The titular traveling pants are the novel’s central symbol. An ordinary pair of blue jeans that somehow fit each member of the friend group, they symbolize “the promise [they] made to one another, that no matter what happens, [they] stick together” (10). Before leaving for their first summer apart, the girls take “the vow of the Pants,” (32) pledging to maintain their bond and be there for one another even from afar.

When the girls are apart, sending the pants back and forth helps them feel connected to one another. Each girl wears the pants at moments when they need a boost of courage; for example, Carmen wears them to the dinner where she plans to confront her family, while Lena wears them to the forge on the day that she kisses Kostos. Though the narrative imbues the pants with symbolic power, their real power comes from the fact that they represent the friendship that they all share and act as a physical reminder of their shared support. In Chapter 24, Lena says that “[t]he Pants mysteriously [hold] the attributes of her three best friends” (171). Each girl draws on the positive qualities of her friends when she wears the pants.