These are nice and loose without being too baggy.  They ARE very sheer when light shines through them. Hold them up to light and you will see just how thin they are.  I imagine the lighter colors may be a little see-through.  I wear my supportive underwear (like Spanx-type shorts) under them, so I don't mind the sheerness.  I like these for festivals where I will be in the heat all day and want to be comfortable and colorful and don't want to wear shorts.  I ordered a small, and I measure about 31" at the belly button, 34" in the "pouch" lower belly, and about 40" where my lower booty/hip meets upper thigh.
The elastic waistband is pretty small.  It cuts into the waist and causes a bulge.  If you are crafty and don't mind a sewing project, you can do what I do to loosen the elastic... Take out a few stitches in the middle row of stitching along the waist band in strategic points and cut open a little slit so you can get scissors in there to cut the elastic.  Then you hand-sew the fabric back down to the elastic, and now it fits a little looser and sits nicely on your waist. You could also take out the entire middle seam line at the waistband and cut a slit to take out the elastic and only use the rope or add in your own elastic at the length that fits comfortably.  I have done that with other harem pants.