These are pricey, yes, but so were my last brand. I bought my last brand about 7 years ago and they’re still going strong. When I wanted more and discovered that they closed down around Covid times, I was gutted. As algorithms go, Balmanno then found its way to my socials feeds and I ignored and ignored until eventually I gave in and went to the site. New Zealand company was a major plus for me. Waiting for pre-order made me nervous, but I received email updates so didn’t feel ghosted, and finally they arrived. I loved the eco-friendly packaging, but when I pulled them out of the box I was drawn to the beautifully soft fabric. Expecting them to be not as good as my well-loved brand, I was right… they’re absolutely better!! As a comfort wearer rather than an athletic one, the key positives for me are absolute comfort, lack of roll down, well proportioned pockets, squat proof (I work with children and they don’t need to know the colour of my underwear!), AND they’re not tight at the ankle! I cannot recommend them enough, except to say I should have taken the two pairs for $199 deal… I didn’t think it was worth the financial risk. I was wrong. I need another! Just do it. Trust the sizing chart. You won’t regret it.