Stretchy wide-leg pants: what 19% elastane buys you, and how to keep it stretching

This page contains affiliate links. MoreThanMy earns a commission on qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

Researched. We have not used this one long enough to give you a verdict, and we would rather say so than invent one. What follows is how it works, who it suits, and what it will not do. When we have used it properly, this page carries the verdict and the date.

G4Free Wide Leg Pants with Pockets

The most useful line on any pair of pants is not on the front of the listing. It is the fabric content. For these, the listing gives 81% polyester and 19% elastane — and that second number explains almost everything about how they will feel.

What the elastane number means

Elastane — also sold as spandex or Lycra — is the stretchy fibre. A pair of jeans might have 1 or 2%, enough to give a little. Somewhere around 5% and up, fabric feels properly stretchy. At 19%, this is activewear territory: fabric that moves with you in every direction and snaps back when you stop.

That is why these are sold as yoga pants as well as everyday wide-leg pants. They are pull-on, high-waisted and have pockets, according to the listing — built for comfort first.

What polyester adds

The polyester is the body of the fabric. It is durable, holds colour well, dries quickly and resists wrinkles, which is why it is paired with elastane in so much activewear. Its weaknesses are that it does not breathe like cotton, and it can pill where it rubs — the inner thighs, mostly. We explain pilling in why knitwear pills, and how to deal with it in depilling by hand.

Getting the length right

Wide-leg pants look best when the hem nearly skims the floor in the shoes you will wear with them. Too short and they look like a mistake; too long and they drag and fray. If you are petite, buy a petite length rather than planning to hem a regular pair — shortening a wide leg by several inches changes the proportions of the whole garment. Check the size options on the listing for a petite length if you need one.

Keeping the stretch

Heat is what ruins elastane. Hot washes and hot tumble dryers break the fibres down, and the fabric slowly stops snapping back and goes baggy at the knees and seat. Wash cool — the listing says machine wash — and air-dry or use the lowest dryer setting. Many people also skip fabric softener on stretch fabrics, since it can leave a coating that makes them feel less springy.

How to wear them

Dressed down with trainers and a fitted top; dressed up a little with a heeled boot that keeps the hem off the ground. The wide leg balances a slim top half, which is the easiest proportion to get right.

What they will not do

They will not breathe like cotton or linen on a hot day. They will not keep their stretch if they go through a hot dryer every week. And they will not look tailored — this is comfortable, stretchy clothing, and it is at its best being exactly that.

The product

High-waisted, pull-on wide-leg pants with pockets, in a high-stretch polyester and elastane blend. For anyone who wants trousers that feel like leggings and look like trousers.

The one people are searching for is the G4Free Wide Leg Pants for Women with Pockets.

G4Free Wide Leg Pants with Pockets

We do not print prices here, because a price we typed last month is a price that is wrong today.

Written by JamieG in Garner Town, Tennessee.