What are palazzo pants? Basically, they are pants that have very wide legs, with very loose and usually lightweight fabric. The idea behind this is to create a very comfortable pant that does not cling to the body, while also having the elegance of a long beach dress. Depending on the cut and the fabric, palazzo pants can either be suitable for a casual garden party, formal affairs, or as nightclub dancewear.
Here are three versions I selected to show how different these types of pants can be:
White palazzo pants pictured:
Left: Xclusive Collection Womens Plus Size Flared Wide Leg Parallel Bottom Pants Palazzo Trousers
Middle: Slinky Palazzo Pants with Chic Twist Waistband from Glam Attack Pants – EXODUS White
Right: Lotustraders Palazzo Pant Split Skirt Gaucho OS L-2X White R560S
The most obvious choice you’ll have to make when picking out palazzo pants concerns the width of the legs. This can vary greatly from model to model. By definition, we are dealing with wide-legged pants. But they can go from bell-bottoms to legs so wide that the pants actually end up looking like a dress (an effect that can really be striking). Then there is the length of the the pant legs. Some actually touch the floor, again imitating the look of a long gown. This provides a certain style, but be aware that the bottom of the pant legs will get dirty very quickly when they touch the floor. Especially if the pants are white. Another consideration when choosing your pants is what you will wear with them. To create contrast, you can wear a tight top, or even one that shows off your midriff. Or, of course, you can stick with the loose-fitting style.
Three more examples – all very nice IMHO:
Pictured: Left: Elan Women’s Rayon Tie Waist Palazzo Pants
Middle: Hot from Hollywood Women’s Long Gaucho Boho Flare Elephant Wide Leg Sassy Pants, SNOW WHITE-OC-66
Right: PinkClubwear Women’s Linen Stretch Waist Wide Leg Palazzo Pants
Some palazzo pants have an elastic waist, in keeping with a relaxed style. If the shirt you wear covers your waist, then this is not an issue. But if you are going for a more formal look and the top of your pants is exposed, you may want to opt for a different type of waist: a belted, or a scarf waist for example. Some white garments are made of very thin fabric, so thin that they in fact end up being somewhat see-through.