Yes, I think they must buy multiple sets of the pants. And my objection is similar to yours - I can JUST ABOUT countenance a single pair, but certainly not more than that. (I have stopped buying very cheap pants though, as I find that their elastic gives out so quickly that it's a false economy - so if I am buying M&S pants it's often not that much more to get an on-sale pair of matchy-pants. I won't spend over £10 on pants, though! NEVEEEEER.