Happy 2025, and welcome to spring!

As the weather gets warmer, the snow melts, and the days get longer, I find myself turning my attention to the upcoming summer season. With some fun and exciting travel plans on the horizon (more on that later), I decided it might be a nice idea to add a pair of breezy, cool, wide-legged linen pants to my wardrobe. While I love my hiking pants for more active days on the road, there’s nothing like a lightweight pair of comfy pants for long plane, bus, or travel days, or for simply lounging around the hotel or the lodge.

Now, I should say this up front: Wide legged pants can be tricky for us petites, especially petite pears like me, to pull off. I usually opt for skinny, straight, or slimmer-cut pants and jeans, because adding volume to my lower half can make me look visually shorter and wider. It’s not necessarily the most flattering cut on our body type. However, with so many options out there, I was determined to find a pair of linen pants that could work on my petite frame.

The linen trend

Linen is a natural fabric, made from the flax plant. At its best, it can be produced sustainably (though not always). Its many advantages include being lightweight, breathable, comfortable, moisture-wicking, and cool and breezy in hot climates.

There are some downsides to linen too, though. Linen creases and wrinkles very easily, making it less-than-ideal for travel or for uses where you can’t easily iron or steam it. It can be expensive to produce. It doesn’t stretch, making it less-than-ideal for activewear. It can shrink or deform in the wash or especially in the dryer. And certain dyes as well as some production techniques can release environmentally-unfriendly compounds into nature.

That being said, linen has been trending in the fashion world for a couple of years now, and the trend is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, many retailers are ramping up their linen offerings for spring/summer. With that in mind, I tried 3 different styles of pants that were either petite or petite-friendly: One from Amazon, one from Athleta, and one from Uniqlo. How did I fare? Read on for reviews.

Willit Cotton-Linen Wide Leg Palazzo Pants

The first pair I’ll reviews is a pair of cotton-linen blend trousers I picked up from Amazon. Made by Willit, which, as best as I can tell, is yet another generic made-in-China brand. These pants, which are a 55% linen / 45% cotton blend, come in a dizzying array of 7 sizes, 16 colours, and 3 inseam options – 29″, 31″, and 33″. By my calculation, that’s 336 different options!

Pants: Willit Women Linen Wide Leg Palazzo Pants, size S, 29″ inseam, grey, $45.99 CAD on Amazon.ca

With Amazon brands, the sizing can sometimes be a bit wonky. I ordered a size S in a 29″ inseam, which, based on the size chart, should fit me perfectly. With so many colour options I was a bit spoiled for choice, but I opted for a dark grey, which is a colour that I works well with nearly everything in my wardrobe.

Here they are on me:

Okay, so right off the bat, it’s obvious that the quality leaves what to be desired here. They crease like crazy; these photos were taken after I made an effort to steam and smooth them out. And the cotton/linen blend fabric felt heavier and scratchier than I was hoping for.

The rise is actually very high, uncomfortably so for those of us petites with a short torso. The 29″ inseam only fits my leg length properly if I hike the pants all the way up, but this results in them sitting basically right under my bustline. I find it much more comfortable to have them sit a bit lower, like midrise trousers. But that makes the inseam too long, meaning I’d have to hem them by at least an inch or two:

The colour is actually really good; I find that grey is a perfect compromise for summer since it’s dark enough to avoid showing too much dirt, but light enough to not get too hot. The other thing I really like about these pants is that, despite being billed as wide legged trousers, they’re actually more of a straight leg that is a slimmer, more flattering cut on us petites. If they’d been slightly lower rise and a bit nicer of a fabric, these could’ve been perfect. But alas.

Pros:

• Available in 3 inseam lengths, including a petite-friendly “short” 29″.
• Wide variety of colours — 17 different ones at last count!
• Relatively inexpensive; around $45 CAD per pair, depending on couponing.
• Cotton-linen blend fabric is fully natural, breathable, and lightweight for warm weather.
• The wide leg isn’t too wide; it falls more like a straight leg, which is far more flattering on many petites like myself than a true wide leg.
• Deep front pockets with a flattering square seam.

Cons:

• Fabric feels a bit scratchy and cheaply made, and shows wrinkles easily. Not ideal for travel.
• Too high-waisted for short-torsoed petites like me. Waistband sits all the way up near my chest.
• 29″ inseam is a bit too long, especially when I have the waistband sit more comfortably lower down. I’d have to hem these in order to avoid having them drag on the ground.
• They are a cheap Chinese brand and are sold by Amazon, which many of us here in Canada are trying to avoid these days.

Verdict: Too high-waisted and too scratchy to be comfortable. Return.

Athleta Retreat High Rise Linen

The next pair I tried were by Athleta, a perennial favourite brand for petite activewear. Unlike the other two pairs I reviewed in this post, Athleta makes true “petite” sizes, not simply regular sizes in shorter inseams. That means that the rise and all the rest of the proportions are adjusted accordingly.

I picked up the Retreat Linen pants, which are billed as a high rise wide leg pant in 100% linen. They come in 5 colours at the time of writing this post, none of which were ideal. I opted for Olive Branch, a sort of greenish khaki. I ordered my usual size of Petite Small, which supposedly has a 28″ inseam. At full price, they’re a bit on the expensive side, at $109 CAD. However, Athleta has frequent sales, and I managed to get these marked down to $65.40.

Pants: Athleta Retreat High Rise Wide Leg Pant, size SP, $65.40 CAD (marked down from $109)

Here they are on me:

They’re definitely the widest legged option of the three. However, I was glad to see that the “high rise” descriptor wasn’t actually the case, as the waistband sat comfortably at a perfect midrise height on me. The hem is actually just the right length, too. The pants have a slit in the hem allowing for a breezy, open-air design.

My favourite thing about these pants is that they have zippered pockets! Yes, really, a pair of travel-friendly pants that allow me to stash something securely inside. I tested them and even my phone fits, though it might be slightly uncomfortable to sit down with it in my pocket. Still, it’s nice that at least someone is thinking of pockets for women’s pants!

The downsides of these pants is that they’re so wide-legged that they tend to shorten me visually and not be the most flattering on me. I also am not a huge fan of the yellowish-green, and find myself wishing they were available in a wider range of colours. I would’ve much preferred a charcoal grey, cooler beige, or navy. These just aren’t very city-friendly, and they don’t go very well with much of my wardrobe.

However, here’s the thing: They’re just so comfortable! Even if they aren’t the most visually appealing, I still think they would be amazing hot weather travel pants. And those zippered pockets are awesome.

Pros:

• Very comfy. They feel like I’m wearing pyjamas.
• Waistband sits at a perfect midrise position.
• The inseam length is perfect in the petite; just long enough to be full-length with shoes on, but not so long that they’re dragging on the ground.
• Zippered pockets! And ones that are large enough to stash things, too.
• Breathable, soft lightweight 100% linen that is quick drying and feels good quality.
• Athleta, despite being a division of fast fashion retailer GAP, is a certified B-corp.

Cons:

• Wide leg is very wide, which is not the most flattering on many petites like myself. I would’ve preferred a slightly more straight-leg option.
• Colour choice is less than ideal. I bought the olive branch, which is a greenish khaki. Other options such as black (too hot), white (too easily stained), and baby pink (silly looking) seemed less than practical. I would love if these would come in a charcoal or dark grey option, or even a darker beige or brown.
• 100% linen may crease easily, which isn’t ideal for travel.
• They run slightly big; you may want to size down.

Verdict: A bit too wide-legged to be flattering, and I wish they came in a broader range of colours as I don’t love the green. But they’re just so comfy that I’m tempted to keep them.

Uniqlo Linen Blend Easy Pants

Finally, the third option I reviewed was by of the most popular retailers for travel-friendly essentials: Uniqlo.

While Uniqlo doesn’t have petite sizes per se, many petites find them to be a petite-“friendly” brand because many of their tops and t-shirts are short or cropped in length, and because most stores offer free hemming onsite. Personally, I’ve had a very hit-or-miss relationship with Uniqlo, with more misses than hits. But they have a wide range of basics at low prices, making them at least worth a look. With a big new range of linen items for spring 2025, I decided to pay my local Uniqlo a visit.

I tried on the Linen Blend Easy Pants, which are a loose-fitting straight cut pant with pockets and a drawstring waist. Available in 6 colours at the time of writing, including some flattering neutrals, these pants aren’t actually linen, but a rayon/linen/cotton blend. The beige ones I tried on, for instance, are 53% rayon, 30% linen, and 17% cotton. This is still an all-natural breathable fabric that is super lightweight and might actually be better for travel, since the rayon gives it a fine, silky-soft texture. However, it’s worth noting that rayon is less breathable than pure linen and can trap heat, so it’s possible this blend would be hotter than an 100% linen option.

Pants: Uniqlo Linen Blend Easy Pants, beige, size S, $39.90 CAD

Here they are on me:

As with all Uniqlo styles, there are no petite sizes. These are available only in a single inseam length, which Uniqlo claims is 28.5″, but that calculation is either way off, or is measured starting from a much lower point due to the dropped crotch in these pants. They are meant for an average height woman; on my 5’1″ frame, they are far too long.

The fit was pretty good everywhere other than the length, though I did find the elastic waistband ever-so-slightly too tight on the small. So I tried them a size up in navy blue, in medium. I wanted to see if the fit would be better.

Unfortunately, the mediums, while being a bit comfier at the waist, were just too big everywhere else. I think ultimately the small is a better fit. I do think navy would be a practical colour to have around as a summer neutral that is less likely to show dirt and stains than beige.

Uniqlo advertises free in-store hemming on most styles. However, when I asked the sales associate here at the Montreal store about having these hemmed, she balked and claimed that hemming is not actually available for their Linen Blend Easy fabric items due to how delicate it is and them lacking the right machinery to do the job. I tried insisting, pointing to the store policy, and even asking about getting a coupon to have them altered elsewhere, but they held their ground and flat out refused.

It’s worth noting that this style is eligible for free inseam alterations if ordered online. Which means I’m not sure whether the Montreal store was lying to me, or whether it can only be done at the warehouse and not at the store. In any case, ordering online would mean incurring shipping charges, and also having to guess, rather than measure, the correct inseam length. The whole thing left me a bit annoyed, to tell the truth, and probably made me like these pants less than I otherwise might have.

Otherwise, these may have been my favourite pants of the three. They’re budget-friendly, lightweight, comfortable, decently flattering, and available in a nice range of colours. They’re just too long for us shorties.

Pros:

• The most lightweight and travel-friendly of the three.
• Midrise, waistband hits at the right spot.
• Probably the most flattering of the three pairs; wide leg isn’t too wide on my petite frame, and the classic styling is city-friendly.
• Available in a good range of useful neutrals, including beige and navy.
• Free hemming offered (online only, alas).
• At under $40 full price, they are the most budget-friendly of the three options shown here.

Cons:

• Only available in one length, and no alterations available in store.
• Between sizes: Waistband on the size small was ever-so-slightly tight on me, and I worry that it might get worse if they shrink. However, the mediums were too big everywhere else.
• Hip slash pockets are small, and are not particularly flattering on a pear shape.
• Rayon-linen-cotton blend might be warmer and trap more heat in hot weather than an 100% linen option.

Verdict: Actually pretty good. I was ready to buy these in-store until the associates flat-out refused to hem them. I might still buy them online with a custom inseam. We’ll see.

Linen pant round-up

If you’re petite and looking for linen trousers, there are quite a few petite-friendly options out there this season. Of the three that I reviewed here, I quite liked two of them — the Uniqlo pants were nice if they’d been a bit shorter, and the Athleta pants were super comfy, though I wish they came in more colours and were a little slimmer fitting. Nothing is quite perfect, but there’s a fair bit that’s pretty good.

I’m still keeping an eye out for other petite linen options, so if you know of any I should try, drop me a line in the comments!