The Best Summer Pants for Women, Tested By a Style Editor

Reported by Women's Health Magazine.

Summer dressing is full of impossible compromises — you want to look put-together, but you also don't want to sweat through your outfit before noon. Enter the wide-leg pant: the season's most reliable answer to both problems at once. According to Women's Health Magazine, a style editor tested the best options out there, and the results range from budget-friendly linen to high-performance mesh.

At the top of the list: the Lululemon Align Palazzo Pant, made from the brand's signature 81% nylon, 19% Lycra elastane Align fabric — moisture-wicking, buttery-soft, and airy enough for yoga or errand runs alike. "It doesn't cling at all, which is ideal post-big meal or on days when I just don't want anything hugging my body," noted style editor Wohlner. It comes in sizes 0–14, multiple lengths, and the stretch factor does most of the styling work for you. The one caveat: it runs slightly heavy, so save it for a breezy 70-degree day, not a scorcher. For the linen devotees who still need to show up at the office, the Madewell Relaxed Wide Pant delivers — darker colorways, jean-like stitching, and a high-rise silhouette that reads polished rather than beach-adjacent. Size down if you want definition at the waist; your true size gives a deliberately baggy, low-rise effect.

The Budget Picks and the Performers

Not everything on the list requires a splurge. The Old Navy High-Waisted Linen-Blend Straight Ankle Pant clocks in under $50 and punches well above its price point — a 55% linen blend that's breathable without being stiff or scratchy, thanks to a rayon mix that also softens the inevitable wrinkle factor. It transitions effortlessly from weekend errands to vacation dinners with a shoe swap. For the outdoorsy set, a hiking pant built from high-concentration polyester offers UPF 50 sun protection, four zippered pockets, four-way stretch, water resistance, and moisture-wicking — basically every technical checkbox, at the most affordable price point on the list.

If you want something that lives between athletic and elevated, the FP Movement Overtime Mesh Pant is the answer. Made from perforated mesh jersey polyester, it's significantly lighter and more breathable than the Lululemon option — ideal for pickleball courts, the gym, or layered with a button-down for a fashion-forward office moment. Fair warning: it's sheer, so plan your underlayer accordingly, and size down. Then there's the Alo Suit Up Trouser, with a boxer-style waistband, front pleats, and a lightweight polyester-elastane blend that fitness contributor Nicolette Accardi wore to the office and received two unsolicited compliments — which, honestly, is the ultimate style metric.

The right summer pant doesn't force you to choose between comfort and credibility — it handles both, and this edit proves the options are better than ever.

Read the original at Women's Health Magazine.