create smooth finishes and the Voronoi are no exception. Oftentimes, pockets and cuffs are made of fabric folded over and stitched shut. Here, the fabric is folded inwards and laminated directly on itself – creating a clean and low profile finish. The same principle is applied to the waistband: a different fabric (presumably TerraTex from the look of it) is sewn on the outside of the pant, then folded inwards and bonded to the internals. As such, there is no stitching visible from the outside.

As is common with Veilance products, all the seams are taped on the inside. A visual reference to Arc’teryx well known hardshells, this provides comfort as it covers the stitching, slows down moisture ingress and adds much needed durability. Because of their set “micro-seam allowance” of 1.6mm, the taping strengthens the seams. Relying solely on a single sewn seam would not suffice for durability; hence, the micro-seam allowance of 1.6mm, paired with the seam taping, significantly reinforces the structure.

The seam taping often matches the item’s main colour, but with the “Forage” colourway it’s white. The waist band material on the inside as well as the pocket lining is colour matched.

Overall, the Voronoi look modern, understated and are extremely well constructed once you take time to observe more closely.

Materials

As is most often the case with Veilance’s offerings, the Voronoi are constructed from performance fabric. Here, it is a nylon-elastane blend called Fortius DW 2.0 – DW standing for Double Weave. In short, double weave is a type of fabric constructed with two sets of warp and weft threads, woven together to create a thicker, more durable material. This translates to the Fortius having a smooth and rugged exterior while the interior is soft and textured.

Arc’teryx uses different flavours of Fortius – see our review of the Spere Jacket for instance – all with variations on weight, durability and breathability. The DW 2.0 is on the heftier side of softshell materials, yet still lightweight. Commonly used in outdoor apparel designed for hiking, scrambling, and climbing, the Fortius DW 2.0's durability is typically beyond what is required for everyday urban wear. 

Coated with a DWR-finish, the Voronoi repel light rain yet attract dust. The latter is something we’ve encountered with almost every product finished with a DWR-coating; the exact reason for this still being black magic to our understanding. Be sure to reach out should you know the exact science behind this.

The DWR-coating will wear out after time but can easily be rejuvenated by a wash using technical detergent, like Granger’s or Atsko, and a mild drying cycle, and applying spray-on DWR should this drying not suffice anymore.

The fabric will become soaked during sustained rain or heavy downpours but dries quickly, aided by body heat. This is what appealed to us firstly when discovering the segment that is everyday performance apparel, as we tend to bike everywhere in the city, without wanting to wear rain pants or specialized cycling gear all the time.

The front zipper is plenty long and operates smoothly, courtesy of YKK. Another Veilance staple is the snap closure: these are made by the Italian brand Cobrax and consist of a unique snap closing slide mechanism. Instead of buttoning the pants, this system requires pushing and sliding two components together.

This offers another level of technicality and sleekness as there’s no visible cut in the fabric required for a classic button. It also offers more security than a snap-button, which tend to come undone under stress. In our experience, this system allows for one-handed operation yet seems to be optimized for right-handed individuals.

Comfort, Durability & Care

We’ve been wearing the Voronoi going to the office, travelling and simply hanging out. The generous cut feels unrestricted and the elastane content helps when squatting or getting on and off a bike, contributing to overall comfort and flexibility.

The first thing you might notice when picking these up are how lightweight they actually are. This aids in the pants almost disappearing when worn – an important feat, we feel.

The fabric feels comfortable, blocks most wind and breathes well. We’ve never felt too chilly nor clammy in these between 10° and 25° C, but as always, temperature experience is very subjective. These pants can be adapted for year-round use as the cut allows for a pair of thermal leggings to be worn underneath.

With four pockets, the pants offer decent storage for everyday carry like large smartphones, keys and mints. The back pockets don’t feature any closing system making them less suitable for safeguarding important items.. The front pockets are decently deep and do a good job at concealing their contents as the pants aren’t too tight, aided by the drape of the softshell cloth.

The Fortius fabric drapes well and behaves like a more structured yet very pliable chino. At no point do these pants scream ‘outdoor apparel’ from a visible stand point. However, they do on another level: they’re pretty noisy. A swish can be heard while walking or even handling these pants.

Given the tightly knit and smooth nylon material, it tends to produce sound when rubbing or sliding on itself. It’s not on full on rain jacket levels but you’ll definitely notice, especially in more quiet environments.

Our pairs of Voronoi have been used sitting and playing with kids on pavement, going on quick hikes through bushes and still look pristine after a wash. The only visible proof of them not being new is on the inside: the lower cuffs show some pilling, probably due to intense contact with different types of footwear.

Care has been easy as well. We use a technical detergent to wash all of our clothes made from performance fabrics as to keep the wicking properties as optimal as possible. You could use classic detergent as well, just make sure to double rinse as to remove any residue like perfume or other agents. We’ve been washing the Voronoi after about a week of intense use, but not due to them getting grimy or smelly. The seam tape tends to suffer from body salts from sweating, so it’s generally recommended to wash technical gear – what Veilance gear is, in essence – more often than not.

The Fortius fabric tends to crease after being folded for a while, yet these wrinkles disappear quickly when the garment is worn or even hung for a night. This makes the Voronoi great for travel - no iron or steamer needed.

Concerns about durability may center on the seams, as previously mentioned. The minimal seam allowance paired with taping might suggest a vulnerability to premature tearing at these junctions. However, we haven't run into any of those problems yet.

Sizing

When purchasing the Voronoi pants, we chose size 32, which is consistent with our usual Veilance size, and found them to fit true to size (TTS). The inseam measures 32 inches.

While tailoring for length is possible, it's important to note that shortening the pants would remove the laminated cuff detail. Additionally, due to the pants' tapering design from the knee down, hemming could result in a disproportionately wide opening at the bottom. Be aware that any alterations will also void the Arc'teryx Veilance warranty for the modified sections.

Hidden Interests

Modern, lightweight yet protective, well designed pants offering all the benefits of a proven softshell material – what’s not to love?

9/10 

An on-trend yet subtle silhouette, the new Voronoi has us wearing these quite often. They offer respectable weather protection, comfort and a unique aesthetic. The construction and finish are in a league of their own and put the Voronoi right at the top of our current favourite pieces of clothing. A caveat for those sensitive to noise: quiet, these are not.

The Voronoi Pant was available for €350 on Veilance.com at the time of writing.