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Sure, we all know what wardrobe essentials for work professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.

Here’s a question we haven’t talked about in far too long: what do you think are the best pants for work? Which ones are your favorites for comfort — for fit — for travel?

There are actually a ton of great options right now — almost all of the ones below are washable, available at least up to size 18, and many are available in petite, tall, and plus sizes as well. Which are your favorite work pants? Do tell…

Psst: check out our latest thoughts on the best trouser lengths for women!

The Best Work Pants for Women in 2024

The Best Women’s Work Pant Overall: Nic & Zoe

There are a handful of pants that, when doing a list like this, makes me say ACK, we definitely have to include that one. I think my #1 pic would be the Nic & Zoe Wonderstretch pants, which have been reader favorite for years. They’re comfortable (no zipper!), easy care, and ultimately a really polished look, in regular, petite, and plus sizes.

The Wonderstretch pants have a skinnyish, straight-ish leg style — I don’t think they fit neatly into any category, which is another reason why they’re a great classic for work.

In terms of general brands that are great, people tend to really like the pants from Spanx, J.Crew, Theory, and NYDJ. On the pricier side, Lafayette 148 New York and Akris make great pants.

The Best Work Pants for Plus Sizes: Eloquii

Eloquii’s Kady pants have been bestsellers for years, so they’re taking our top spot — even though it’s annoying that they no longer offer the same fit options as they had in years past, when a pear could order a different pant than an apple. Still: they’re affordable, they come in regular sizes up to 32 and petite and tall sizes up to 28.

Other reader favorites include Nic & Zoe (our overall top pick!), NYDJ (my favorite), Universal Standard, Eileen Fisher, Maree Pour Toi, Liverpool, J.Crew, and Lafayette 148 New York.

The Best Work Pants for Petites: Ann Taylor

There are a lot of great options for petite pants out there — but one of the all-time reader favorites is Ann Taylor (particularly their straight, ankle, and trouser pant fits). The pants are reliably on trend, generally affordable, and easy to find (and return).

Other great options for petites include Banana Republic, Banana Republic Factory, Betabrand, Boden, J.Jill, J.Crew, J.Crew Factory, Loft, Madewell, Spanx, and White House Black Market.

In terms of specialty stores, the main one I know of is Jeetly – I’d love to hear if you know of more!

The Best Work Pants for Tall Women: J.Crew

There are a bunch of options for tall women right now, including some great basics — Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Factory, Betabrand, Boden, J.Jill, J.Crew, J.Crew Factory, Loft, Madewell (which has two sections: tall AND “taller”), Spanx, and White House Black Market.

J.Crew is one of the overall reader favorites for pants in general, but it’s hard to go wrong with any of the above stores if you’re looking for trendy and classic styles for work pants. The Kate pants (pictured) in particular are some of the best-selling pants among the readers.

If you’re looking for specialty stores, do check Alloy Apparel, Amalli Talli, American Tall, Long Tall Sally, and I Love Tall (good for slender and very tall women, according to readers). Also note that at M.M.LaFleur you can filter by “tall-friendly” — they also have a lot of pants with adjustable hems.

The Most Affordable Women’s Work Pants: Quince

If you’re hunting for one that’s under $50, there are a ton of great options. Quince has recently been getting rave reviews for their ponte pants (I heard one person say they’re a dupe for the higher priced Spanx ones!).

Readers also swear by the Old Navy Pixie pants — they’re around $35 and come in regular, tall, and petite sizes in a wide range of fits up to size 20; they’re also available in plus sizes.

This Amazon pant is also great — it comes in sizes XXS-XL in 28″-34″ inseams, in a wide variety of different styles, including maternity. Other great budget-friendly options include Uniqlo (one of our favorite lightweight pants!), Express, Banana Republic Factory, and J.Crew Factory.

The Best Women’s Work Pants If You Want to Splurge: Theory

There are more expensive options, but Theory is one of the main brands that comes to mind when people think about upgrading their trousers beyond mall stores like Ann Taylor – and for good reason! The pants are stylish and well made — and their recent Good Wool initiative is eco-friendly.

(Fun fact: the Good Wool line is ” is spun from sustainably-farmed Australian wool milled at an environmentally-friendly factory” — and I was surprised to notice that Theory now goes up to a size 16. They have historically run very small, so size down if you’re between sizes.)

Other splurge-worthy brands include Lafayette 148 New York (readers have raved about them for years, and their Grammercy and Irving pants have been around for eons), St. John (tons of really high ratings), and Akris. Trendier brands that I would recommend include Favorite Daughter, Reiss, and Veronica Beard, and some of FRAME’s work pants.

The Best Wide-Leg Pant for Work Outfits: Favorite Daughter

The trendy style of the moment is wide-leg pants, which we’ve done a separate roundup for. General favorites include pleated pairs like Favorite Daughter, Everlane, Reformation, and Abercrombie, with flat-front pairs from Good American,* M.M.LaFleur, and Ann Taylor.

(I would include these very popular Naomi pants from Anthropologie, but most styles call themselves flared.)

Favorite Daughter is a relatively new brand, but everything they make for work strikes me as kind of perfect — their blazers, their pants, their blouses are all drool-worthy. They make pleated pants as well as flat-front pairs like the one pictured.

Psst: here’s what shoes to wear with wide-leg pants.

The Best Bootcut Work Pants: Good American

These Good American scuba bootcut pants are made from a compact double-knit stretch fabric that holds you in and smooths you out, and I’d say that’s par for the course with bootcuts — the other main brands I can think of all include some shapewear features, including Spanx and their dupes, Quince. On the more affordable side, check out Amazon seller Tapata.

(Betabrand is another longstanding brand with great bootcuts – their “yoga pants for work” have always been a comfortable but polished option.)

Two favorite trousers also fit the bill (at least, I’ve always considered them bootcuts) – Theory’s Demetria trousers and Boss’s flared Tuleah pants.

The Best Flared Work Pants: Anthropologie

I sometimes think of these popular Maeve pants from Anthropologie as wide leg, but they’re technically flares — and they’re fabulous. They come in a wide range of colors and fabrics — and I’ve seen commenters note that these are “the” pants to wear this year.

Other brand with great flares include Spanx, Hugo Boss, Theory, Amazon seller Rekucci, Anthropologie’s Maeve line, and Eloquii.

The Best Ankle Pants for Work Outfits

Readers have loved the ankle pants at J.Crew (the Cameron) and Ann Taylor — and Theory’s ankle pant (Treeca) has always been a hit. Another great ankle pant: Everlane’s Dream Pant, known for being crazy comfortable.

If you’re looking for the trendier version of ankle pants — cropped kick flares — check out the ones at Spanx and Quince.

The Best Comfortable Work Pants: Athleta

If pants with a zipper are a hard no for you, there are more pull-on styles than ever before. One of the ones that readers extolled most for comfort is Athleta’s Brooklyn pant, which comes in a range of fits — the mid-rise ankle is their best-selling style. Another athleisure style winning amazing reviews: the Lululemon Smooth Fit pants.

Everlane’s Dream pant is another close contender, and of course the readers have adored the Eileen Fisher crepe pants for years.

If you want something more polished, though, check out Nic & Zoe’s Wonderstretch, or the NYDJ knit pants, which I’ve personally always found extremely comfortable. Elizabeth has also sung the praises of the Kelsey trousers from Liverpool.

Uniqlo’s inventory waxes and wanes, but if their Smart Pants are in stock, they’re also fabulously comfortable (and one of our favorite lightweight pants for summer!).

Social media images: Deposit Photo / LenblR.

Readers, how about you — which do you think are the best pants for work? Which are your favorite styles to wear to work — drapey, slim knit, cropped, or bootcut/voluminous trousers? 

More of Our Favorite Work Pants – By Season, Shape, Fit, and Budget!

The Best Work Pants by Fit

The Best Plus-Size Pants for the Office

The Most Comfortable Work Pants

The Best Work Pants for Curvy Girls

Hunting for work pants if you’re curvy ? As of 2024, you can find them at Ann Taylor (regular and petite sizes 00-18), Banana Republic Factory (00-20, 00P-14P, 00T-20T), Loft (regular, petite, and tall sizes 00-18), Express (regular, short and long sizes 0-18), and White House Black Market (00-18, regular, short, and long). Talbots also offers some options in sizes regular, petite, plus, and plus-size petites as does Lane Bryant. (Banana Republic seems to have temporarily stopped making them, unfortunately.)

The Best Plus-Size Pants for Work In General

The Best Pants in Tall Sizes

Hunting for tall cuts in extended sizes? As of 2023, we suggest you check out Aritzia (00T-16T) (known for being very small!), Banana Republic Factory (00T-20T), Betabrand (XSL-3XL), J.Crew (00T-20T), J.Crew Factory (00T-20T), Express (0L-18L), and White House Black Market (00L-18L). For larger sizes, check out Eloquii (14T-32T) and Ulla Popken (12L-34L).

The Best Petite Work Pants

There are a ton of petite work pants right now. Some reader favorite stores and brands include Liverpool, Banana Republic Factory (00P-18P), J.Crew Factory (00P-12P), Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Boden, J.Crew (00P-12P), Spanx, Boss, Hobbs, Lafayette 148 New York (0P-16P), and Reiss; Nordstrom is always a great place to check.

The Best Plus-Size Petite Work Pants

As of 2024, this is where you can find plus-size petites…

The Best Work Pants If You’re Very Slender But Too Tall for Petites (XXS/00/0P)

Hunting for very small women’s work clothes for your slender build? Check out our list of 0P suiting sizes, but for regular sizes (as of 2023), take a look at Aritzia (3XS!), Club Monaco (00), Nanette Lepore, Nora Gardiner (00-16), Reiss (XXS), and Theory (00). Nordstrom also has a bunch of work clothes in XXS sizes; readers have had particular luck with Rebecca Taylor, but note that Cinq à Sept, Favorite Daughter, Nordstrom Signature, Rag & Bone, Veronica Beard, and Vince all come in 00 sizes..

(Psst: We love these petite hangers at Amazon!)

Where to Find Colorful Work Pants

Hunting for colorful pants for work? They’re very popular everywhere for 2024 — but note that in general brands like Rekucci, Krazy Larry, Banana Republic, Express, J.Crew, and Boden have a ton of options.

Great Seasonal Work Pants for Women

The Best Women’s Work Pants for Summer

The Best Women’s Dress Pants for Winter

Great Work Pants in Specific Shapes

Wide Leg Pants to Wear to Work

Hunting for more wide-leg pants to wear to work? We just rounded some up, and general favorites include pleated pairs like Favorite Daughter, Everlane*, Reformation*, and Abercrombie*, with flat-front pairs from Good American,* M.M.LaFleur, and Ann Taylor. (* = plus sizes; see the post for notes on petites and talls). We’ve also shared our thoughts on what shoes to wear with wide-leg pants! Our latest favorite wide-leg pants include these (as of 2024):

Our Latest Favorite Bootcut Dress Pants

There are a bunch of great bootcut dress pants — some of our favorites include Good American, Theory, Spanx, and Boss, as well as the very affordable Tapata brand (with tall, petite, and regular lengths). Alexander McQueen also has a bunch right now. On the more casual side, check out KUT from the Kloth cords, Wit & Wisdom jeans, and Betabrand “dress yoga pants.”

The Classic Ankle Pants for Work

Ankle pants may not be super trendy at the moment, but they can still be a great look — particularly if you like to switch up your shoe heights a lot. As of 2024, longstanding favorites include pants from Eileen Fisher*, J.Crew*, and Theory. For plus sizes check Eloquii as well as the options with asterisks — and on the more casual side, check out Old Navy*, Athleta*, and Everlane*.

Modern Skinny Pants

Skinny pants may seem like they’re on their way out for 2024, but I feel like the pants that are still around would classify as “cigarette pants.” Some great options include M.M.LaFleur’s Foster and Lafayette 148 New York Gramercy pants.

Simply Stylish: Straight Pants for Work Outfits

Straight pants can be a bit tricky get the hem correct, and have a slight potential to be frumpy… That said, they are a classic because they tend to be immune from trends. Some great options in 2024 include reader favorites Nic & Zoe pants, NYDJ, J.Crew, these “perfect” pants from Spanx, and the very affordable Amazon seller Tapata (with petite, regular, and tall sizes).

Flared Pants for Work Outfits

Stay tuned for our latest favorite office-appropriate flared pants for women! In general in 2024, check out Spanx, Hugo Boss, Theory, Amazon seller Rekucci, Anthropologie’s Maeve line, and Eloquii.

The Most Affordable Women’s Work Pants

As of 2024, I think my top pick for affordable dress pants for women would be Uniqlo — they’re under $50 and come in petite, regular, and tall sizes — and the inseam length is alterable for $0-$5 (anywhere between 16″-25.5″). I know readers have spoken highly of Old Navy’s Pixie pants over the years, as well. If the pant comes in regular, petite, short, tall, long, or maternity sizes, we’ve marked that with R/P/S/T/L/M below.