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Women's work trousers are a wardrobe essential, and yet oh-so-hard to get right. In today's casual climate, and with so many options out there, it can be tricky to know how best to invest. Throw in our next flexible schedules (involving WFH in joggers) and things get even harder.
The key to nailing office tailoring? Seek out classic cuts and fabrication, the kind that come back time and time again: Eighties-inspired pleats, floor-sweeping wide-legs, heritage checks, power woman pinstripes and Coco Chanel’s beloved cigarette pants. These details won’t date, and you can always switch up your styling to suit new-season trends. And the best part is, since these trousers are guaranteed to last, you can justify spending that little bit more (but if you can’t, we suggest looking to Arket or & Other Stories for quality options around the £100 mark). Or, if you've enjoyed the comfort of cashmere loungewear and smock dresses during for the past few years, ease yourself in with some hybrid work trousers. Anything wide-leg and louche, or something with an elasticated waist, will do.
From cigarette pants to fuchsia slacks, here are 10 pairs of work trousers that tick all the boxes – which means, they're perfect for the office and you’ll wear them after hours, too.
You can always rely on Totême to shake up your staple wardrobe with a sculptural take on a classic. These wool trousers have a high-rise waistband with stitched creases to enhance the ballooning leg. Keep things really simply to show off your silhouette – think tonal turtleneck knits and heeled ankle boots.
If you want to invest in timeless wool tailoring, Brunello Cucinelli should be your first stop. These checked trousers have a ribcage-high waist to temper the relaxed pleated leg and floor-pooling hems. Keep things feeling modern by steering clear of workwear staples like shirting and court shoes; instead, go for cropped knits with box-fresh trainers.
Black is a workwear staple, but brights can be surprisingly versatile too. Offset the bold cobalt hue on COS' pleat trousers with neutral camel jackets, or go all-out with clashing hazard orange knits.
The never-abating neutral trend means that camel work trousers are always a good idea. Made from a fluid wool-blend, & Other Stories' pair has wide pressed legs enhanced by the pleated waistband. Fashion's favourite bourgeois styling would have you pair them with tonal turtleneck sweaters and wool coats, but you can alway switch things up like Rosie-Huntingdon Whiteley and offset the neutral shade with a hot-pink blazer.
From 1920s Prohibition era gangsters to Eighties Wall Street, the pinstripe has been forever synonymous with business. Victoria Beckham's modern take is good for work and play, thanks to the flared wide leg and perma creases. This pair comes with a matching blazer so you can create a suit.
Returning to the office after months of WFH is daunting enough, then there's the switch from joggers to restrictive workwear to consider. Bridge the gap with Arket's comfortable wool trousers: they're elasticated at the waist, but the sewn-in creases keep things feeling smart.
You might know Me + Em for its souped-up trackies, but the brand actually makes the most impeccable tailored trousers. Cut from a wool-blend flannel into a louche wide-leg shape, this pair is finished with menswear-inspired adjuster buckles and slit hems.
Jigsaw's Nevis trousers are the perfect cut: flat-fronted and tapered, like a sculptural cigarette pant that doesn't cling to the hip and thigh area. They come in black, navy, charcoal and checked colourways, but we love this Prince of Wales iteration.
High up on your workwear staples list should always be the cigarette pant. Loved by women since they were first freed from a skirt-only existence, they're the definition of fuss-free elegance. When it comes to styling, just cast your mind back to Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face – we're talking simple roll-neck sweaters and shirts paired with low-key loafers or courts.
The distinction between casual and formal trousers is all in the details; the lustrous silk-jacquard, ribcage-high waistband and floor-sweeping hem on Saint Laurent's make them an ideal desk-to-dinner option. Keep it low-key with loafers and ankle boots during the day, then switch to the brand's signature high-octane glam with stilettos and luxe fabrics after dark.
