Why not try Land's End capris? I've ordered capris from them many times, and always been pleased with the quality and the fit, and they are true to size. I am a smaller size, but do see that they carry your size, and do offer stretch chinos.

Here is a link that might be useful: Land End capris

I hate the pockets they slap all over them now! Wish I could find some similar to the ones I bought at J Jill and Penney's years ago. No pockets on either and thin waistbands with side zips or side buttons. Haven't seen anything like that since.

I, too hate all the unnecessary pockets that just add bulk. I've never understood why most woman's casual pants have the big rear pockets with flaps, no less. Does anyone ever use those rear pockets? I never have~ and often sew them shut and cut them off inside so you don't see the added material.

BTW, these capris at Lands End DO have rear pockets, but they're the nice flat ones without the flaps.

Sue, I highly recommend Macy's Style & Co. petite convertible capris. I bought two pair of black and one pair of khaki last month. Mine are so comfy, they feel like pajamas, and they wash and dry nicely! They're 97% cotton, 3% spandex, and length be adjusted a bit with a tab closure at the hem.

They are really cute and super light-weight, so they have a nice drape and feel very airy and cool.

Good luck!

Sue, get yourself to a mall! Plan on spending the day and try on dozens of pants. When it gets too much for you, head to the food court for a break. Then start up again.
Go alone.
Remember, your body is not unique. Many, many women have shapes like yours and the styles you want are out there.

I have spent the last decade ordering online clothes and sending most back. There is NOTHING like trying multitudes of clothing on and finding something great.

It used to be that middle aged women avoided the "Youth" stores, you know, The Limited, Gap, Buckle, 21, etc.
But as the "youth" have gotten a whole lot bigger than they used to be, it might greatly surprise you how things fit a lot better than they did years ago. So, try them out too.

I have some Levi capris that I just love. They have a comfort waistband and sit at the waist. I think I got them at Penny's.
I also bought their own brand St John's Bay and they are comfortable.Also have about 4 pair from Kohls that are denim and stretchy. They have an elastic waistband and no pockets. Very comfy.

As PP said go to the Mall alone.

i have a couple of pairs of the north face capris that i bought a couple of years ago (at sports authority i think..? or eastern mt sports..) which i love. they are casual, fit well, are not bulky cotton (lighter weight than jeans in other words) and are not in the least bit frumpy. i have not looked to see what styles are out this year...but it's a brand worth checking out for casual capris.

Kohls has a Gloria Vanderbilt capri that is very lightweight material. They also carry a longer short by GV, they are cargo, but no so much in the way of too many pockets. The one "cargo" pocket is situated lower toward the knee so as not to accentuate the hip area. They were inexpensive, and from what I've heard, wash and wear well.

I've not worn them, but have seen them on others with a body type similar to that you describe as your own. I liked them enough to inquire as to the brand, etc. Not sure how many colors are available, but I have seen them on friends in black, a blush color and white.

Might be worth a try. I know when we travel in the summer I like to wear lightweight pants or shorts, mainly stick to casual skirts.

I've had good luck with some of the more athletic brands, I have a few pairs of Columbia capris, North Face, etc. Also, for long flights and drives, & even touring around on more casual days, I like just casual, stretchy yoga pants with a longer shirt / hoodie.

PS > I meant to add, my current favorite yoga capris came from Costco, I think they were 2 in a package for $14.99 or something like that. They have a comfort waist, no elastic. And they have a looser cut, almost more like gauchos (sp?? do people even use that word anymore?).

Since I never puts things in my pants pockets I sew them shut which helps to keep a smooth line. I only do this to my khakis because they have a more fitted cut and the pocket seems to gap open a little at the top. I just use my machine and sew along the top stitching at the top of the pocket. Then I trim away the inside pocket lining.

My favorite Capris are the one's I ordered from Dillards online last summer.

The material is 65% Polyester and 36% cotton. Every part of the material stretches, but isn't tight either. Elastic waist. Side pockets which I need for a kleenex.

They also don't wrinkle which keeps me fresh looking all day.

These are my go-to Capris when I know I'll be pretty active if I go somewhere.

Basically a loose stretch material would be your best bet as far as comfort and looks.

My sister, who travels frequently, likes Columbia brand pants. She swears by the omni-wick fabric technology they use.
Columbia

I imagine she buys them at TJMaxx, which means it might be hard to find them when you need them. Maybe you can order directly from Columbia.

She bought us both a pair of Levi Dockers golf pants. I've only worn mine once since I find the polyester content uncomfortable but she loves her pair and wears them often. Ours came from Ross but Kohl's also carries that brand.

Like SG, I've had luck with Macy's Style & Co petite pants.

I'm leaving for Switzerland on the 19th and I'll be there until July 3rd. I'll call out "hey Sue" to every short, capri-wearing American I see - maybe it will be you!

Sierra Trading Post has some good deals sometimes too. I have these Columbia capris, and they are super comfortable.

Here is a link that might be useful: Capris at STP

Thanks for all the great ideas! I really hate the mall and I feel like I have already exhausted all the stores there. I sat down and ordered a bunch of pants online yesterday -- North Face, Columbia, and LL Bean. I found a couple of cute/casual skirts and dresses, too. I assume I'll be returning at least half of them, but I'd rather go to the post office than the mall ;)

hh, what part(s) of Switzerland are you going to? We're staying in Geneva 5 nights, Interlaken 5 nights, and Zurich 1 night.

Sue,
I'll be in a small town about an hour west of Zurich. It's near Olten, which you should be able find on any map.

I'm sure we'll go to Lucerne, we always do because it's so nice there and it's also convenient. I hope you get a chance to see Lucerne.

You might have your trip all mapped out but if you can get to Ascona, on Lake Maggiore in the Italian part of Switzerland, that's also a very nice & charming place.

Actually, the whole country is very nice so whatever you do get to see will be lovely.

Jean

Sorry this is so late, but I really like these pants, capris, and shorts from LLBean to travel with:

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/68072?feat=504919-GN2

They dry quickly and take up little space.

Enjoy your trip!

Those LL Bean capris look fantastic.... It's interesting that they have an inside adjustable tab at the waist for a better fit. I'm going to be in the area of the LL Bean store in July and am definitely going to try these on!!

Sue, have a great trip!!

Did you happen to order any linen? I'm a capri/cropped pant gal myself. I rarely wear full length pants in spring/summer. For warm weather I like linen or cotten. Washed linen is great! I also like the linen/rayon blends if you can find it. I'm not a huge fan of pockets either.

Bumble would be proud of me. I found the CUTEST top today - and am actually going to look for a skirt to go with it. That is another of my summer goals - to wear a few skirts! LOL

AND, I went into a store - did not order!

tina

Hooray! That's great, Tina! I hope you find the nicest skirt you can imagine (and on sale).

Tiered skirts are real in right now, I love them.

I have seen them in catalogs, but not so much around here. It's funny what is "in" in different areas. I remember your pretty maxi dress you posted. I have seen them in stores around here but honestly, I have seen very few people actually wearing them. One of the tiered skirts would probably look good with the type top I bought (it's a gauzy peasant type top) but at 5'2, I'm not sure it would work on me. Ditto the maxi dresses, probably not for us shorties. LOL

tina

My sister in law is pear shaped and she has basically give up on pants. She buys knee length and longer a-line cotton skirts from places like Orvis. She's not athletic but she gardens and does lots of household projects, always in a skirt. She's quite tall so longer skirts look good on her. A-line knee length skorts or skirts might work for you

Here is a link that might be useful: Travelsmith

At the risk of offending anyone who would never darken its door, I'll suggest WalMart. I have some inexpensive ($15?) capris in lightweight denim w/ just a bit of stretch, slash side pockets (no back pockets), flat front waistband w/ elastic in back. Someone with a relatively small waist might need to take a couple of little tucks on each side of the waistband to eliminate any gapping. The "What Not to Wear" stylists would not approve, but I don't intend to ask for their opinion. Besides, a longer t-shirt covers the waistband.

I haven't been able to travel for a while, but when we did I would often pack several things (old and/or inexpensive) that I wouldn't mind leaving behind to make room for purchases.

Before lizzard had even suggested the LL Bean pants, I had ordered them! And happy to report that they are fantastic. I actually had to order a size smaller because they were too big (love when that happens!). I also ordered a chino skirt from LLB that I'm very happy with. Finally, in my Zappos shipment, I received a skirt and casual dress from Horny Toad that I loooove. Both are in a jersey fabric that somehow does not cling to my less-favorable parts. And both are in a charcoal gray color that is nice, a little different from the usual black.

For me, this process works better than the mall. I had free shipping from LLB, and I can return my rejects to the store about 15 minutes from here. Zappos is free shipping and returns.

Still waiting for the cropped chinos I ordered from Garnet Hill... (Yes, I went on a bit of a spree!)

Rock, I buy most of my 'around-the-house' capris at WM. Grabbed a couple more today when I saw them on sale.

Sue, what do those LL Bean capris feel like? I was interested in them too until I read nylon. Are they slippery feeling or do they feel like cotton?

natal, they feel more cottony than I expected. Of course I had them on for all of 90 seconds, but I was just happy that they fit and were pretty flattering. They also have the waist-adjustment tabs inside that my daughter's clothes from Gymboree have! So I won't have to alter the waist (waist is always too big for me because I have to get pants big enough to go over my big...you know what... I have size 12 hips and size 8 or 10 waist!).

JUST bought a couple of pairs of capris from Kohls -- the brand name is "croft and barrow"

I'm very hour-glass shaped and much much larger than sue -- and I'm thrilled to find these pairs of capris on sale!

LOL Rock, you don't offend (not me anyway)! I'm sure that Walmart (I call it china-mart) has some good quality items. I have my own reasons for not shopping there.

tina

I just had to report back on another success(es)! From Eddie Bauer I got the Blakely Fit legend wash chino capris, the Mercer Fit lightweight chino shorts, and the Boyfriend Fit chino cropped pants. Now, don't ask me how three different "fits" worked, but they did. I have to say I don't quite looove the boyfriend chinos in terms of how they flatter, but I really like the color (hazelnut) so I'm keeping them. All 3 pairs need to have the waist taken in but I don't care. I especially love the Blakely Fit chinos -- very flattering! I'm ordering a second pair!

I hope DH doesn't pay too much attention to the credit card bill this month.

Sue, did you got those LL Beans on sale?

Here is a link that might be useful: Comfort Trail cropped pants $22.99

Too late now. 12s are gone.