This review was a long time coming. I’ve known the power of Anthropologie’s Colette Wide Leg pants for over three years, Caitlin has been in the know for the last year, and the women in Emily’s family have been RAVING about them. So ya, how could we not give them a proper EHD blog review with all 5 of us? Here’s the thing, of course, these aren’t technically “magical pants” despite their most popular version being in a fabric they use called “magic fabric”, and they may not work for every single person. But let me tell you that they do work for sooooooo many. The “magic fabric” classic version alone has a 4.5-star rating with over 2,400 reviews! They almost have what feels like a cult following and this post might help you see why. All 5 of us EHD ladies each tried on 1 to 3 different pairs (there are many versions, FYI) to hopefully show you to the best of our ability what they look like on nonphotoshopped bodies. What’s also great about these pants is that a couple of their most popular versions not only come in standard, tall, petite, and plus sizing, but they also come in adaptive: seated and adaptive: non-seated. We really hope Anthro and the fashion industry in general continue to invest in their inclusive sizing and styles. Everyone should be included and get to dress exactly how they want. IT’S IMPORTANT! With that said, ready to see some pretty freaking cute pants and how we actually feel about them???
Emily
I’m on a text chain with my sister-in-law and cousin (shout out to Crystal and Valerie) and during a recent chat about fashion they both said that their favorite pant was the Colette from Anthropologie and that they BOTH owned it in multiple colorways/lengths. I was obviously interested so I bought one pair and liked it a lot, but found that I didn’t wear them that often. They are high-waisted and wide-legged which I tend to want to wear heels with and rarely do I need to go anywhere where heels are appropriate (except out on dates and I likely wouldn’t wear high-waisted pants out on a date). You see, I have a short torso and big boobs so if the pants go too high it’s a LOT happening at the same place.
Printed Version (similar)
But then I found these dark pink patterned Colette pants that are “linen” and I thought that they would be stiff or too thin, but y’all they are INCREDIBLE. The fabrics have the perfect amount of stretch and thickness, and the pattern is so distracting and busy in the best of ways. My butt looks very good in them, TBH, and I don’t say that about many pants. I love the longer version because I have short legs and don’t need another cropped wide leg to cut them off and make them visually any shorter. And with heels, my legs look so long and I feel really, really good. So while these are very “sisterhood of the traveling pants,” for me the long wide, and patterned version is definitely my fave.
Jess
If you can’t tell I bought my first pair of Colette pants a while ago…August 2021 to be exact. Before I had my long nails! I couldn’t believe how cute AND comfortable they were. Thin, just enough stretch, and the perfect pocket placement. Normally, I’m not a bold patterned pant gal but these were too perfect to pass up. Sadly, this pattern is no longer available but Ryann (EHD alum for anyone new here) bought them too and felt the same way. Now at the time, I don’t think Anthro had fully expanded that range to what it is today which is VAST. Otherwise, I’m sure I would have bought another pair.
Fast forward to this week…
Look at the corduroy version!! I LOVED these. The blue color is so pretty (the website looks different and desaturated so don’t be fooled) and my god were they soft. They also aren’t super thick which I really appreciate too. The pajama vibe is still very much there. I sized up to a 30 in these (I’m wearing 29 in the two below if that helps anyone) since the fabric at a little bit of sheen. I didn’t love the way the shininess of the fabric enhanced how it was pulled in the front with the 29s. Oh, and I am 5’4″ so these standard-length ones don’t have much of a crop but honestly, I prefer that. They do come in petite for my short gals who want a cropped look. I didn’t want to purchase impulsively but I seriously might be ordering these puppies. SO GOOD.
I also wanted to try on the classic “magic fabric” version (like the patterned ones I have). It’s Anthro’s exclusive fabric that claims to sculpt, stretch, and recover. It does. Let’s just say it was also hard to not buy these too! They made me feel so good, looked so classic, and I don’t have a pair of good black pants. I might be considering these too! I don’t feel like these photos are doing them justice. This version comes in sooooo many colors so highly recommend taking a peek.
Lastly, I wanted to try on the denim version too because I was at the store and clearly I’m a fan of the style:) As the others, they had the ideal amount of stretch and were just so comfortable. I currently have far too many jeans to justify another but if you are in the market I HIGHLY recommend these.
Caitlin
I scored these Colette pants in my first-ever Nuuly haul last year (ICYMI!) and it feels corny to say, but they really renewed my love of getting dressed! I’ve struggled to find pants that maintain their intended shape once pulled onto my body (super hippy, big behind – lots of pants cling and end up looking like skinny jeans!) and I can attest that they’ve held up beautifully to a solid year of HEAVY use.
These are the linen type, so they’re a little lightweight, but they don’t wrinkle in the way you’d expect and they feel LIKE BUTTER on my body. They genuinely fall straight from my hip (a miracle!), they’re supremely comfortable for sitting/standing all day, and there’s no gapping in the back (plumber’s crack, the bane of my youth, is not an issue here!) – they’re genuinely like magic. Added bonus: I’ve dropped about 20 pounds since procuring this size 32 pair, but they’re one of the few bottoms I own that somehow continue to fit my changing shape. (LIKE MAGIC, I’M TELLIN’ YA!)
You need some wear-everyday pants? HERE THEY ARE! The near-unanimous 5-star reviews are ALL CORRECT – these pants are comfortable, supportive, and so easy to dress up or down (how fab is this woman, serving the more formal version of my casual look?).
This material is a little bit thicker – I bought them last winter, after the chill crept in through my linen pair – but I just love everything about them. The little hit of ankle? The higher waist? (I’m sorry – maybe it’s because I have a long toroso, but a high waist just feels SO GOOD. If the button isn’t encroaching on my belly button, I’m not interested.) The 15 available colors? The perfect amount of volume to balance out any body type? THEY ARE JUST SO GOOD. I’m still kicking myself for waiting so long to try these on – Ryann, forgive me!!! – but after a year of near-daily use, I’m about 99% sure that the pants in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants were just a pair of Colettes. (PS. Not what we’re here to talk about, but this belt bag is an INCREDIBLE dupe for the Clare V. Grande Fanny – same materials, same size, half the price!)
Mallory
If there’s one thing I love…it’s high contrast. I’m VERY happy about all of the contrast piping on furniture and ALSO in clothes happening right now – and these pants totally fall under that category. Initially, I was questioning if a dark mulberry pant was for me but once I saw them with the cream stitching it was a hell yes. These pants have such a nice fit. High-waisted, stretchy, and wide on the calves so they’re very flattering and made me feel like a very cool lady.
I really liked this plaid pant but I liked the lil mulberry with the light stitching a hair more. In my opinion, I think this fabric looks really nice in a trouser style and I preferred this cut in the other colors but that’s just me. They were very soft and stretchy also so no worries on comfort!
The black Colette pant is very classic and would go with so much. Again, I really liked the first ones for the statement of them, but if you’re looking for a classic everyday pant this colorway was great!
Gretchen
I popped into Anthro to try on these Colette pants that everyone is raving about. Well, add me to that list because these are AWESOME. I absolutely love the front, square pockets, and the ’70s vibe they give off. Usually, I find with front pocket pants like these, they tend to skip on the back pockets altogether, which is not the look I go for. But thankfully these have cute pockets on all sides and I love them all the more for it! They hold me just right (I’m wearing a size 32) and sit at the perfect height on my waist. I wasn’t sure about the cropped look but I became a fan once I tried them on. These will be so cute in the fall with little boots peeking through and I dig that larger hem on the bottom. I am curious what the full-length pants would look like on, but they seem to be online only, so I ordered them to give it a go! If they look and feel anything like this pair, I’m sold!
Needless to say, these might be the closest thing to a real “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” pant as it was said many times in this post. It’s also a sale weekend so it’s probably not the worst time to see if they might be a great addition to your closet if you need a new pair of truly great pants. Hope this was fun and helpful, and if you have any thoughts of your own let the people know in the comments!
Love you, mean it.
Caitlin, I thought I noticed something different. You look great!
Would love to know where Mallory’s shoes are from. 🙂
H&M! Search “strappy heeled sandals”.
Pants are cute, I’m tempted to buy, but Jess can you share the link to your cropped gray tshirt/tank too??
I agree the pants are adorable! Buttt if you are 5 ft or close to it, they are too over whelming. They go too high and are too close to the boobs and are just too long.
Agreed! And unfortunately often when pants come in petite sizes the rise is the same as the standard size!
Anthro petites are usually pretty good-they adjust the entire scale, including pockets, etc. So could be worth a try!
I’m wearing mine right now for my school’s first day! My second pair. It’s a great cut and I wish they would bring back the Colette denim skirt–I shoulda snagged one last spring,
Love my Colettes! I have the classic cropped pants in a beautiful shade of blue and the shorts in green. I ordered the jeans online but had to return them twice for different reasons, so I guess I’ll have to get them in store. I’m also loving the look of the cords.
I have a pair of these pants and they are comfortable and flattering and look great on all of you ladies. However, I cannot understand why nobody else is bothered by the asymmetry of the front pockets. I cannot unsee it and it’s a deal breaker for me. I GUESS ITS JUST ME?!?!
had to scroll back to see what you meant. Is it possible it just looks asymmetrical due to the fly but the distance is actually the same?
Same! Someone pointed that out to me when I was trying them on and now I can’t unsee it. The spacing on the pockets is so irregular and it is especially noticeable on the pairs with contrast stitching. I also think these work really well for certain body shapes – as a pear shape, they never seem to fit me right and I have tried them on MANY times in the hopes that I would like them but they are a pass.
”It’s also a sale weekend so it’s probably not the worst time to see if they might be a great addition to your closet if you need a new pair of truly great pants.”
I have two pairs of these pants and love them. I am confused about the statement above because they are not on sale this weekend.
One thing I thought was confusing is that the classic style has linen in it (not mentioned online) so I thought I was sent the linen version. For someone short ( 5 foot 5) the cropped pants work perfectly for the length.
There are some styles on sale this weekend let the anthro website.
Oh my. You guys had me convinced to buy to head to Anthropologie and try them on and comically I looked down at my jeans I am wearing (and love) and realized they are the one and only Colette! I can’t wait to try the full length.
I’ve rented these pants before and I agree they have a good fit but found the cotton/linen versions to just be too wrinkly for an office job. I’m also on 5’4” but I always get the tall because I think the normal length is just too short to be flattering.
I tried these in my Nuuly box and agree they’re suuuuper flattering. However, at 5’4″ I found the rise to be too high for me- not the kind of pant I could comfortably sit down in.
Caitlin, where is your brown striped top from?! I love it!
As a 5’2″, size 12 curvy gal I’ll chime in that I LOVE the Colette pants! But a weird word of warning: I find that the size varies drastically by color and/or fabric. It’s so, so odd – I’ve ranged from a size 28 to a size 32 in the Colettes, which makes it pretty challenging for me to buy online. But once I DO find the right size – they’re on repeat for me.
I put in the survey that I love when EHD puts the same piece of clothing on everyone’s different bodies so we can see how the piece wears – my data loving mind craves it! A request to enhance these: if the team members are comfortable with it, could they list the size they’re wearing in the photo and maybe what they normally wear? Some of the team members listed their size above but not all, and since I’m normally a size 10/29-or-30, it be helpful to know which size is being displayed to compare to my own.
Keep up the great work! I’ve been struggling in the pants department lately so I’ll have to check them out