Looking for recommendations on good quality, affordable, technical (lightweight, low cotton, high stretch) pants (no zip off legs, please) that will travel well, largely wrinkle free, and can dress up and down depending on pairings. Trying to avoid the cargo pant look. Does such a thing exist, or is it like the old saying: good cheap or fast, pick two?
“High stretch” and “good quality” are strictly incompatible. Elastene is garbage. It loses its elasticity after 1-2 years. It will sag, and you will dump it in a landfill.
People got caught up in stretch when they thought they had to wear super slim pants everywhere. Now that people are starting to wear not-incredibly-slim cuts again, they need to realize—stretchiness is bad, and pointless, and not good.