The Perfect Pull-On Pants for A 10-Day Trip Around the World
A review of SO MANY PANTS, plus what else I’m packing, hopefully in a carry-on! (Weekend Edition #109)
In one week, I leave for a ten-day trip around the world. Literally. I leave New York and head east, first to Italy (Naples and Milan), then Thailand, Vietnam, and Hong Kong, before flying home to New York. I’m traveling with my boss and several colleagues to meet with our global partners and visit our fabric mills, cut-and-sew factories, international store locations, and finally, our office and team in HK. The pace is going to be relentless, we’re on a plane almost every day (and in the case of one day, twice). We have three red-eyes, including the 16-hour trip home. And I’m planning to do it all with a carry-on…
I travel a good amount (and wrote a post about travel outfits last fall), but I’ve never packed for a trip like this, so contrary to my typical (aka last-minute) behavior, I’m trying to get a handle on what I need, with enough time to actually get it. I don’t usually buy a lot of new clothes for trips (blame that last-minute behavior, also I don’t want to be caught flat-footed hundreds of miles from home in something I haven’t physically and emotionally wear-tested), but this one is so specific, that I had a feeling I might need a few pieces. A couple of transcontinental workhorses, if you will.
While there are many smart packing methods out there, like the Sudoku grid method (deployed brilliantly here), and Anna Newton’s incredible packing checklist in this post, I am a visual learner and a writer, so I have to research and then type my thoughts out to ultimately make sense of them (no surprise that I write a Substack). So, like with all my trips, I start with Pinterest, and a blank Note.
The Mood
I know I want neutral and monochrome color. Mix-and-match shades. Loose and relaxed shapes that also look polished. Simple button-downs and comfy t-shirts and knits under blazers. Chic loafers. Smart sneakers. Simple accessories. The kind of clothes that look at timezones and laugh. (But can also snooze anywhere.)
The Note
There are three key steps to this packing “method,” (lol, it makes me laugh to call it that). First, I pick a base outfit formula, which for a work trip is usually going to be a blazer + a pant. Second, I list all the pieces that I want to bring (this is usually a mix of favorites and fun). Third, I start making looks. For this trip, I knew I wanted clothes that wouldn’t wrinkle (so more knit tops than wovens) and loafers. Plus a few neutral patterns and simple accessories to jazz things up.
The Problem
But pretty quickly after writing all this down, I realized I had a problem. A big one. Right in step 1.
I had a pants problem. (Which is surprising because I’m a self-proclaimed Pants Person™️.)
My normal go-to plane pants, the Nili Lotan Shon pant, weren’t going to be comfy enough to do multiple red-eyes, and they’re not quite dressy enough to double as work pants. And overall, I had too many question marks next to too many pants. I didn’t have enough bottoms that hit the polished/classic/comfortable trifecta.
I needed clothes in which I can travel, have meetings, tour factories, shop new cities, and sleep on airplanes. Oh. And fit into that carry-on. I needed something as comfortable as pajamas, but not actual pajamas. I needed something as polished as work pants, but not actual work pants.
I needed, what I was calling in my head, a sleep pant. But what, in reality, is the pull-on pant.
Which I did not own.
Gasp! I know, I know. Take away my Pants Person™️ credentials right now. Because the pull-on pant has been absolutely everywhere this season. Sarah Shapiro has been writing about their meteoric rise over at Puck, where pull-on pants have been dominating the shopping data. You can’t open the Substack app without seeing them. I’ve enthusiastically styled and recommended them in many a moodboard. Their appeal is a combination of both their late 90s, Ralph Lauren/CBK-era vibes and their supreme function/comfort (it’s not a coincidence that they share the same shape as actual scrubs). You could draw a straight line from 90s Jennifer Aniston on Friends to Jennifer Lawrence in her Leset pants (and white tee) today.
But here’s the thing. So far, the pull-on pant, while an excellent WFH pant, has felt too casual for my NYC office. Barrel jeans have become my weekend go-to, before I switch to shorts at the first sign of warm weather. I love the idea of them, I just hadn’t yet found a need for them in my closet.
The Debate
Yet while I may not have pull-on pants, we do have Libby McCurrach. She has an amazing eye and pitch-perfect taste, and lucky for me, we were meeting for a drink last week at our local coffee shop. I shared my packing conundrum with her and what I thought I needed. I knew she’d point me in the right direction. We started by discussing the big hitters, the pull-on pants that give pull-on pants everywhere a good name.
Of course we began with Donni. It’s no exaggeration to say that Donni has changed the pant game, first with their thermal stripe pant, then with their viral kick flares, and now their signature Pop pant, which might be the pant that kicked off this whole craze? They offer the Pop in a crisp poplin, (but for me, pockets are a must, and a 31” inseam is a pipe dream). While their drawstring cargo pants in taffeta are beyond fab (and shorter, with a 27” inseam, and absolutely everywhere right now), I need something less expensive and more versatile, something that I wouldn’t mind putting through airports, multiple countries, and possibly a hotel industrial washing machine.
We moved onto the Leset Kyoto Carpenter Pant. Another OG. They are a 24.75” inseam, in a crisp cotton poplin, but the drawstring and topstitched utility panels on the front put them in a casual lane that I wasn’t ready to move into at this point. (They’re also expensive, and my size is sold out.)
We also discussed the La Ligne Colby Pant and the Ruti On The Loose Pant, which are both very popular, but I really wanted cotton for this trip given that I am visiting some hot and humid climates. The La Ligne also runs long, with an almost 31” inseam.
The Search
Ultimately we came up with four non-negotiables:
Elastic waist (we debated drawstrings, because they lean so casual, but since they’re almost always an element of a pull-on pant we decided they weren’t a dealbreaker)
Ankle length (for me that’s 26” - I don’t want them dragging around the globe, plus I’m planning to wear mostly loafers, and I like pants to hit right above them. I made a little inseam chart below for reference.)
Cotton (breathable, won’t wrinkle as much as linen, but has to be drapey-ish and soft. I will be sleeping in them at some point!)
Black (since it can be more easily dressed-up with a blazer and hides dirt, but khaki is a second nice-to-have and a potential replacement to my chino trousers I was initially considering.)
After parting ways for dinner (and for me to clean up a flooded bathroom), we embarked on a 12-hour text exchange that began at 5:12PM on Friday and ended at 6:42AM on Saturday, when Libby texted me a link to the eventual winner.
First, I decided to order the Buck Mason Parachute Pant, which I frequently recommend for a casual/WFH pant. But the black was sold out (looks like there are XS/M back in stock!), so I ordered the putty. The zip fly and hook-and-bar closure add a nice polish, but the 29” inseam is just too long for me for travel, where I don’t want anything dragging on the ground. The length alone made these a no-go for my trip.
Then Libby texted me a photo of herself in the Tibi Light Weight Sweatshirting Winslow Pant. These are an excellent option, with snaps at the ankles to adjust the shape, and an internal drawstring (smart!). We both agreed these could be possibly dressed up for work with a blazer, especially on a trip. But I wasn’t sold on sweatpants being versatile enough for ten days, especially in hot weather and meeting new partners.
My next thought was the Alex Mill Hudson Pant in Cotton Twill that I’ve also recommended before. I love the little pintuck pleats at the waist, which add a dressy element, while the garment-dyed color gives them a natural softness. I went to check them out, but the inseam is 30”. If you’re 5’4” and above - they’d be perfect.
Meanwhile, at 9:05 PM, I sent Libby these COS pants. 100% cotton, the barrel shape looked classic yet cool, and while they look long on the model, the product description says they’re 26”...I wasn’t convinced and decided to sleep on it.
I woke up to this text:
And I did. And they are perfect.
Libby nailed it. I’m thrilled to report that the Deiji Studios organic-cotton poplin pants are exactly what I wanted. Elastic waist, NO drawstring, a refined cotton poplin that is lightweight and soft. 26” inseam.
That settled, and realizing how well this type of pant was going to work for this trip, I decided to look for a pair of khakis, too. I was planning to pack my Nili Lotan Megan trouser chinos, which I love, but while versatile for my NYC life, they are less flexible for overseas plane life (hence the questions marks in the Note). First, I ordered the J.Crew Luna Pant in Worn Teak. The length is excellent, with a 24.5” inseam on the regular fit, 26.5” on the tall, and 23” on the petite. But my order was cancelled because my size sold out! These pants are popular (no surprise given they’re almost identical to the Leset, at a fraction of the cost). You can still snag most sizes in white (which I’m now considering for the summer), and preorders are available for the other colors to ship early May! Sadly cutting it too close for me.
Libby and I had also discussed Gap Factory pants, so I went to check those out when my J.Crew order was cancelled. The comments initially scared me off, as reviews are a bit mixed to how large these run. But then I read a little further, and since the color and length were right, and the price certainly was, I decided to give them a try. The XS Petite and Regular length are both on their way to me.
I also ordered the Banana Republic Cotton Poplin Barrel Pull-on Pant to try. I really like the color of these, the not quite khaki-not quite brown color felt a little more fashion-y to me (although the utility details might make them too casual for my purposes IRL). The regular inseam is 24.5”, the petite is 22.5” and the tall is 27.5”. But they’re meant to sit lower on your waist, so I’d expect them to hit around mid-shin.
I’d be remiss not to mention the Chan Luu Techno Taffeta Bronze Leg Pant. These are special pants, meant to be very adjustable in fit and look thanks to their ties at the front and back. They are a 26”-27” inseam, and you can wear them baggier for a more casual look, or pull them tighter for a more polished one. They look great on everyone I’ve seen them on, but are a tad too special for me to shove in a suitcase.
A quick note on inseam length, which is my #1 consideration when buying pants online. It is the measurement from the top of your inner thigh to the floor, and while the way a pant’s inseam translates to your body can vary based on fit, fabric, and feel, I’ve memorized a few measurements to guide me. At 5’1” I know that a 26” inseam will pretty much always show off a shoe, while anything over 29” will require a heel. Having those parameters helps me a lot when shopping online, so I made a little guide based on my height and inseam, in case it’s directionally helpful for any of you.
ON THE MENU
The Packing List
Here is my current packing list, made visual. I’m using 4 pants, including 2 pull-on pants, to create 12 outfits below, and I think I could have created even more. (I’ll also likely jam in a couple more tees, probably a white and navy.) This exercise has been an excellent reminder that with good ingredients that blend together well, we can endlessly tweak a classic recipe.
The Black Pull-on Pant
The Khaki Pull-on Pant
The White Trouser Jean
The Navy Kick Flare
And all together…
4 Pants, 12 Looks
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a great week!
x Lindsay
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My sweatshirt for those interested! https://go.shopmy.us/p-54863683
this is investigative journalism at it's finest!!! I am just a hair too tall for those Deiji pants, so I'm giving the Buck Mason pants a shot! (I wish they made them in navy - Buck Mason, hint, hint!!) Also hoping more brands think about getting rid of the drawstring - because while I do often make them work for the office, i REALLY prefer if they don't have it - feels easier to dress up for work, and then wear a million ways in more casual environments! Have a great trip!!!