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.
