It was supposed to be the year we all shed our sweatpants, put on something more than a T-shirt, and embraced the new world ahead. Instead, we’ve approached it with uncertainty. At least I know I have.
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Still, Fashion Week presentations continue. Some of these have experimented with digital forms and others have stuck to a more traditional approach. As a general consensus, what I can say is that much of the year’s menswear trends feel like reruns we haven’t had a chance to watch yet.
Our Top Picks For Best Men's Pants
What does that mean for men’s pants, exactly? In the last few years, I've started spotting wider cuts, a greater spectrum of materials, and 90s influences return. But, while designers dabbled, we waited for a chance to try something out ourselves.
Now we're at that point, but we've approached it with a bit of hesitancy. Here’s what’s on my radar for the rest of 2024:
Travel and Cargo Pants
I've have an adventure on my mind - and the men's pants to take me the distance. This trend is truly divided into two halves.
On one half the outdoor garments, down to nylon materials and performance treatments, began losing their dowdier, dad-esque roots a few years ago, and now seem normalized beyond the hiker crowd.
On the other half, cargo pants aren’t just for badly dressed bros anymore. Pockets abound, on wider- to slimmer-cut silhouettes (like those infamous pair of Balmain pants), but the materials stray far past the - 90s cotton in desert tan combinations.
Our Recommendations:
Burberry Logo Detail Cargo Trousers
Forget what you remember about cargo pants. These drawstring designer men's pants are 100% polyester and deliver 90s rave-style at the same time - with their solid black hue and zipped pant legs.
Goodthreads Men's Slim-Fit Vintage Comfort Stretch Cargo Pant
Influenced by military surplus garments, patch pockets and a slight distressed look make these cargo pants look like they’re up for an adventure on the trails.
AIRNINE Men's Premium Twill Cargo Pants
Belt loops and a zip fly complete the pant's design. For everyday wear, the stretch fabric is incredibly comfortable. It offers an adjustable bottom cuff and a slim fit.
Jogger Pants
When did joggers leave? They didn’t, but when you think about the progression of fashion, they transitioned from retro streetwear to athleisure. They’ve crawled up to the apex again as a work-at-home business casual essential: comfy, with their drawstring waist, but they still offer a sense of normalcy with a twill blend.
Our Recommendations:
Hugo Boss Regular Fit Tracksuit Bottoms in Organic French Terry Cotton
A slimmer fit and classic navy color elevate this jogger silhouette above athleisure, adding a few technical features in the process.
Ralph Lauren Quilted Jersey Pant
Style meets practicality in this quilted, insulated jogger pant inspired by auto racing.
Burberry Wool Cotton Blend Jogging Pants
Wool is being used more and more as a technical material because of its moisture-wicking, heat-retaining properties. These joggers use these aspects and deliver a sportier style for everyday wear.
Classic Denim
These past few years, we’ve seen it all. Moto jeans, rips, spray paint, patchwork, and even excessive fading have all changed what we see as a timeless heritage menswear item.
The revival of workwear (given more of a streetwear-centric spin) has resulted in a return to form for denim. No more bells and whistles - just straightforward, sturdy cotton in a medium-indigo wash. Although menswear snobs will be singing the praises of the pureness of Japanese raw denim, you’re also good in a pair of Levi’s.
Our Recommendations:
Hugo Boss Slim-fit jeans in super-soft blue Italian denim
You can’t get any more classic, at least by appearances. While the silhouette speaks mid-century Americana, a touch of stretch gives these jeans a modern feel and fit.
Ralph Lauren Hampton Relaxed Straight Jean
Mid- to darker-wash indigo with light distressing transforms these slimmer-cut jeans into your closet’s most versatile pair.
Levi's Men's 505 Regular Fit Jeans
Levi’s 505s check off all the boxes for versatility: A relaxed, standard fit, medium wash without significant distressing, and a mid-rise height that can be worn with baggier shirts yet is cut for tucking in your printed button-down.
Pleated Pants
You’re picturing a 90s corporate middle manager in a poorly fitting suit. Pleats in the 2020s accentuate the fit - higher waist, tapered leg to your ankle, and just a bit of volume around the middle. This is the - 80s version - when pleats were still fun - but given a toned-down makeover.
Our Recommendations:
Ralph Lauren Slim Tapered Fit Polo Prepster Pants
Pinstripes get a modern overhaul in a silhouette combining pleats for volume with a jogger cuff for more of a tapered silhouette.
Polo Ralph Lauren Whitman Relaxed Fit Pleated Chino Pant
Double the pleats draw attention to this statement feature invigorating what most would see as a relaxed-fitting pair of chinos.
IZOD Men's American Chino Double Pleated Pant
Izod takes a tour back to its preppy roots by enhancing this smart-to business-casual pair of chinos with double pleats down the front.
Linen Pants
Can you feel the breeze? Of course, you can. As consumers and designers consider sustainability about fabrics and apparel, linen is experiencing its renaissance. Its heyday was last in the 80s - think of a Miami Vice-style suit, in a pale or pastel shade for reference - and its revival holds onto these roots.
This isn’t a rough, eco-for-the-sake-of-eco fabric. Instead, linen has the edge over cotton in the sustainability department, and its breathability proves to be a secondary asset.
Our Recommendations:
Ralph Lauren Purple Label Straight Leg Linen Trousers
Mixing linen with silk creates a smoother hand feel and softens the fabric’s distinctively woven texture. I'm a very big fan.
Cubavera Men's Flat Front Linen Blend Dress Pant
Give your work wardrobe a cooler, more summer-ready touch with these classic, regular-fit men's pants made completely out of linen.
Perry Ellis Men's 100% Linen Drawstring Pant
A relaxed fit and drawstring waist give these linen pants full-on vacation vibes, as if it’s just you taking in the landscape of a tropical island.
Wide-Legged Pants
Don’t think JNCOs 2.0, even if they were revived a couple of years ago. Instead, if you look past the whole Gen Z versus Millennials debate on the coolness of skinny jeans, wide-legged men's pants offer the best of both worlds - if you wear them correctly.
Unlike - 90s pipe jeans, which dragged on the ground and eventually sported a worn hem, these maintain a structured silhouette that falls to the ankle. There’s the shape, especially with the mid-rise to high waist. Even if these can obscure body shape, I like to tuck in a shirt, or pair them with a slimmer-cut polo for contrast.
Our Recommendations:
Burberry Men's Wide Leg Wool Pants
Combined with the wider cut and creased front gives these trousers an exaggerated, almost campy 70s vibe. These everyday pants made from luxurious wool have broad legs and smart pleats that define their style as relaxed.
COS Long Wide-Leg Pants
Suit-like construction goes casual with a 90s skater-inspired silhouette.
Levi's Men's 569 Loose Straight Fit Jean
The classic construction Levi’s is known for gets a 90s-style treatment with more space from the hips on down.
Corduroy Pants
I can’t tell if we’re in the midst of a true 70s revival - the dominance of browns and tans at the moment would support this. But, we might instead be in the midst of a 70s-to-90s appreciation for corduroy and psychedelic-printed polyester fabrics.
It looks more like the latter. Either way, corduroy’s having its moment through thinner wales adding texture to fabrics with neutral hues.
Our Recommendations:
Quiksilver Men's Kracker Cord Pant
If you’re uncertain about making the jump from denim to corduroy, these men's pants ease you in with a regular five-pocket silhouette, narrow wales, and choice of color.
Goodthreads Men's Slim Comfort Stretch Corduroy Pant
A classic chino silhouette receives a textured treatment, thanks to fine wale cotton.
Goodthreads Slim-Fit Comfort Stretch Corduroy Pants
Try a touch of texture with these nearly navy, regular-fitting chino men's pants designed out of classic corduroy.
Leather Pants
Leather is this season’s statement fabric - polished, glossy, and intentionally straying away from its workwear heritage. Instead, we end up with an adoration for a rock star aesthetic, part John Varvatos and part Depeche Mode.
While you can take a pass on those leather puff-sleeve jackets, pants in this material project a sense of confidence that comes close to pickup artistry in the 2000s-era, without seeming desperate or douchey.
Our Recommendations:
Denny & Dora Slim Sheepskin Leather Pants
These rider men's pants transition to an everyday statement with a classic slim fit and four-pocket construction.
Milwaukee Leather Men's Black Classic Leather Pant
With unfinished hems, these riding pants can be adjusted to your inseam length and boot style. At the same time, a timeless five-pocket silhouette provides a greater degree of versatility.
Tripp NYC Faux Leather Pant
A slim fit and accents like skull rivets give these PU faux leather men's pants that rock star character.
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Ivan Yaskey is a Philly-born menswear fashion blogger and copywriter. When not writing about men's style he's also an EDM and synthpop enthusiast.