Are these faux leather pants worth the hype?

You've probably heard of the Aritzia Melina pants. (If you didn't, where exactly were you?) The best-selling style from the Canadian fashion label's Wilfred line went viral on TikTok during the pandemic and has since graced the legs of Megan Fox, not to mention the cool girls everywhere. And it turns out there are a multitude of reasons for this.

To start, the Melina has an ideal high waist and a fit that suits almost anyone. Honestly, if I ever spontaneously started my own travel pants sorority, I'd choose the Melina for its diverse offering of styles (ankle, cropped, and slim), heights (high-rise and super-high rise), and lengths (cropped, regular, and tall) alone. It should be noted, however, that the size range - 00-16 - could definitely be better. In terms of durability, they are made with vegan leather which could probably fool even the biggest skeptics.

Given the deep hype surrounding the pants, I took it upon myself to take them for a test drive. Spoiler alert: they are, in my humble opinion, worthy of all the praise.

Wilfred The Melina Pants

Wilfred The Melina Pants

$148 at Aritzia

Let me start with the design. Featuring five-pocket styling and a zipper fly, the Melina is the epitome of classic and modern, even more so when you consider the 21 color options. I opted for black because I'm a purist and a New Yorker, and I'm happy to report that they go with just about everything in my closet (including this