Och Bella Wide-Leg Palazzo Trousers in Viscose with High Elastic Waist

Wide-leg palazzo trousers in light viscose

These palazzo trousers by Och Bella are about as much fabric as a pair of trousers can hold. The legs are very wide and fall in soft folds from a high waistband to the floor.

They are made of 100% viscose, which the maker calls light and breathable. There are seven colours and four sizes, S to XL. In the photos the waistband is gathered with elastic, so there is no zip or button to deal with.

At a glance

The piece: models 210680 to 210686 by Och Bella

Och Bella is a label we buy through a fashion wholesaler in Poland. Each of the seven colours has its own model number, and the seven descriptions say the same thing in slightly different words: fabric trousers for an everyday casual style, with wide legs, a high waist and decorative pleats.

The colours as the supplier lists them are blue, brown, black, beige, green, grey and navy blue. In the photos the blue is a light, soft shade, the brown is a taupe and the green is a khaki.

The supplier describes the material as smooth. Up close in the photos it has a fine crinkled texture, which is common for light viscose and part of why it hangs so easily.

Who it's for

For you if you want your legs covered in summer and still want to feel a breeze. Wide viscose trousers do that better than most skirts, and you can cycle in them with a little care.

They also suit you if waistbands with buttons annoy you. An elastic waist forgives a long lunch. If you are petite, look closely at the photos: the hem reaches the top of the foot on the model, so shorter legs may need a hem taken up or a pair of wedges.

Closer look: what the maker's data and the photos show

• Wide legs (maker's data)
• High waist (maker's data)
• Decorative pleats (maker's data)
• Wide waistband gathered with rows of elastic (photos)
• Legs that fall in folds to the top of the foot on the model (photos)
• Matte fabric with a fine crinkle (photos)

The supplier does not mention pockets, a closure or the country of production. We see no zip in the photos, which fits an elastic waistband.

Fabric and feel: 100% viscose

The composition is viscose only. The maker describes it as light and breathable and says it gives comfort and freedom of movement. Viscose is a fibre made from cellulose that feels cool and drapes well, which is why it is used so often for summer trousers.

Two honest notes. Light viscose can be slightly sheer in pale colours, so with the beige it is wise to wear skin-tone underwear. And it creases, although the crinkled texture of this fabric hides most of that.

Fit and silhouette: high waist, floor-length legs

The maker's size table is thin. It lists one width per size, 90 cm for S, 94 cm for M, 102 cm for L and 106 cm for XL, under two column names, hips width and waist width. It does not say which one the number is, and it gives no leg length.

In practice the elastic waistband sets the fit at the waist, and the legs are so wide that the hips hardly matter. Choose your usual size. If the length is important to you, send us a message and we will ask the supplier for the inseam before you order. Not every colour is available in every size; the buttons show what you can order.

Size chart (cm)

Source: the maker's size table. It has columns for hips width and waist width and gives one number per size, so we can't say which of the two it is.

Styling: small on top

The photos pair the trousers with bikini tops and cropped tops, which is the beach version. The rule behind it works everywhere: with this much volume below, keep the top small or tucked in.

For the city, try a fitted T-shirt or a bodysuit and flat sandals. For dinner, a camisole and a pair of earrings will do. The navy and the black can go to a relaxed office with a tucked-in shirt and a belt over the waistband.

Occasions

The supplier describes them as trousers for an everyday casual style. We see them on holiday, over a swimsuit on the way to lunch, and at home on hot days. They are an easy answer for a summer barbecue or a festival evening, when you want to sit on the grass without thinking about it.

Care: follow the label

The maker's data we receive has no care instructions, so please go by the label sewn into the trousers.

Viscose in general is weaker when wet and can shrink in a hot wash. A cool, gentle cycle and drying on a line are the habits that suit it, but let the label decide.

The wow detail: trousers that look like a skirt

Stand still and these read as a long skirt. The legs are wide enough to hide the gap between them. Take a step and the fabric splits and swings, and it turns out you are wearing trousers. You get the movement of a maxi skirt and the freedom of trousers in one piece.

Fashion that gives back

5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose. The causes are matched to 11 of the 17 SDGs, the global goals set by the United Nations, and you decide where your share goes.

Our promise

Ships from the maker's wholesale partner in Poland, inside the EU, with tracking. The wholesaler lists up to 3 days to prepare an order; within the EU delivery usually takes 2–7 business days after dispatch. Delivery is free within the EU on orders from €69; below that it costs €4.95 in the Netherlands and €6.95 elsewhere in the EU.

You have 14 days after delivery to ask for a return, as long as the trousers are unworn and still has its tags. Our promise is plain: if what arrives does not match what this page says, send it back within 14 days and we refund you.

More trousers are in our trousers collection.