I Tried the Viral J.Crew Pants Everyone's Buying Instead of That $890 It Pair

I'll start by saying that I'm not a fan of dupes, so I'm not usually quick to recommend them. What I am a fan of are items that are good alternatives to an It item but that have their own unique characteristics. These alternatives are significantly easier to find when said It item is a basic, like the highly sought-after High Sport Kick-Flared Knit Pants.

High Sport's pull-on pants are constantly selling out because they're said to be as comfortable as leggings, but they look incredibly sleek and polished. So imagine my delight when I came across a pair of pants on J.Crew with a similar vibe but a far more reasonable $148 price tag—which explains why they've sold out multiple times. The pants are slim with a cropped subtle flare and a high waist. The fabric is a smooth, fairly thick sweater material, and there's a flattering pintuck detail down the length of the leg. One of the best things about the pants is that they're machine washable. To add to the pros, they come in both tall and petite sizes and are available in ivory, red, and navy in addition to black. J.Crew also recently released the pants in a full-length wide-leg iteration, which is also magical. I was lucky enough to get my hands on both and try them on for you, so let's have a look, shall we?

Keep scrolling for my photos and honest reviews of J.Crew's Delaney Sweater Pants (and to shop them, of course).

J.Crew Delaney Kickout Sweater Pants

My review: I was so excited to try these pants. The initial customer reviews were glowing, and they looked so chic on the model. Luckily, I wasn't disappointed in the least. When they arrived, my initial reaction was that they were a bit thicker than I expected, but it made them look and feel expensive. They have a good amount of compression to the fabric but without sacrificing comfort. For reference, I'm 5'4", and I ordered the pants in a size 4. They fit perfectly, and I liked that the length wasn't too cropped. They wash beautifully in the machine, and I wore them for several hours with no stretch-out. Suffice to say, I want them in every color.

Shop the Cropped Pants

J.Crew Delaney Full-Length Sweater Pants

My review: At my height, I worried that the full-length pants would be a bit too long (the inseam is 31 inches), but they were actually a lovely length. I probably won't wear them with flats, but I paired them with kitten heels for these photos, and they were perfect. They're the same material as the cropped Delaney pants, and I suppose because of the length they felt a bit more like a wide-leg pair than a flare. They were also a bit looser in the thighs. All in all, I would recommend these if you're on the taller side or just aren't into cropped pants.

Shop the Full-Length Pants

My verdict: At the end of the day, if I could only own one pair of J.Crew's Delaney Pants, I'd choose the cropped ones, as I found them to be a bit more versatile for my height, but I think they're different (and affordable!) enough to own both.

Shop J.Crew Pieces to Wear With the Delaney Pants