I Tried on Zara’s Linen Trousers and I’m Completely Sold

I’ve spent the best part of my adult life searching for the perfect pair of linen trousers. I’m petite and have an hourglass figure, and although I’ve learned to love my body, that doesn’t mean shopping for trousers has gotten any easier. Often pairs that fit around the hips are far too large when it comes to the waist, then any that do fit snugly against my midriff seem to cling around my thighs. It’s an endless struggle. Still, I’m an optimist and I never gave up hope that I’d find my perfect pair and fit. Enter Zara’s new-in linen trousers.

Linen trousers always come into their own at this time of year, their appeal enduring all summer, so I’ve always felt their absence in a big way in my wardrobe. But not this year. As part of our biannual series, The Great Try On, I headed to my local Zara store to try on the brand’s new-season pieces for myself and, in doing so, I stumbled across a pair of wide-leg, darted cream trousers in a linen fabric. They looked chic on the hanger—weightier than the usual linen trousers you see on the high street, thus making them look more premium, too. And even though I knew they’d likely be a touch long for my 5′ 3″ frame, as all Zara trousers tend to be, I don’t see that as something to complain about—it’s much easier for me to shorten any trouser than it is for length to be added for someone who needs it.

In the interest of staying on topic, let’s talk about what happened in the changing room. From the moment I pulled these linen trousers on, I knew I was on to a winner. Picking up a medium (I can fluctuate between that and an extra large in Zara trousers), I was happy to find they fit. Not only that but they fit in the ways I’d want them to; nipped in on the waist, just loose enough around the hips and bum to make them comfortable to wear without looking too big and with trouser legs that skim over my shapely thighs and create an elongated look. I wore them with chunky wooden-sole platforms that I also grabbed from the shop floor which made them just skim on the ground—I’d probably take them up a bit but some of you will find them the ideal length already.

No one knew but I was 10 weeks pregnant and suffering from bloating. It took me countless attempts to find items that fit me but didn’t highlight my growing bump, with these trousers being the absolute best of the bunch—a further testament to their accurate fit and cut. Knowing I have a lot of growing to do is the only reason these didn’t come home with me, but I have been thinking about them ever since. So much so, I think I’ll invest in a pair in a larger size so I can wear them for some of summer 2025 at least then potentially have them tailored to fit for next.