I have been on year-long quest to bring down my blood pressure and it required me to lose over thirty pounds. (Side note: I was already eating a healthy diet and couldn't figure out what to do until I read an article from Pritikin called "the best and worst foods for weight loss" that explained the concept of calorie density of foods. It was a game changer for me.) Anyhow, I'd started exercising more and changing shape before I actually made a real effort to lose weight. I'd been wearing loose flowing skirts but with that toning I decided to get pants. Size 16 fit great and didn't gap in back or anything. I have "birthing hips" (broad hips) so more pear than apple but really I'd gotten to the point of just fluffy before I started exercising. I was surprised what a difference in my size/shape just walking made. Once they started fitting too loose and gapping, I just ordered the next size down. I alternated between blue and khaki and just order one in each size as I go down. So I always have one color that's a little too big and donate everything bigger than that as I go. At size 12 they suddenly started looking really nice. Less built to fit around me while looking nice and more just looking nice. I'm now down to size 8 and I have been happy with every single size. Maybe I just lucked out. But they are great, reliable pants. I was specifically looking for something nice for work that looked respectable and flattering and was comfortable all day. This fit the bill. I also wear them on my day off with a t shirt or sweater and that's really cute too. I've never owned one pair for more than a few months so I can't tell you how they hold up over time but since I've only had two pairs of pants at a time, they get worn and washed frequently. They do look a little faded over time compared to when they were new but still really nice. I would be careful about black though and wash inside out without any additions like oxiclean based on what happens to the blue. Also, the blue ones bleed a lot the first few washes. After that they are fine to throw in with your other laundry. If you do manage to lose over thirty pounds and keep it off for at least a year, you can join the National Weight Control Registry, which is the largest study of sustained weight loss. Great information on how to do it too. I've lost over 30 pounds very gradually, typically a pound every two weeks, so I'm confident I won't yo-yo and that next year I'll be joining the registry! Good luck to anyone else who is trying. Read more
I purchased these pants because I needed some cute work pants that I could easily dress up with a polo shirt, and these were perfect. They’re comfortable enough to wear all day while still looking professional. The fit is flattering without being too tight, and the straight leg style works well for both casual and business casual outfits. I love how they are made with a stretchy material, that makes them fit perfectly. The fabric feels durable and holds its shape throughout the day. Overall, these are great everyday work pants that combine comfort and style. I’ll definitely be purchasing more pairs. Highly recommend! Read more
I thought these would be made of a denim type material but they are actually a nice dress slack. Very nicely made, sizing is spot on. I'm 5' and 148 lbs. I ordered the 12 and they fit perfectly, even in length. Usually pants are really long on me, these are a little long but fit just fine over a pair of boots. I loved them so much I ordered another pair in another color and they fit just like this pair. They will be perfect for dressing up or for work, they can even be dressed down for a casual look. They are so comfortable I absolutely love them! Read more
I bought 2 pair, one in black/avignon/plaid and the other in black. I will first talk about the black/avignon/plaid pant. It fits well, not too high on the waist for me (mid-rise). It is mostly dark gray as the picture suggests, with black strands in the weave to make the plaid, but what it doesn't show very well (at least from what I could make out), is that there is a single RED strand going throughout the plaid, which I LOVE! I do suggest, however that there ought to be a name change to more adequately describe the color, perhaps dark gray/red/plaid...as "avignon" isn't a color, but a place, and one that doesn't exactly suggest that there is red included in the design as it is a papal residence or commune in SE France (I googled it), which confuses me, but I digress. The good news is that I LOVE red, so this little surprise was a welcome one, however if you don't like red, consider this to be your warning. I did want to point out that the single red thread in the plaid pattern is very subtle and only continues in the plaid about every 3-4 inches and most people probably won't even notice it. You could still wear the plaid pattern with just about anything, regardless of the red thread, but my red shoes look so cute with it, I suggest that if you have red shoes that you love, buy these pants, put them on, pair with your red shoes, and you will get a lot of compliments. I did, and I'm fat! I am 5'5", weigh just over 200 lbs, have an apple shape figure and am anywhere from a women's size 14 to 16. I got a ton of compliments on my red shoes, that these pants really accentuate. I got my pants in a size 14 and they fit great on my pudgy frame and make me look slimmer than I am. They don't cut into my waist, but don't sag down either. The leg length is perfect as well; they are not too short and not too long (BTW, my torso to leg length ratio is pretty equal, they are about the same length). There is a little bit of a stretch to the fabric, which I like, however it is not too stretchy (I can't stand a pant that will stretch and lose its shape so that it has to be washed before you may wear them again). I work at a senior living facility doing office/filing work, but also need to be available to ambulate residents in emergencies, so my clothing must be versatile to fit the bill of being professional looking with ease of movement (I need stretchy pants!). The black pants seem very different to me from the plaid ones I just described above. I got the same size as the plaid, but they definitely feel different. The length is the same, however the waist goes up higher on my stomach and cuts inward more, which I don't like because I have an apple shape and it makes me have two stomach lumps. If the black is a true mid-rise, then the plaid ones are mid to low-rise, which I prefer. I feel like I have to pull them up slightly higher because of the lumps on my stomach, but then I have to deal with "camel toe." Yuck! So I pull them down a little to avoid that nastiness and vow to lose weight while I suck in my stomach lumps as much as possible. I know each pair of pant is sewn by a different person, so even in the same size, with the same material, two pants can fit completely differently, but these really feel like totally different styles. The black fabric is definitely different from the plaid and in the fashion of most of the other black pants I have owned in my life, they seem to attract every "fuzzy" in the room. The material still stretches to suit my needs, and they aren't completely intolerable*, so I will keep them, but they just aren't nearly as wonderfully comfortable as my lovely plaid ones. (*Disclosure: If I had tried the black ones on in a store first, I wouldn't have bought them unless I was desperate.) I will be buying more of these pants in different colors, hopefully they will fit like the plaid, and not the black.. Read more
