Palazzo Pants - The Perfect Resort Wear Bottoms

Palazzo pants, those wide-legged pants with the flowing silhouette - look and feel festive even when worn at home. Even the name sounds luxurious. In fact, in Italian, palazzo means palace.

Whether palazzo pants are so named because one could wear them in a palace or because the cut is so generous - “palatial,” if you will, is uncertain. What is certain is that these comfortable, elegant pants are perfect for lunches with friends, for evenings out, or for entertaining at home - whether your home is an Italian palace or a Florida condo.

These breezy bottoms may seem too far out of your comfort zone if you haven’t worn a wide pant since the 1970s, but today’s palazzo pants are a staple of the well-dressed woman’s wardrobe.

Why? They are flattering and easy to wear and pack – and so comfortable, you can sleep in them. They’re also a nice alternative to the maxi skirt.

This season you’ll find a vibrant assortment of palazzo pants by Sunny Leigh. The collection features pants in colorful, kaleidoscopic patterns, ideal for pairing with your favorite solid tops.

Sunny Leigh presents prints influenced by faraway locales. The Floral Medallion Pull-On Palazzo Pant has a gorgeous sunburst pattern in dazzling hues and looks wonderful paired with a neutral-toned tank top.

Similarly, the Lily Paisley Pull-On Palazzo Pant has a swirling print of gorgeous tropical florals in various jewel tones, which look perfect paired with a flowing Sunny Leigh black tunic top and ornately beaded sandals.

And just in case you’d like to get in touch with your wild side, check out the Hawaiian Hibiscus Pull-On Palazzo Pant in monochromatic white and black. This pant is great alongside a solid black top and black sandals for a jungle plant-inspired ensemble.

Regardless of which print you choose, you’ll be delighted by the silhouette since there are elements that make these palazzo pants universally flattering. To wit:

• The wide leg - with a wide opening at the hem and stove-piped up the leg, the overall visual effect created is a long, graceful figure.
• The gathered, pull-on waist - the gently elasticized waist lies flat and defines the waistline. For anyone without a tiny waist, the bell shape of palazzo pants lends balance, creating the illusion of a small waist.
• The fabric - fluid and forgiving, the lightweight, stretchy fabric is for any woman, regardless of body type. Given our Sunny Leigh palazzo pants’ vivid prints, figure flaws are camouflaged by bright colors and striking designs, creating a smooth appearance without shapewear!

How to wear palazzo pants? Let the shape of these colorful, versatile pants dictate the look by:

• Tucking a solid tee into the palazzo pants’ waist, keeping the top to a visual minimum - of course, a tank or knit top work, too.
• Tie a blouse at the waist, also keeping the bottom as the focal point of the outfit.
• Keep sweaters or knits lean and cropped well above the hip so that the top silhouette remains short over the longer pant.

There are no hard and fast rules since a palazzo pant can also be worn peeking out from under a long duster or split-hem tunic. Imagine a long, solid-color column of a tunic with a vividly printed palazzo pant peeking out from the bottom. In this case, the look is a long layer over a long layer. It’s funky but glamorous!

However the look is interpreted, palazzo pants can be a comfortable and graceful option for dressy occasions - or simply lounging at home in your own palace.

If all this talk about palazzo pants makes you want to visit a real palace, the Ringling Museum in Sarasota features the stunning mansion of circus magnate John Ringling. It’s colorful and flamboyant and perched on Sarasota Bay. If you blink your eyes, you’ll swear you’re in Venice, Italy. (And while you’re on Florida’s west coast, stop in one of Anthony’s five west coast stores!)

Wherever you roam, palazzo pants are easy, breezy, and beautiful - perfect for our Florida resort lifestyle.