The movie centers around four teenage girls--Lena Kaligaris, Tabitha "Tibby" Tomko-Rollins, Bridget Vreeland, and Carmen Lowell--who are best friends and have been together all their lives in Bethesda, Maryland, but are about to separate for the summer. Lena is spending the summer in Greece with her grandparents; Tibby is staying at home; Bridget is going to soccer camp; and Carmen is visiting her father in South Carolina. On the eve of their separation, the girls visit a thrift shop and find a pair of pants that magically fits all four of them perfectly, although they have different measurements. The girls decide to share the pants among them equally over the summer as a way of keeping together when they are apart. Lena, Tibby, Bridget, and Carmen part the next day, and the movie focuses on each girl separately.

Lena

One day in Greece, Lena is sitting at the dock, drawing (while wearing the traveling pants) when she accidentally falls in the water, and the leg of the pants gets caught on something. A young man swims over and sets her free, later introducing himself as Kostos, a Greek-American like her. A couple of days later, Lena learns from her grandparents that her family and Kostos' family are sworn enemies stemming from an old family feud. Despite this, Kostos continues to pursue Lena, and the two develop feelings for each other. At first, Lena is afraid to let herself love Kostos, but eventually begins to open up, sharing rides on his motorbike through the town, until they are spotted together, and Lena's relatives ask her to break up with Kostos.

The climax of the relationship comes one Saturday night close to the end of the summer, right before Kostos is about to leave town to return to Athens University. Kostos and Lena attend a party, and while they are dancing, Kostos tells Lena that he loves her. Before Lena can answer, Lena's family barges in, angrily pulling Lena away. Lena later confronts her grandfather and asks to go see Kostos before he leaves, which her grandfather agrees, Lena goes to the dock and calls out to Kostos, who gets off his ship. Kostos and Lena share a passionate kiss, and Lena confesses her love for him.

Tibby

While on the job in Wallman's department store, Tibby hears a loud crashing sound, and finds a young girl who has fainted in the aisle. She frantically calls for help, and the girl is taken away in an ambulance. Later, when Lena from Greece mails the magical Pants to Tibby, they are delivered to the wrong house, and someone comes to Tibby's house to deliver them - coincidentally, Bailey Graffman, the girl who had fainted at Wallman's.

Fascinated by Tibby's movie, or "suckumentary", and her movie making, Bailey becomes Tibby's self-appointed assistant. Tibby is annoyed by this at first, but gradually grows to accept Bailey. She later learns from Bailey's neighbor that Bailey has leukemia.

Bailey eventually goes to the hospital with a bad infection. Tibby avoids the hospital for a while, but eventually visits Bailey, bringing the Traveling Pants. She offers them to Bailey and pleads with her to take them so that they can help her. Bailey responds by saying that the Pants have already worked their magic on Bailey by bringing her and Tibby together. After Tibby leaves, Tibby's home receives a phone call, saying that Bailey has died.

Tibby later decides to call her movie Bailey.

When Carmen comes back home from South Carolina, Tibby visits her to try and help her with her feelings of being snubbed by her father. Tibby later goes to Bridget's house along with Carmen in order to bring Bridget out of her depression.

Over the course of the movie, Tibby undergoes dramatic changes in outlook due to her time with Bailey.

Bridget

Shortly after arriving at soccer camp in Mexico, Bridget notices one of the coaches, Eric Richman, and inquires about him, to which the surrounding girls respond that flings with the coaches are against the rules. This information does not dissuade Bridget, as she immediately becomes single-minded in achieving what she wants: a relationship with Eric. She flirts with him often--talking to him, showing off for him at soccer games, and more.

When Bridget's turn with the Traveling Pants finally comes, she puts them on that night and walks around outside Eric's cabin, leading him to the beach. The two begin kissing passionately and Bridget loses her virginity. The event leaves Bridget feeling empty and listless, and she remains that way for the rest of her time at soccer camp, as well as part of her time home. She is lifted from her depression by Carmen and Tibby, who come over to cheer her up after a concerned phone call from Lena. The next day, Bridget's dog Maggie runs off with the Traveling Pants, and Bridget follows her to get them back, only to run into Eric, who has come to visit on his way home. He apologizes to Bridget for what happened between them, and the two agree to be friends. However, Eric lets her know that she should give him a shot when she is 20, likely a huge soccer star in some college team, and all the guys are after her. He said that he wanted to have a chance with her so they could go out again.

Carmen

Carmen, who has been raised in Maryland by her Puerto Rican single mother, arrives on a summer visit to her Anglo father's house in an attractive suburb of Charleston, South Carolina, and is startled when he informs her he is planning a marriage to Lydia, a blonde divorcee with a teenage son and daughter. Carmen is disappointed at not having her father to herself and confused as to why he hadn't told her of his situation before, but she firmly insists on the phone to her mother that she is not mad at him, and that everything will be fine.

Over the summer, Carmen's frustration and resentment build up, eventually exploding when Carmen throws a rock through the window while her father, Lydia, and Lydia's children, Krista and Paul, are eating dinner. Carmen runs away and catches a bus back to Maryland. It takes her awhile to admit to herself that she is mad at her father, but she eventually does, calling him to tell him so and asking him what she did wrong and why he had left her mother years before.

Carmen later receives a phone call from Lena, who has just read one of Bridget's letters and is concerned about her. Carmen and Tibby go to Bridget's house to comfort her. Later, Lena, Bridget, and Tibby all drag Carmen to her father's wedding. Carmen is extremely reluctant to go at first, but does so with the help of her friends and the Traveling Pants. At the wedding ceremony which is outdoors, Carmen's father apologizes to her in front of all the guests.

• Official Movie Web Site

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