While PureWow readers and I share many things in common (a love for easy dinner recipes, comfortable ballet flats and no-fuss makeup routines, for starters), there's one thing I've never managed to get behind: pants that feel like leggings. My tastes skew more...masochistic. I love rigid trousers that button me up. The dig into the waist is a reassuring reminder that I am secure. But sometimes, it's just not practical to wear restrictive clothing and I like having a few pieces on hand that I can actually breathe in. When activewear giant Fabletics announced that they'd made denim that perfectly married design, fit and comfort, I was intrigued. I was able to give the collection a test-run, and to my utter surprise, I think I might ditch my old denim.
I Tested the New Fabletics Denim Line to See if the Styles Are as Comfortable as Leggings
I think I've been won over
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The TL;DR on Fabletics Denim
Fabletics is launching five core styles: high-rise straight leg, high-rise wide leg, mid-rise baggy, high-rise skinny and a relaxed denim jacket, priced between $150 and $175. Fabletics members can currently score a limited-time offer of $29 per piece. According to Head of Design Kelli Dugan, the brand is leaning into timeless styles for the new category, with variations and seasonal options in the pipeline.
Regarding the jeans, each style comes in three hems (short, regular and tall) with various levels of stretch depending on the design. I was able to test the jacket and both the high-rise wide leg and high-rise straight leg jeans. The pants have some stretch with front inner sculpting panels.
Feels Like Leggings, Has the Polish of Real Pants
Fabletics
The pair I was most looking forward to was the high-rise wide leg jeans, which I ordered in cream. My absolute favorite pair of pants is Sézane's Le Crop jeans in ecru, and these felt like a close color match without being, unlike the former, uncomfortable during certain times of the month. I was not disappointed. The waist still came in quite high, which I loved, and was loose through the leg. Despite ordering my usual size, it ran long and I ended up having the tailor take off about three inches. But importantly, I felt shaped and secure while still being able to take a nice breath.
Fabletics
The other style I tried was way out of my comfort zone, but ended up being a pleasant surprise. This is the first time I've worn leopard anything, and I found it quite fun. Again, the sculpting panels did their job—even after I spent an evening eating my way through the menu at Hotel Chelsea. In terms of length, these jeans were more accurate right off the rack, falling perfectly just below my ankle bone.
Fabletics
To round out the collection, Fabletics also designed a denim jacket in three washes: light, faded black and leopard. I decided to go with a size up for a looser fit, and it felt stylish thrown over my shoulders as a nice transitional layer. The cut is pretty generous, so I could have probably gone with my actual size and still had some wiggle room.
The Bottom Line
Fabletics has managed to make jeans look elevated while also providing a welcome stretch that accommodates fluctuating bodies. In an interview, Dugan told me the brand rigorously tested samples to see how each design fit a variety of body types and how the material would perform. The only downside is that you may need to tailor the length. But otherwise, they're machine-washable, comfortable pants that double as shapewear—and they've won me, someone who normally eschews stretchy pants—way over.
