I’ve been meaning to write this review for ages since I’ve had these Harlow wide-leg pants from Madewell for well over a year now. In fact I liked them so much in black that I got another pair in khaki (even though I rarely purchase clothing new these days). And the fact that they’re still a best seller over a year from when I purchased them must mean they’re a good pair of pants.
First off, I have the original pair of Harlow pants made of a blend of lyocell, cotton, and linen. These days they have variations made of flannel, corduroy, a curvy version, and a super-wide-leg style. I got them in a size 8 petite and I find they run slightly large (but not enough for me to get a size down, but on slimmer days I need to wear a belt—but on slightly bloated days they’re perfect lol). I’m 5’4” but have short legs and find the petite length to be just right for short kitten heels or Birkenstocks. If I were to wear a truly flat shoe, the hem would drag a bit on the ground.
I love these pants because they’re so comfortable, with just a smidge of stretch. But they also fall in a really nice way. Plus even though they’re a wide leg, they aren’t so wide to look comical (unlike the super-wide-leg version).
The original style with the lyocell/cotton/linen blend isn’t the warmest so I find the spring and fall to be the best time to wear them (though they work for most California winter days as well). Of course, you can also layer tights underneath if you want to wear them in the winter.
After having looked up these pants on the Madewell site, I’m curious and tempted by the drapey twill version of these Harlow pants. It looks like this updated style is slightly slimmer leg (it says it runs small on the site) and it looks slightly less pleated in the front. If I do end up getting them (hopefully on sale), I’ll of course update this review.
P.S. Here’s what a couple lovely readers wanted to add about their experience with the Harlow pants (thanks Jen and K!):
I bought like ten of these in 10P then lost a few lbs in the summer and bought more 8P. Interestingly enough, the 10P legs are substantially wider than the 8P, so I think the wideness does scale with size. Also, the light khaki seems to run truer to size/smaller and the other colors I tried (acorn and black and a darker khaki) were all a fair bit looser! I also tried the linen version in the summer, but they pulled weird at the button/zipper (you can actually see it in the product photos in some colors), so I returned those. But yeah, surprisingly good pants for petites!! I’m a fan! I think if you size down and wear them a little higher, they wouldn’t drag since I’m the same height as you, and find that to be true when I wear my smaller size pairs.
I wear these in 4long for work or interviews where I don’t need to wear something more formal and I love them. I wear a 33” inseam and these are perfect for me with a flat and even a small heel. If I wanted to wear a higher heel, there’s enough in the hem to let out a bit.