Mischa Barton’s getting a lot of attention for her weight loss, and the way she’s gotten her bikini body back in shape. And we give her total credit for these hot bikini photos.

But why does Mischa insist on sticking with the horrible, high-waisted, unflattering, ugly-as-sin pants? These have been her “thing” for years – but mostly when she was a little chunkier. My thought was perhaps Mischa was trying to confuse us; making us wonder “has she really gained weight, or is she just wearing ill-fitting clothes that make her look fat?” The answer is: both.

But now that she’s slimmed down, why not drop the poofy-crotched striped genie pants? When we caught up with Barton yesterday afternoon lunching in Miami Beach, she looked great from the waist up. Now if only she could fix that last remaining style mishap, she’d be set.