Curious: what pants are you wearing with shorter sweaters?

I've loved the longer (cover your assets as Athleta calls it) sweaters for several years and have felt so spoiled and happy to be wearing yoga-ish pants under them without feeling too exposed. Now tunic sweaters are less available and hip length is everywhere and I'm looking for pants that look like trousers (in that they will not outline everything you've got) but feel like yoga/lounge pants.

Reality, I have plenty of sweaters so this isn't a tunic shopping question. And I haven't bought any shorter ones so it's not a tops shopping question at all. I'm just thinking ahead...if I saw a sweater I loved, what pants would I be able to wear with it? Ideal would be a flat waist band because I dislike the lumps and bumps of a zipper and hook under a sweater. No pleats because I don't look good in pleated pants.

My go-to shops in the past have been Athleta and J Jill and both have let me down in this area so far. (Well, I haven't tried on everything!)

Side subject...how do you feel about those extreme leggings that are tightly sewn to go all the way up the butt crack? I was in a pharmacy line behind a 20-something wearing those and a waist length top and yikes! She did have a great butt but I think that look says "I wanted to go naked but I was afraid I'd get arrested".

4 days ago

Sal

Veteran

There’s lots of travel pants available now- Athleta, Lululemon, ninepine and various others. I would look for something here that prioritises comfort.

The leggings with gathers at the top of the bottom are worn here or ones that focus on your cheek. I expect if I was at a different gym I would see even more. I find them a little odd but I guess I have worn low cut tops or shown midriff so it’s not that different.

LJP

Agree with Sal’s recommendations for pants . I have a couple of pair of Lululemon pants that fit this description. . Also I HATE those butt cheek shorts and tights . I don’t care how young and pert you are . My daughter used to wear them and I had to bite my tongue . Fortunately she’s moved on from that look .

Kate

Look for flat front pants with a side zip. It has always been my favorite, non-jean style of trouser. I have several but they are pretty old, though I still wear them on occaision, and they have held up well.

I honestly don't know who makes side zip pants any more, but I'd try Aritzia for one. I think that's where mine came from back in the day.

A quick Google search turned up Ann Taylor (fluid crepe side zip); and Quince (Ultra-Stretch Ponte Pintuck Ankle Pants).

Re extreme leggings: Yikes! Makes me wince every time I see someone wearing them.

Irina

Well, this past summer it was a popular look among young women here - a set of leggings with a cropped top, some in pastel colors. They fit so tightly that it’s not a back view, it’s the front one that I found a bit too much
Wide leg, cropped wide leg, joggers are all look good with shorter sweaters. Uniqlo and Lululemon are probably the best to try.

Karie

(website)

With non tunic sweaters I wear regular straight leg pants.
Here are some that I own and they are super comfortable, with pull on waistbands:

https://www.macys.com/shop/pro.....rk%20Olive

https://www.macys.com/shop/pro.....%20Harvest

https://athleta.gap.com/browse.....ge-content

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Angie

Fashion Stylist

Lovely suggestions from the Fabbers!

Also, I'm nodding along with Irina and Sal. Uniqlo springs to mind right away.

I'll add try looking at Spanx pants on the Spanx site (not their sweats). They do very comfy bottoms.

Suz

And maybe try Saint and Sophia too.

The pants I own that (almost) fit that description are from the NAS sale a few years ago and their current offerings are not quite the same. They were called "pleated" but they weren't, exactly. They had a small sewn down pleat. And one pair had a button and faux zipper (no real zip -- pull on). While the other had a real zipper, but it always lays flat. I love these pants and am babying them a bit because they are starting to pill, as knit pants will over time. The charcoal ones were without zip. The blue had a zip. But in any case that's no use to you!

I'm another fan of side zip pants but I don't own any at the moment. Last pair I had were from BR and I also had one from Kit and Ace at one point.

I do think the article you are searching for is widely available -- it's just going to be a question of finding ones you like and that fit well.

Nordstrom

Wit & Wisdom 'Ab'Solution Skyrise Plaid Wide Leg Ponte Pants

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Wit & Wisdom 'Ab'Solution Skyrise Wide Leg Pants

Oh, and to answer your first question -- with shorter sweaters I wear high waisted trousers and jeans, and wide crops. Also skirts.

As for the leggings, I am in Irina's camp. It is the front view I shudder about.

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cat2

I have ponte knit trousers from Boden and Talbots. They look like trousers but are so comfortable! I tried ponte knit from Caslon and it was even more stretchy but didn’t last as long. So hopefully that will give you some more options.

3 days ago

unfrumped

Well, for short ( high hop, not cropped) sweaters I need the pants to look like the fall straight down from just below the waist— not like a lot of wide- leg pants that are too fitted in the high hip. Else I get the hip- dip or saddle bag look right below the sweater.

Though they have pleats AND front zip, I’ve liked the Athleta Pinnacle trouser. There could be some similar but with flat front.
I also have Uniqlo something from last year, a straight leg sweatpants ( maybe it was considered wideleg at that time!) which is good because it has the waist tie inside the waistband, not poking out in front. I think this year there are wider leg ones.
Not pants, but another thing that works for me is knife- pleated skirts, again because of how they fall. Not something I wear around hone, though.

I realize I didn't answer your first question. I wear shorter, often cropped, sweaters and tops with high-waisted pants and jeans.

AndiB

Was just going to weigh in and recommend Spanx, but
Angie beat me to it. I now own two pair of the wide leg Ponte, this exact print/check pattern https://spanx.com/products/spa.....8;gad_sour and then got a half off deal for Black Friday and sprung for the black. I find them smoothing without being tight, and I absolutely adore the wide leg. The black are longer than the Ponte, and I may have to get them shortened. But I find them very flattering, and can wear with shorter sweater.

Peri

Thank you all! You have given me a lot of options to check out. Time for some online browsing.

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