The Row Gala Pant Dupe Hunt
I tried all of them so you don't have to
Shitters! The Sephora sale is officially open to all! ICYMI, here are our picks:
Two things of note: 1) I forgot that candles are also part of the sale! I’ve been burning this one by Nette lately—it has notes of honey, cardamom, and cedar, and is the first new candle I’ve loved in a while. Highly recommend! And 2) I was surprised by how much I liked Glossier’s latest perfume release, You Fleur (it’s easily my favorite of all of their perfumes!). It’s worth a shot if you like floral, but not too floral, plus woody and salty.
Now onto today’s scheduled programming. Today we’re talking pants—more specifically, the fashion girl favorite Gala Pants by The Row. I hope to one day be a person who can spend $1000 on a single pair of pants without much of a second thought—I consider it a financial goal of sorts? Alas… we are not there yet (or ever, if Donald Trump has anything to do with it… in the clurb we all poor???), so we are tracking down the best alternatives.
Here’s what we’re attempting to find. They’re characterized by their pull-on style, thin elastic waist, easy wide leg, and effortlessly drapey fabric. Should I have ordered a pair of actual Galas as the control? In the name of science, probably yes, but my credit card was begging me not to. A full size run is available here in multiple colors, in case you’re in the market for the real thing.
My OG Favorite: Enza Costa Everywhere Pants ($295)
I have owned/loved these particular pants for a year and a half now, so for our purposes, it’s the pair to beat. To me, they’re the perfect cross between the pull-on Gala Pant and a trouser—the twill fabric is closer to a regular trouser material than the crepe material of the Galas, but they still have a flattering fit, wide leg, and are extremely comfortable. I’ve worn them to work, events, dinners, and on errands, and have gotten so many compliments over the years. They’re easy to dress up or down and make you look put together almost instantly. Fit-wise they run slightly large (I tend to be between x-small and small in pants—these are an XS), you can adjust the rise based on what’s comfortable for you (I usually wear them low-rise, but you can always pull them up), and they have pockets, but they’re cut so that they don’t look like they do, which is masterful work. To me, if you’re looking for one multipurpose pant, this is worth the investment (I would frankly be lost without them in my closet), but for the purposes of today’s search, I did my due diligence and placed a few more orders.
A New Favorite: La Ligne Colby Pants ($295)
I was smiling in all the pictures I took of these—that’s how much I liked them! They feel effortless and cool and flattering, and are very similar in look to the real-life Galas (desperately waiting for the white version to restock!). They have a wider leg than any of the other options on this list, and are clearly MUCH longer (tall girl-friendly!), but I like them! The fabric feels more refined and elevated than the Enza’s. These are dressier (with no pockets), and they come in several other color and fabric options (lots of silky ones too!). They run large—these are a small, and I could probably exchange for an XS. But overall, super comfortable, super flattering, and if you told me they were the Row, I’d believe you! (They also come in a slimmer leg version, but the wide leg makes it for me!)
Soft Pass: Clyque Tommy Pants ($188)
Of all the orders I placed, I had the highest expectations for these ones. So many fashion influencers have hyped them up, and they sold out of their first run almost immediately. Let’s start with the good stuff—the fabric contents appear to be the exact same as the Galas (down to the percentage), they feel slinky and thinner than the Enza Costa’s (summer night-friendly), and they drape nicely with a wide but not too wide leg. Size-wise, I’m definitely a small in these ones (this newsletter would’ve come earlier, but I had to get a size exchange!). But something about the cut of the pants, especially in the crotch area, was bugging me. It’s almost like there was slightly too much room in the front and not quite enough at the back? I’m not 100% sure what it is (and it could just be a me issue!), but I didn’t feel that way about any of the other pairs I tried. Because of that, these were a pass for me, but if they’re piquing your interest, you can sign up for restock notifications.
Hard Pass: Leset Lauren Pants ($160)
Leset had lots of different black pants that looked like they could fit the bill here, and perhaps some of those other options would’ve been a better fit, but these did NOT do it for me. They’re made of a thick, soft, almost legging-like fabric (thick + legging is NOT a winning combo in my book), they’re more of a straight leg without the drapey feel that IMO is the hallmark of the Gala pant, and to be honest, they were just not flattering. So much so that I didn’t even want to put a picture of myself in them here—just take my word for it.
More Budget-Friendly: J.Crew Stratus Pant ($99)
These aren’t exactly a Gala pant dupe (the textured satin fabric is totally different in look/feel than most of these other options), but if you’re looking for something similar-ish that’s pull-on, comfortable, chic, and more budget-friendly, these are one to check out. The textured satin fabric is interesting to me—there are a lot of silk/satin pants out there in the same vein as the Galas (La Ligne makes several!), but because the fabric of these is meant to be crinkly, there’s less pressure for them to look perfectly pressed at all times, meaning that you can sit for long periods and not have to worry about how they’ll look when you eventually stand up (these would be GREAT for a long haul flight). Like most J.Crew pieces, they run large—I’m in a small and definitely could have sized down. They also have roomy pockets and a higher rise than some of the other options, though again, you can play around with where on your waist/hips you want to wear them. I prefer this style in some of their other colors personally. They also have a side stripe version that’s a cool play on a sporty style.
Today’s entire newsletter was made possible by this incredible steamer that’s ready to go in six seconds and you can lay flat like an iron. Life-changing.
Other Things I’ve Been Wearing Lately:
Really enjoyed the outfit pics too!
How do the pants compare in terms of snagging/ durability? Love a similar cut pair (Vince fluid satin bias pants) but they snag so easily for example.