Though they feel a bit small, they do tend to stretch as you move, so they seem to be more true to size after 10-15 minutes of wear. I bought these shorts to have something to wear around the house. I do not like elastic on shorts at all, so I looked for something that specifically had a drawstring. These are cute, very comfortable, and suitable not just for the house, but would be perfect to wear in public, in the summer, to a beach, whatever. They do have a bit of an elastic waist, but most of the hold is going to come from the drawstring, so they aren't going to strangle you or leave marks. I am 5'5" and approximately 130 pounds, normally a size 4-6. I bought the medium size, and they do fit. I am a little worried they might shrink with washing/drying, but the tag says not to dry in a dryer, so maybe I'll lay them flat. No guarantees on that.... I'm a wash/dry/go kind of gal, so I'm hopeful machine drying doesn't really shrink them.