Are $900 pants the secret to wardrobe happiness?
Spoiler alert: I'll probably never know.
In my little corner of the world, I can’t seem to escape the chatter about High Sport pants. No I haven’t tried them, and I’m honestly shocked at how many people are shelling out almost $900 for pull-on kick-flare pants that are being lauded as the best thing since, well, ever. In the case of influencers, it must be nice to be gifted with these pricy pantalones (but I can’t hate on that since I had plenty of free Gucci and OG Marc Jacobs land on my desk during my magazine days).
Case in point:
Apparently they can be dressed up or dressed down (I totally see that), they hold you in and flatter your tush, they don’t wrinkle or lose their shape, and are super-easy to care for (wash and hang!). It seems High Sport is on a mission to replace all of the other pants in our closets—if only my budget would cooperate. Since I’m always up for a challenge, I thought, surely there’s a dupe for these.
Within the countless puff pieces I’ve read about the High Sport pants, Everlane’s Dream Kick Flare Pant (at $98) has popped up several times—although many say the front seam kills the look.
Continuing my search, I came across The Perfect Split Hem Legging from Spanx. I was immediately drawn to the unique hem, and was sold when I saw they come in a petite length for my 5’3” frame.
They are on my body as I’m writing this—and OMG they are incredible. They look decidedly more dressy than regular leggings (although I’m wearing them with Autry sneakers, a ribbed RLT tank and a chambray shirt), they have a good amount of hold, they have what looks like the front of a panty built-in for a little extra tummy control and the fabric is on the thick side so there are no lumps or bumps to speak of.
There’s no question that $900 is well outside of my pant budget at the moment, but I would 100% try on High Sports if we ever meet face-to-face. But in the meantime, I’m obsessed with the Spanx, and I’ll definitely be trying the original kick-flare Perfect Pant in a bold color.
Should I go red?
