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 work pants for women? Which ones are your favorites for comfort, for fit, for travel?
There are actually a ton of great options right now, so we thought we’d round them up in different categories!
The Best Work Pants (Executive Summary)
Best for:
Brand
Price
Sizes
Links
Overall
Nic & Zoe
$128-$138
00-16, 14W-24W, 0P-16P
Read our review / buy
Plus Sizes
Eloquii
$89
12-32, 12P-32P, 14T-32T
Read our review / buy
Petites
Ann Taylor
$69-$159
00P-16P
Read our review / buy
Tall Women
J.Crew
$138
0T-16T
Read our review / buy
Affordable
Quince
$39-$99
XS-3X
Read our review / buy
Splurge
Theory
$255-$355
00-16
Read our review / buy
Best Wide Leg
Favorite Daughter
$218-$248
00-18, 0P-18P
Read our review / buy
Best Flared
Spanx
$158
XS-3X, XSP-3XP, XST-3XT
Read our review / buy
Ankle Pants
Theory
$255-$295
00-16
Read our review / buy
Most Comfortable
Athleta
$99
00-26, 0T-16T, 00P-14P
Read our review / buy
Table of contents
The Best Work Pants (Executive Summary)
Why You Should Trust Corporette ®
How We Picked The Best Work Pants
The Best Work Pants for Women in 2026
The Best Women’s Work Pant Overall: Nic & Zoe
The Best Work Pants for Plus Sizes: Eloquii
The Best Work Pants for Petites: Ann Taylor
The Best Work Pants for Tall Women: J.Crew
The Most Affordable Women’s Work Pants: Quince
The Best Women’s Work Pants If You Want to Splurge: Theory
The Best Wide-Leg Pant for Work Outfits: Favorite Daughter
The Best Bootcut or Flared Work Pants: Spanx
The Best Ankle Pants for Work Outfits
The Best Comfortable Work Pants : Athleta
More of Our Favorite Work Pants — By Season, Shape, Fit, and Budget!
The Best Work Pants by Fit
Where to Find Colorful Work Pants
Great Seasonal Work Pants for Women
Great Work Pants in Specific Shapes
The Most Affordable Women’s Work Pants
N.B. We’ve had a version of this post on the blog since we started in 2008; this particular guide to the best work pants was last updated May 2026 by Kat Griffin.
Why You Should Trust Corporette®
After 16 years of covering women’s workwear here at Corporette® — and more than 25 years of curating my own wardrobe (including six years as a BigLaw litigator) — I’ve developed a clear sense of which brands consistently deliver on quality, fit, and longevity. I also know which ones our readers trust year after year, both from our very engaged comment community and from long-term reader purchasing patterns.
At Corporette®, we’ve been covering professional women’s workwear since 2008 and have written hundreds of posts about comfortable office clothing and shoes, business casual wardrobes, and reader-favorite brands for wardrobe essentials.
How We Picked The Best Work Pants
For this guide, I prioritized classic, chic pants for work that transition seamlessly between conservative offices and business-casual settings, with options spanning a wide range of sizes and price points. Some of these pants have been reader favorites for years; others are new this year.
The Best Work Pants for Women in 2026
The Best Women’s Work Pant Overall: Nic & Zoe
There are a handful of pants that, when doing a list like this, make me say ACK, we definitely have to include that one. I think my #1 pick would be the Nic & Zoe Wonderstretch pants, which have been reader favorites 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 skinny-ish, straight-ish leg style — I don’t think they fit neatly into any category, which is another reason 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, readers have loved Veronica Beard, 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 they had in years past, when a pear could order a different pant than an apple. Still, they’re affordable, they come in regular, petite, and tall sizes 12-32.
Other reader favorites for plus size work pants include Nic & Zoe (our overall top pick!), NYDJ (my favorite), Universal Standard, Spanx (up to 3X, with petite and tall sizes), Talbots, Eileen Fisher, 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 Spanx, Loft, Banana Republic Factory, J.Crew Factory, Aritzia, Banana Republic, Boden, J.Crew (00P-12P), and Reiss; Nordstrom is always a great place to check, especially for pants from Nic & Zoe, NYDJ, Liverpool, and Eileen Fisher. Quince also has both 30″ and 32″ lengths.
On the more casual side, these popular Anthropologie pants often come in petites, and so do reader favorites from Athleta and Lululemon. Readers have also sung the praises of Betabrand, particularly if you want something stretchy and comfy (such as if you’re postpartum).
Psst: check out our guide to petite suits!
The Best Work Pants for Tall Women: J.Crew
There are a lot more options for tall work pants for women compared to what used to be out there! Some reader-favorite stores and brands include Banana Republic Factory, J.Crew Factory, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Boden, J.Crew, Spanx, Gap, Aritzia, and Reiss. Quince also has 32″ lengths for many of their styles. Also check specialty stores like Long Tall Sally, Amalli Talli, I Love Tall, and American Tall.
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 bestselling 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.
As we mentioned with petite pants (above), these popular Anthropologie pants often come in tall sizes, and so do reader favorites from Athleta and Lululemon.
Psst: check out our guide to tall suits!
The Most Affordable Women’s Work Pants: Quince
If you’re hunting for pants under $50, there are a ton of excellent 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. These Gap trousers are also high on people’s lists, particularly if you want a wide leg.
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 I would recommend include Favorite Daughter, Reiss, and Veronica Beard.
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, readers have loved Veronica Beard, Lafayette 148 New York and Akris make great 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 M.M.LaFleur, Spanx, and Gap.
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 or Flared Work Pants: Spanx
Readers always sing the praises of Spanx’s Perfect pants, and I also love the brand for their inclusive sizing (up to 3X, including in petites and talls) and many leg shapes. I think they do one of the cleanest versions of the flared pant for work — not too wide, not too narrow — and I also like that they’re pull-on styles and machine washable.
Other great options for flared pants include Quince, as well as this Amazon seller.
(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 Ankle Pants for Work Outfits
Readers have loved the ankle pants at J.Crew and Ann Taylor, and Theory’s ankle pant (Treeca) has always been a hit.
If you’re looking for the trendier version of ankle pants — cropped kick flares — check out the ones at Spanx and Quince, or some of the newer styles from Nic & Zoe.
On the more casual side, readers love Athleta’s Brooklyn pants.
The Best Comfortable Work Pants: Athleta
If pants with a zipper are a hard no for you, you’re in luck, because 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. (Readers also love the newer Athleta pants, the Pinnacle and the Endless.) The mid-rise ankle is their bestselling style. Another athleisure style winning amazing reviews: these Lululemon pants.
Everlane’s Dream pant is another close contender, and of course the readers have adored the Eileen Fisher crepe pants for years. Readers have also said great things about AYR’s High Hopes pant and Saint & Sofia’s pants.
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. As we mentioned above, a lot of the Spanx Perfect pants are also pull on styles, as is MM.LaFleur’s Foster pant and the Eileen Fisher pants that readers love.
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
Hunting for the best plus-size pants for work? As of 2026, favorites include Eloquii, Nic & Zoe, NYDJ, Universal Standard, Liverpool, J.Crew, and Lafayette 148 New York. Abercrombie also has a lot of nice options up to size 38 (and in 38S!!).
Eloquii
Universal Standard
NYDJ
Eileen Fisher
The Most Comfortable Work Pants
There are a bunch of great pull-on pants for the office. Some of our longstanding favorites include those from Athleta*, Nic & Zoe*, Eileen Fisher*, Theory, AYR, and Betabrand*. (Brands with plus sizes are marked with asterisks.)
Lululemon
Athleta
Theory
Eileen Fisher
The Best Work Pants for Curvy Girls
Hunting for work pants if you’re curvy? As of 2026, you can find them at Ann Taylor (regular and petite sizes 00-18), Banana Republic Factory (00-20, 00P-18P, 00T-20T), Loft (regular, petite, and tall sizes 00-18), 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 Pants in Tall Sizes
There are a lot more options for tall work pants for women compared to what used to be out there! Some reader-favorite stores and brands include Banana Republic Factory, J.Crew Factory, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Boden, J.Crew, Spanx, Gap, Aritzia, and Reiss. Quince also has 32″ lengths for many of their styles. Also check specialty stores like Long Tall Sally, Amalli Talli, I Love Tall, and American Tall.
The Best Petite Work Pants
There are a ton of petite work pants right now. Some reader-favorite stores and brands include Ann Taylor, Liverpool, Banana Republic Factory (00P-18P), J.Crew Factory (00P-12P), White House Black Market, Betabrand, Aritzia, Banana Republic, Boden, J.Crew (00P-12P), Spanx, Loft, and Reiss; Nordstrom is always a great place to check, especially for pants from Nic & Zoe, NYDJ, Liverpool, and Eileen Fisher. Quince also has both 30″ and 32″ lengths. Boss still has some smaller petite sizes available, and Hobbs has a few petite pants (but a pretty robust petite section otherwise). On the more casual side, Anthropologie’s popular pants often come in petites, and so do reader favorites from Athleta and Lululemon.
The Best Plus-Size Petite Work Pants
As of 2025, this is where you can find plus-size petites…
ASOS
Avenue
Dillards
Eloquii
eShakti (up to 6X/36W/custom)
J.Jill (14P-20P)
Lafayette 148 New York (up to size 16P)
Lands’ End (lots up to 18P, with select options for plus-petite sizes up to 26)
Lane Bryant (up to 28)
NYDJ (up to 18P)
Spanx
Sumissura (custom)
Talbots
Tapata (Amazon seller with options up to XXLP)
Ulla Popken (short sizes 12S-38S)
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 2026), take a look at Aritzia (3XS!), Club Monaco (00), Nora Gardiner (00-16), Reiss (XXS), and Theory (00). Nordstrom also has a bunch of work clothes in XXS sizes, including Cinq à Sept, Favorite Daughter, Nordstrom Signature, Rag & Bone, Veronica Beard, and Vince.
Where to Find Colorful Work Pants
Hunting for colorful pants for work? They’re very popular everywhere for 2026 (and we have thoughts on how to wear them!), but note that in general, brands like Argent, Express, Boden, Krazy Larry, and Eloquii and have a ton of options.
Boden
M.M.LaFleur
Express
Krazy Larry
Great Seasonal Work Pants for Women
The Best Women’s Work Pants for Summer
Some of our favorite summer work pants for women in 2026 include options from Nic + Zoe, M.M.LaFleur, and Banana Republic Factory. Uniqlo sometimes has pants in their AirSense line, also!
M.M.LaFleur
Nic & Zoe
Uniqlo
Banana Republic Factory
The Best Women’s Dress Pants for Winter
Hunting for warm dress pants for winter? We like fabrics like wool flannel, wool blends, corduroy, and velvet — but know your office before wearing pants cut like denim, with five pockets (especially corduroy and velvet). In 2026, for wool flannel, check Nordstrom, Talbots*, and Loft. For great wool and wool blends, check out Banana Republic, J.Crew*, and M.M.LaFleur. (* = plus sizes)
Flannel: Talbots
Wool: Banana Republic
Cords: Tuckernuck
Velvet: J.Crew
Great Work Pants in Specific Shapes
Wide Leg Pants to Wear to Work
Hunting for more wide-leg pants to wear to work? In 2025, general favorites include pleated pairs like Aritzia, Favorite Daughter, Everlane*, Reformation*, and Abercrombie*, with flat-front pairs from 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!
Aritzia
Reformation
Ann Taylor (also)
Favorite Daughter
Our Latest Favorite Bootcut Dress Pants
There are a bunch of great bootcut dress pants. Some of our favorites as of 2025 include Theory, Spanx, Boss, and Good American, as well as the very affordable Tapata brand (with tall, petite, and regular lengths). 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 are great if you like to switch up your shoe heights a lot. As of 2025, 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*. Nordstrom has a bunch of the trendier kick crop pants!
Modern Skinny Pants
Skinny pants may seem more rare than they were; I feel like the pants that are still around now 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 to get the hem correct, and they 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 2025 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 2025, check out Spanx, Hugo Boss, Theory, Quince, Amazon seller Rekucci, Anthropologie’s Maeve line, and Eloquii.
The Most Affordable Women’s Work Pants
As of 2025, our top picks for really affordable dress pants for women include Lee, Uniqlo, Old Navy, or Quince — also check out Amazon sellers Tapata and Rekucci. 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.
Old Navy (XS-4X, R/P/T)
Tapata (XXS-XL, R/P/T/M)
Uniqlo (XXS-XXL, R/L/S)
Quince (R/S, 0-16)
Stock photo via Pexels / Ono Kosuki.
The post The Best Work Pants for Women in 2026 appeared first on Corporette.com.
