Still wanging on about adjustable waist trousers

5 really nice pairs + some other recommendations

I’ve written about size fluid clothing before here, but I thought it would be a subject worth resurrecting this week because not only have I recently written about adjustable waist trousers for the Guardian (read that here) and spoken about it on BBC Radio (listen to that here, 1 hour 15 mins in), I have also discovered more brilliant adaptable waist styles and new brands in the process that I wanted to share with you. For those of you who have been around since the En Brogue days, adjustable waists are the new flat shoes. You heard it here first.

Statistically speaking, the average woman will change dress size around 31 times during her adult life. I can easily change dress size during the same week, day, or even hour, depending on the time of the month/size of the curry I have just eaten. You could just wear an elastic waist for comfort, as I often do and have included one of my favourites below, or opt for a drawstring. But in my experience, without a generous helping of either elastic or drawstring (which the ones in my edit do have), you won’t necessarily get a great deal of flexibility. That’s where clever features like ties, lockable poppers, concealed buttons and buckles come into play, allowing you to loosen (or tighten) your trousers by a whole dress size or two.

All of the brands listed here do things in a responsible way but please remember to shop mindfully. Of course, the whole point of the adaptable waistband trouser is that a pair should stay with you for years, regardless of what your body decides to do. So it’s a good idea to opt for colours and patterns that you love and that will go well with your existing wardrobe.