Outdoorsy pants for mildly curvy women?

May 5, 2018 9:13 AM

I just purged my closet of all my pants that don't fit and am now left with two pairs of sweatpants. I'm looking for pants with pockets, that I can hike in, that are loose in the hips and thighs but that come in at the waist. Any recommendations?

Duluth is great for stretchy pants but their Firehose, etc are too tight in the thighs. Kuhl can sometimes work, but they have very low waistbands and are a teensy bit more fitted than I want. Men's pants gap at the waist if I get them large enough for my hips. What other brands are out there?

I'm middle aged and am more interested in practicality than fashion. Let your guiding stereotype be "Girl Scout leader," not "yoga practitioner."

I'm a US size 10 or 12 Tall.

posted by The corpse in the library to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (19 answers total)

So, my Standard Pants are Prana Stretch Zions, which I find exceedingly comfy and practical, excellent for hiking, and which look like a fairly plain, all-purpose pant that's at home in a variety of contexts. I have about half a dozen pairs.

I am a man though, so I can't really speak to the fit of the women's version but they do appear to come in several styles with different fits, so hopefully there's something there that would work for you?

They're really great pants, I love them.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 9:24 AM on May 5, 2018

Kohl’s have some light cotton Utility pants this season. Five to six pockets
posted by tilde at 9:48 AM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]

I love REI brand. The black ones are amazing. They are about a hundred bucks and worth every penny. Super flattering, dry quick, stay clean. I love them.
posted by beccaj at 10:02 AM on May 5, 2018

Best answer: I am looking at the REI screeline technical pants because they have pockets and a drawstring to adjust the fit at the waist (in addition to a zipper and snaps). They are available in tall sizes.
posted by medusa at 10:05 AM on May 5, 2018

I love my Fjällräven Vidda and it seems to tick all your boxes. If it's available to you, it would be worth a look.
posted by Too-Ticky at 10:18 AM on May 5, 2018

Seconding Columbia (and getting them from Sierra Trading Post). I like their cargo pants with the drawstring for exactly the waist to hip ratio problem.
posted by hydropsyche at 10:33 AM on May 5, 2018

Just coming here to say the same thing as tilde, Kohls has some lightweight utility pants and I really like them.
posted by bessiemae at 10:34 AM on May 5, 2018

I have a similar body shape, and I like EMS brand pants. I have these in several colors. They’re stretchy, lightweight, and have pockets. They’re as comfortable as leggings. They run at least a size big compared to the size chart (I am an 8 on the chart, but end up in a 6 or even a 4).
posted by Kriesa at 11:02 AM on May 5, 2018

FWIW if you have a pair you like that's just too large at the waist, that's usually a quick and easy fix for a seamstress or tailor.
posted by trig at 11:38 AM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]

I also bought this “un belt” to help. I bought a Biiig pair at Kohl’s to test and then put them through the yard work test before I bought the right sizes online.
posted by tilde at 12:12 PM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]

I LOVE my North Face Aphrodite pants (the elastic waist ones). I’m pear-shaped and they are roomy enough in the hips and thighs and SO comfy.
posted by rebeccabeagle at 12:32 PM on May 5, 2018

I recently ended up buying jeans to fit my hips and thighs and had a tailor take the waist in and it is SO GOOD. Nth this as a real solution.

Next time I buy outdoor pants (and I do need to) I’m going to try Red Ants Pants. They come in a curvy fit too.
posted by jrobin276 at 1:46 PM on May 5, 2018

Have you looked at women's tactical pants*? I find that they're great for hiking and outdoorsy stuff (I am a man, so I'm not sure on their fit for women, but they advertise cuts specifically for women.)

*pseudo-self-link
posted by Jacob G at 2:11 PM on May 5, 2018

ze pants
posted by tilde at 4:19 PM on May 5, 2018

I know you are looking for long pants, but I was just on a hunt for outdoorsy shorts at REI and tried on a ton of brands - Mountain Hardware has a line called "Dynama." The shorts I bought accommodated my hips size 10, waist size 6 situation. They have a pants version that comes in different lengths.
posted by stowaway at 4:22 PM on May 5, 2018

These LLBean hiking pants are great! They're not tight in the butt and thighs but they have enough shape that I don't feel like I'm wearing a trash bag. The snap waist is super comfortable and has a little give. I actually feel stylish in these pants. They're best for spring/fall but I did layer them with tights for a really cold winter hike and they did just fine.

And the price! They're a bargain compared to some of the more high end retailers and just as good. This is starting to read like a testimonial but I'm super picky about being comfortable when I hike so this question is right up my alley.

*edited to note that they have a snap waist, not a button waist
posted by MissPitts at 4:32 PM on May 5, 2018

Also: Outdoor Gear Lab's women's hiking pants review.
posted by medusa at 7:42 PM on May 5, 2018

Response by poster: Thanks for all the recommendations! I went to REI and found the the Screeline and a pair of Kuhls that fit well, and I'll work through the others you guys mentioned when I need more. The Prana Strech Zion pants were laughingly small -- I couldn't even pull them up all the way.

REI had two styles of pants in tall women's sizes. This is the first time I have seen tall sizes in a brick-and-mortar store other than Long Tall Sally. I am amazed.
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:40 PM on May 5, 2018 [2 favorites]

I basically live full time in Eddie Bauer clothing. Their curvy fit pants are a full size smaller in the waist and relaxed through the hips. The quality is decent and they frequently run 30-50%-off sales.
posted by jesourie at 9:37 AM on May 6, 2018