While poking around online for new underwear and another hoodie, I decided to pop these pants in my shopping bag and take advantage of a sale to try them.

I sized up and I’m glad I did — these would be for summer wear and I prefer a looser fit in warm weather. They are super lightweight, which is great! Very comfortable, and they feel like they breathe. Nice degree of stretch for movement. And you know I’m a sucker for a side stripe and a small plaid in black and white. Because they’re sized up, they hit me a little longer than I expected, but happily the rise is not overly long, which is what usually happens when I size up.

Side seam pockets are not generally the best look on those of us with big hips, but I tolerate them when i wear sized-up pants.

I just threw on a variety of solid neutral summer tops with them to get an idea of how they work, but I can see these working with lots of other tops as well. I’m inclined to keep. They’re good for active days when I don’t want to go as far as wearing hiking or running pants (pockets! Including two back zip pockets which I like for photo days because I can carry spare memory cards). They are a nice lightweight alternative to chinos and shorts. I would actually consider trying them in a solid color too — probably the navy.

I wish I had a shirt like the last stock photo — I like that styling! It strikes me that the fit on me is quite close to the easy fit on the model photos, which was a pleasant surprise.