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If ever there were a piece of clothing I got asked about, it is these pants.

First of all, these pants are expensive. They are quite literally: luxury stretch pants. If spending $860 on a pair of pants grosses you out, just stop reading. That being said, I write about shopping for a living and take product reviews super seriously: these pants are one of my favorite purchases from the year. I also know from my various inboxes (and affiliate data!) that a lot of you are buying these pants (or are at least seem very curious about them), which is why I wanted to share my review.

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The TLDR is that these are the best pants I’ve ever owned: extremely well made and they make your butt look great. Really though: they are an elastic waist piece of clothing that feels sharply tailored; and that is why I love them so much. Soft pants that look like hard pants? The dream. Truly, just excellent pants.

Alissa Zachary (High Sport’s founder) came from The Row. She spent ten years in merchandising there (also consulting for brands like Khaite) and then another four developing High Sport. As the WSJ says, she knew that pants were a “pain point for women” (Seriously though!) that she wanted to solve for. Zachary just seems to understand what women want. Which makes sense; as a former merchandiser she had access to all of the data and saw what performed best. Simple, elevated (stretchy!) pieces that look great but are also easy and downright comfortable. High Sport has become a favorite brand and these pants have become my holy grail.

These pants are not cheap — yet they constantly sell out. The toffee color I love so much went FAST. They are made in Italy from a French lycra andItalian cotton-blend knit. Each pair takes six+ hours to produce.

I bought my first pair (after quite a bit of internal monologue and self judgment over the price tag) this summer. I went with the long pair in black. I put them on and never wanted to take them off. I love them, but in hindsight it was a mistake. I should have started with the kick flares which are IMO much more versatile.

The longer pair are more of a special occasion pair that I will wear with heels (tip: do this for legs that look miles long) whereas the kick flare has become an everyday staple: important when you are forking over that much $$! They let you show a little ankle or a fun sock. You can wear them with flats, sneakers, or loafers. The longer pair still has its place in my wardrobe but I wear my kick flares sometimes multiple times a week.

So many others have written great reviews; so here is why I like them.

• On days when I have no idea what to wear, I throw these on with a sweater or button down and loafers or heels and immediately feel great.

• If I gain weight they still fit (and always look great).

• The fabric! It’s a thick cotton/lycra (but such a special fabric that you really have to see to understand!) Any lumps and bumps are just smoothed away. I personally think the fabric is what makes them extra special vs. dupes. Also there is no shine to them. At all. Stretchy pants tend to have a subtle shine. These do not.

• You can put them in the washing machine. This is important!!!

• They are elastic waist… but supremely polished looking thanks to a crisp center steam down the front. I get to feel like I am wearing leggings but look stylish and pulled together? A huge win.

• I haven’t really seen anyone wearing them in Charleston. Not super important but kind of nice, just in that there can be a lot of sameness (style-wise) down here.

The fit is perfect; at least for my body type. I feel so good in these pants. I wear my usual size medium and find them to be true to size though when my friend

They are expensive, and “worth it” really depends on your budget and lifestyle but for me personally at this life stage, I wear them so much that they feel worth it. I have bought so many special occasion dresses and high heels that are lovely but sit in my closet. These, I wear. Constantly.

I will also say this: pants really do need to be tried on in person. When I ordered mine, I ordered two sizes and sent one back. And everyone’s body is different. So what I love may not work for you. And at this price, they need to be perfect. You can get them at Net-a-Porter or Moda Operandi.

If you are looking to get the look for less I’ve heard wonderful things about these Everlane pants which are under $100. (If you own them, please sound off in the comments!) I also have these Me+EM pants ($250) which I absolutely love (but they’re made from a completely different fabric). People seemingly love the Ann Mashburn Faye pants but I tried them on in person last year and they were horrible (really, really bad!) on me. But loads of others swear by them. Last but not least, several of you recommended these from Donni (the colors are great!).

Again, pants are just something you have to try on and see for yourself.

I have no relationship with High Sport, have never been gifted or paid by the brand, I just really love them. I wasn’t even going to do a review (writing about super expensive things can trigger mean comments!) but this has been a popular question in my DMs and via email.

This post does contain affiliate links, so if you buy a pair I will earn a small commission!

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