Are leggings pants? You might be surprised at the bandwidth spent by discussing this very topic. Ultimately, whether an item of clothing is acceptable in a certain situation depends on whether you’re comfortable (with your own clothing choice, not bodysnarking at others) and whether it works for the occasion.
If you’re just not sure if you can hack wearing leggings on vacation, but love the comfort that they offer, try the ExOfficio Women’s Minka Pant. Touted as a “legging that’s masquerading as a pant,” the Minka lets you have the comfort of stretchy, form-fitting leggings without the drawback of other thin legging material that can barely keep you warm and is poor at disguising some body features we’d like to keep somewhat under wraps.
Made from heathered stretch fabric that’s 72 percent polyester, 24 percent rayon and 4 percent spandex, the Minka pant keeps out the chill that other leggings can’t handle. The pants are also styled more like, well, a pant—as opposed to thinner leggings—and don’t have to be worn with longer tops that cover the sometimes uncomfortable transition. The slim style is fitted, however not too tight, and is more modest than leggings.
There’s a security zip pocket that’s handy for holding small essentials, like a key, cash, or credit cards. The waistband’s interior has a jacquard print, which may give the Minka a certain secret style beyond the overall look.
Aside from being stretchy, the fabric is odor-resistant and wicks moisture—both important features in travel clothing, especially when you can’t bring wardrobe trunks along with every single piece of clothing you might consider wearing. The Minks is also pretty easy to take care of: machine wash cold, tumble dry low, iron on delicate if you’re really into ironing.
The Women’s Minka Pant lists for $85 on the ExOfficio site, and comes in black heather or charcoal heather. Simple colors for urban chic, whether at home or away. The Minka Pant is also available at Amazon and REI.