Workout...In A Pickle

Well, not literally...I mean that would just be weird...would I be trying to workout in a pickle costume?! I mean, I know I'm short so I couldn't fit in a real pickle but...Ok, ok, enough humor for a dreary, rainy Monday. This is serious matter of the utmost importance: I am in a pickle (figuratively)!

I NEED WORKOUT CLOTHES!! To clarify: I need "office" workout clothes. I've got my old drabby working-out-inside-my-house-where-no-one-can-see-me clothes, but I need something for my walks that I take on my lunch breaks at the office. For the past few weeks, I've just been walking in my office clothes and I didn't think much of it until I realized that I had nearly worn a hole into my slacks from my daily two-and-a-half mile walks. Not good. Slacks are way too expensive to be (literally) walking holes through them. And I've tried walking in jeans; much more comfortable, but still not very practical as "workout clothes." And I'm not confident enough to slip into a pair of tight little yoga pants to walk around this city for an hour...my rather rounded rotund romp says no. (How's that for alliteration, by the way? *high-five*)

Instead, I was thinking more along the lines of something like those nylon exercise pants (without the nylon-ness or the tacky "track suit" lines...nylon's just so...crackly...). Is there even such a thing as non-yoga-style or non-nylon exercise pants? And besides sweat pants? Sweat pants make me look like I'm wearing an elephant's legs (figuratively). I've been to a few stores, like Target, JC Penney, Walmart...and there's just so many yoga pants! Even the "relaxed fit" styles of exercises pants seem like they were designed for already-fit people...I need the I'm-just-now-trying-to-get-fit-and-don't-want-to-"show-off"-anything style of pants. And I've done some looking around on the interwebs, but I'm so leery of ordering anything online because there's nothing worse than ordering something online and being SO EXCITED for it to arrive, then getting a paper cut on the tip of your index finger while ripping apart the unnecessarily secured packaging and pulling out something that is most definitely NOT going to fit. Then you have to fill out the return slip and purchase a new shipping box and pay for the return shipping charge only to have to wait another six weeks for a different item or remain stuck back at square one. It's rather difficult to shop online for clothing when you're only 5'1" but on the plus-size in width...I prefer to pick out my clothes face to...face(?)...face to fabric(?)...anyway, I want to try them on in an actual store. So, on that note, anyone have any recommendations for a comfortable pair of walking-around exercise pants for a vertically-challenged potato-shaped gal?

Unfortunately, while I continue my search for the ultimate exercise pants, I haven't been going for my hour-long walks on my lunch breaks since last Wednesday (sad face). I have still been doing some morning and evening stretching/toning exercises, but I miss my walks...it's such a nice break to get out of the office for a bit and spend some time outdoors. But until I find the perfect pair of exercise pants, I don't want to put anymore pairs of slacks at risk. I'm hoping I'll be able to find an ounce of spare time in the next few days to rummage through the "Get Fit" sections of more stores; but in the meantime, please send me your advice on where to find the best pair of exercise pants. Thanks!