My Hunt for Satin Pants That I Could Wear Everywhere

I appreciated the general attention to detail on this pair, from the sheen and length to the tuxedolike stitching of the pockets and thin cuff on the hems. The pants draped nicely around my ankles too, just grazing the sidewalk when I walked without tripping me. The pockets are a nice addition — although not at all something I was looking for in my winner — and the viscose has a nice heft to it, which made avoiding visible panty lines less of a chore. Overall, this was a trusty pair, comparable to more expensive pairs on this list in style and cut, but at a much lower price point. They delivered on the glam factor I was looking for, and easily swapped in place of jeans for a quick running-out-the door look. Still, they simply didn’t wow me — they were a shoulder shrug of a pair, so to speak. And be warned: wrinkles galore. From straight out of the package to daily wear, prepare to steam these regularly.

This pair was one of very few I found that were made completely of silk and priced just under $300. I was excited to sample them, and decided on navy in lieu of black. While the airiness of the silk was delightful, the inkiness of the navy just right, and the length hitting exactly where I wanted on my ankles and feet, no matter how I twisted and turned these pants, they still felt as though I had them on wrong, like the seams were just not aligning correctly, which didn’t make wearing them comfortable. My least favorite aspect was the waistband, which is a wide and thick elastic band that folded into the pants and created an odd amount of unflattering bunching around my waist, while also digging into my skin.

Similarly, I very much wanted to love this pair from Reformation, one of the especially The Row–feeling ones on the list. I tried these in cream for a change from all the blacks and blues, and fantasized about all the white monochrome looks I could style. However pristine these pants looked on — with chic touches like a very thin waistband and thin cuffing at the pants opening — and however much I daily strive to embody Miss JLaw’s ease in stepping all over her pant hems on the pavement, these had far too much fabric pooling at the ankles for me, dragging on the street and causing me to almost trip a few times. Most important, in this shade, they were too sheer for my liking and made finding proper underwear to pair with them a pain. The pants suffered from a similar issue to the Lilysilk pair in that way. They felt like they were twisted the wrong way no matter how many times I adjusted them on my waist.

These were the first silk trousers I was able to sample, and I was shocked at the thinness of the fabric, which at first made me wonder if they were too thin to possibly be of any quality. I’ve now come to understand that’s how natural-silk pants tend to feel: practically weightless. The waistband, while thicker than I’d have liked, was still comfortable, and the drawstring detracted from the pair’s potential for being worn to more formal outings. Call these silk sweatpants, if you will, with the same pajama-pants-like cuff or border stitching I noticed on several other pairs on this list. And while perfectly comfortable and very relaxed feeling and fitting, suitable for all things casual, the straight-leg fit wasn’t exactly what I was yearning for, and the fact that these hit right at my ankle rather than draping a little longer took away from a more sophisticated look. So, great for all things summer errands, but not a pair I would reach for when wanting to feel particularly done up.

I’d managed to steer clear of Quince anything up until this point, but set my doubts to the side and decided it was only fair to give these a shot. Because where else could I find 100 percent silk pants under $100? I’m shocked to report that these did not perform poorly at all. I appreciated the thinness of the waistband and drawstring, the size of the latter adding a surprisingly elegant touch to an otherwise relatively straight-fitting pair of trousers that also felt more like silk sweatpants (thanks to pockets) than pants. Not entirely as bias cut as I’d have liked, the silk had a lovely airiness to it, reminding me of the thrice-as-expensive Donni pairs I also sampled. I only dock points for the cut of these pants, which simply wasn’t as wide in the leg as I’d have liked. In many ways, these pants were nearly identical to the Olina’s above, save for their price, from their drawstring waistband to general style, length, and cut.

While this pair is the most expensive on the list, it achieves a combination of what I’d hoped for from several others. They’re 100 percent silk, and while they do ring in at about $60 more than what I wanted to spend, the trade-off feels well worth it for the cut, details, and feeling. I loved the delicate stitching two inches above the leg opening, which creates a very subtle cuff, plus a nearly invisible front seam and very thin waistband. These pants felt weightless every time I wore them and were arguably the lightest on this list, perfect for many a summer day of errands and sweaty commuting straight into drinks downtown. And while they wrinkle at practically just the thought of wind, their lightness makes it so the wrinkles don’t necessarily stand out but naturally drape. I also tried The Silk Lace Simple Pant in a dusty navy, the shorter (a 29-inch inseam on these) lace-trim-adorned sister pair to the Silk Simples. While just as light, breezy, and comfortable, I opted for the Silk Simples more times than not for their longer length and versatility, but did love the Lace Simples for times I wanted just a little something more — more flirty, more cropped. The Silk Simples were as easy to dress up or down as several others, but were particularly comfortable for elevated day-to-day wear. I only wish the pant legs were a smidge longer and the general fit was slightly more bias cut, but for all the other good things, I’m glad to look past those pitfalls.

This is the only pair I tried that made me, at times, question if they’re too dressy to wear out for a Tuesday-morning coffee run on my corner. The bias cut on these is particularly strong, making the pant legs flare out wider around the calves, creating a triangle silhouette that verges on bell-bottoms in the best way possible. The pants are made from an acetate that gave them a heaviness, which helped them drape around my legs without making the pants feel too heavy. They were light enough that I could wear them to a Tribeca Film Festival premiere on an especially hot day, followed by drinks and dancing till dawn without excessive sweatiness or odd clinging to my legs. That said, it’s this same heft to the acetate that kept me from crowning these the winner; they’re so slippery and luxe feeling that I almost shy away from wearing them day-to-day, reserving them for dressier occasions. And as much as I love the way the pants pool around my ankles, providing perfect toe and sandal cleavage, the pants verge on being too long to wear with flats and flip-flops. While gorgeous with heels, I’ll catch myself stepping on the back on flat feet if I’m not careful.

I innocently decided to test these pants for what was supposed to be a nine-hour flight to Naples back in July, thinking they’d make for a comfortable yet chic airport look. Little did I know they’d be one of three articles of clothing to my name for the next 36 hours, after being stuck at Newark airport for 12 hours’ worth of delays, boarding a six-hour flight to Paris at 3 a.m. without my checked bag, a layover at Charles du Gaulle for six more hours, then boarding another flight to Naples and arriving at 10 in the evening without any other clothing. I was only able to finally put these to rest after retrieving my suitcase at Naples International the next morning. Not only did they deliver on being very comfortable, but I found they perfectly towed the line between elevated everyday and elevated formal. The waistband is very slim, and the hems are finished off with a charming pajama-pants-like stitching, similar to Donni’s pair. I’m wearing these pants as I write this now, but have also been able to wear them on train rides to and fro upstate, with backless tops and vintage stilettos, and to the bank to grab cash, all while feeling that sense of elevated ease I’d long been chasing after from pants. And though other pairs came very close to replicating this feeling, and are still part of my weekly rotation, I continually wear these out most, their length long but not too long (perfect for flip-flops), and heft somewhere between that of the Colby and a natural silk.