This season’s most popular silhouette is wide-leg pants. While you may have already altered your denim, this style has naturally spread beyond wide-leg jeans, bringing a fresh breath to sweatpants as well. “Wide-leg sweatpants are both timeless and trending,” says Liz Teich, a personal stylist in New York City. “For a while, we saw joggers and tapered-leg sweats being the go-to silhouette, but the wide-leg pant trend has been trickling into athleisure.”
Finding the perfect wide-leg sweatpants for your closet is more difficult than you might expect. You must consider length, hem, and colour possibilities, as well as all of the other subtle style features that various brands incorporate into their designs. That’s why we asked our favourite stylists to help us narrow down the 15 greatest looks for each individual taste and budget.
Why We Love It: Our editors rave about the sweats’ remarkable softness and comfort, which are made from fine-knit, lightweight AirEssentials spacer fabric with breathable, four-way stretch. “They have a more elevated look to them than most sweats out there,” says Summer Cartwright, former senior health editor for InStyle. “You can honestly get away with wearing these soft pants to work if you just tuck the drawstring in or pair the pants with an oversized blazer.” They also come in three different inseam lengths, a wide range of sizes, and a number of colours, including a moussy chocolate brown.
Who It’s For: Cosy clothing fans who want a wardrobe staple that they can live in and don’t like pockets will like this simple style.
It’s worth noting that this ultrasoft, thick sweatpant snags easily.
Why We Love It: These cosy, low-cost sweatpants are ideal for casual winter outfits. They make an excellent layering piece because they are constructed of a breathable yet thick cotton material and have enough leg room to accommodate a warmer pair of pants beneath. The design includes a mid-rise waist with a hidden drawstring and on-seam pockets. Plus, they drape wonderfully while maintaining their shape. If you want a coordinated look, wear them with the matching large hoodie.
Who It’s For: These economical wide-leg sweatpants come in sizes XS to 4X, as well as regular, petite, and tall lengths, making them suitable for almost any body type and budget.
Worth noting: They run a little large, so if you prefer a straighter shape over a real wide leg, try sizing down.
Why We Love It: When you think of classic sweatpants, Skims’ straight-leg variant is probably what comes to mind. They’re wonderfully large and come in basic heather grey and black (as well as some interesting seasonal colours), giving you the perfect chic-but-comfy ’90s style for a work-from-home or travel day. Take a page from Victoria Beckham’s book and boost your look with large sunglasses and a structured coat.
Who It’s For: These Skims sweatpants, known for their inclusive size ranges and award-winning comfort, will be your go-to pair this fall and winter.
Worth noting: These trousers are only available in one inseam and run somewhat long on shorter girls.
