Business casual and business formal dress pants are often a hard wardrobe item to fit, especially if the hips, waist and thigh area are your fussy bits. I wish I could prevent the situation where you have to try on many, many pairs of dress pants before you find ones that work (or have the potential to be altered to work). But alas, much like jeans, that’s the nature of the beast.

If you’re looking for a pair of classically tailored, no-nonsense dress pants, you’ll find these fit tips useful. Hopefully they will help you to eliminate some options before even trying them on.

Style Considerations

First, consider these factors when it comes to the design:

• Look for good drapy fabric: Dress pants love weighty substantial fabrications which allow them to fall straight down to the foot. Think wool-rayon-polyester and cotton-rayon-polyester blends with a hint of stretch for extra comfort. Crease lines are optional.
• Beware of side entry pockets: This doesn’t mean that you should ignore dress pants with side entry pockets because at times they can work. But styles without often look better. No pocket lining showing through and no gaping pocket openings when you sit down. Alternatively, subtle front slant pockets and back welt pockets work well too.
• Look for flat fronts and a wide waist band: A wider waistband has flattering corset effects. A flat front is definitely a sleeker look than pleats, especially when you sit down (no poufing). Belt loops are optional.

Fit Considerations

These are the important factors to consider when it comes to fit:

• Waist fit: You’re after a tailored but comfortable fit. Nothing too tight. Remember that a waistband can be altered to fit if it’s too roomy.
• Grazing hip fit: The fabric should glide over the hips, thighs and bottom area and drape straight into a bootcut or wide legged hem. Not too snug and, as far as possible, no whiskering. If the pants whisker on the thighs, size up and adjust the waist to fit. A bit of whiskering is fine on jeans but dress pants should be fairly whisker-free. For dress pants a looser fit is better than a snug fit – unlike jeans.
• Waistband position: A waistband that rests above the high hip and below the navel is good, so think mid to high-ish rise. This creates the illusion of a flatter belly, whereas an overly high rise can accentuate a rounded belly.
• Rise length: Getting the length of the rise right around crotch point is extremely important. Too short and you’ll end up with camel toe. Too long and you’ll look short in the leg and awfully long in the waist. Opt for a tailored fit that does not cling to the crotch, but that’s not too long either.
• Leg length: The black slacks below are the perfect length, almost skimming the surface of the ground. Unfortunately, you’ll need to commit to a heel height with dress pants.

These black bootcut dress pants hang perfectly. The fabric is lustrous and substantial, and the front slant pockets are flattering. The waist band is not quite as wide as I would have liked, but this is a small price to pay for a good, clean and flattering fit. Not bad for $78 and available in sizes 0 to 16 in navy, black, charcoal and chocolate brown. If you’re battling with dress pants, you might like to start here.

As part of this season’s 90’s fashion revival, utilitarian cargo pocket pants are trending for Spring. I have mixed feelings about cargo pocket pants so I vote both yay and nay. Some cargo pocket pant styles look very unflattering to my eye. Yet I adore the look of others.

I like knee length cargo pocket pants best, particularly in silk blends and worn with heels as shown in the pictures above. I also like this style in casual fabrications worn with flats, which is a look we discussed last season. So for me, cargo pocket pants are a yay when they’re short and I like them even more with a dressy touch. Ironic, since they’re supposed to be casual bottoms.

I don’t like the look of long cargo pocket pants worn casually, like those below, nearly as much. It’s especially unflattering when you carry a little extra in the hip and thigh area. Pear shaped body types stay away!

Needless to say, the cropped lengths that end just above the ankle and below the calf with wide hems that are worn with flats give me heart failure. Extra long and slim legs relative to the rest of the body are prerequisites for the silhouette. So if you’re a tall-ish inverted triangle, you’ve definitely got a head start on making this look work.

I wore long khaki cargo pocket pants 15 years ago along with the rest of the world. They didn’t feel right then and they don’t feel right now. But I’m still after a smarter silk pair in clamdigger length so I might give the top styles a go. What’s your perspective on cargo pocket pants?  Yes, no, or maybe?

Trouser jeans are boot cut or wide-legged slacks made of lightweight stretchy denim. They are usually styled with wider waistbands, extended tab fronts, slanted or side entry front pockets and welted back pockets. It’s these details that make trouser jeans look more like trousers than jeans, especially when they’re in dark blue and black denim washes. No fading, fraying, contrast top stitching or any form of distressing — all design features that make an item look more casual.

Trouser jeans look exceptionally fab when matched with either conservative or creative dressy business separates. Note: it’s important that the separates are dressy. Match up trouser jeans with casual separates and you will look casual. For example, wear the bottoms you see below with a fitted knit top, silky blouse or button down shirt, blazer, a pair of heels, a few accessories, a smarter handbag and Bobs your Uncle. You’ll look professional, polished and pulled together in my book, even though you’re theoretically wearing denim, which isn’t part of the business casual dress code.

I often pop my clients into elegant trouser jeans for biz casual because they look and feel more hip than when they wear a pair of slacks. To this day no one has even noticed that they’re actually wearing denim to work because the ensemble looks business-like. And it’s quite fun to bend the rules.

As a fashion stylist, I can dress up a pair of dark wash trouser jeans for biz casual and look totally appropriate. Do you think you’d get away with it too? Or are trouser jeans still too casual for your work place. Let’s hear it.

I’m already having apoplexies about cropped pant styles this season. Where are all the leg lengthening knee-length walk shorts and clamdiggers? At the moment, it’s all about short shorts and longer length cropped pants that finish a few inches above the ankle. Short shorts are adorable if you’re young and have a fab set of gams, but cropped pants are tricky to say the least – even on a skinny, leggy supermodel.

Cropped pants that end below the calf and above the ankle are okay if they’re super tapered AND you add leg lengthening high heels into the mix. This visually raises the length of the hem which is ultimately more flattering. But when cropped pants are not tapered and you wear them with flats, it’s leg shortening suicide.

My immediate plea is to say stay away from this season’s new cropped pant styles if they don’t taper at the hems and you can’t wear them with three to four inch heels. Alternatively, have them hemmed to a shorter length.

I have to admit that I am hyper sensitive to the lengths of pants and what they do to your long lean line. So if you don’t see the extreme leg shortening and unflattering effects of these styles the same way I do, you’ll have a field day with cropped pants this season.

We’re seeing several styles of boyfriend jeans this season. The item started out looking baggy and distressed, which has its appeal on preteens and teenyboppers. But as the season unfolded, sleeker, more refined and “grown up” boyfriend jeans appeared in retail stores.

I’m not wearing boyfriend jeans, nor am I advocating the look because, for the most part, I don’t think it’s flattering. Occasionally I see someone pull it off to perfection, but they are few and far between. I’m still hyper sensitive to pant lengths that end somewhere below the calf and above the ankle bone because it’s leg shortening style suicide. The horizontal rolled-up cuff at this odd length on your lower leg cuts your long lean line.

I’ll admit that boyfriend jeans look better when the jeans are tapered and rolled to just below the knee. And further, matching the look with a super-high heels is a must. But other than that, I’m still not sold. Are you?

The boyfriend jeans on the far left work because they look like clamdiggers. But I have a hard time with the two boyfriend jeans styles in the middle because they shorten the leg line, even on these super tall and whippet thin models with heels! By way of comparison, the scrunched, un-rolled skinny jeans on the far right look infinitely more flattering to my eye.

Denim leggings or leggings jeans are a great substitute for skinny jeans that are tucked into boots. They look just like 5-pocket jeans, but are sleeker, softer and very stretchy. This clearly screams practical comfort.

As much as I encourage the look of tucking skinnies into knee-high or mid-calf boots, I realize that it’s not equally comfortable for all. There’s often unwanted fabric bunching, or not enough room in the boots to accommodate the excess fabric of the jeans. Enter denim leggings, which are made of thinner and more supple denim. They offer an extra tight fit without cutting off your circulation. No more bunching or excess fabric. Woohoo!

Because denim leggings fit a little tighter around the crotch and thigh area, match up the look with longer tunic tops and knitwear. Once you’ve added tall boots to the mix, you should feel adequately covered. You might find that you reserve denim leggings solely for the purpose of tucking into boots.

Denim leggings or leggings jeans are available in most department stores and online sites. The ones that you see here (from the Nordstrom Junior department) are my top pick at the moment ($39). They have worked for both curvy and straight body types and all sorts of heights and ages as long as the rest of the ensemble components are right. Tucking skinnies into boots has never been so easy.

August and September are good months to purchase jeans in the US. It’s right at the start of Autumn collections and fresh inputs of denim silhouettes in all styles, cuts, sizes, washes and lengths are aplenty. This is the time when I focus on shopping for jeans with clients because we can get the best picks of the crop, just in time for cold wet weather.

This season, my curvier clients have had great luck with the styles listed below. It doesn’t mean that these jeans will automatically fit, but they are a good starting point if you’re after a higher rise to combat muffin top, a contoured waistband for extra structure, a longer leg length and a slightly fuller cut on the thigh.

• David Kahn stretch boot cuts
• Paige Premium “Hidden Hills” boot cuts
• Citizens of Humanity “Amber” boot cuts
• Citizens of Humanity “ Elson” straight legs
• Joe’s “Honey” bootcuts
• Banana Republic classic skinny jean
• Gap Curvy fit boot cuts
• Anne Taylor modern denim trousers

The premium denim suggestions offer superior denim quality and won’t stretch or bag out after several wears. But the non-premium options haven’t stretched out that badly either. Remember that you can also have the waistband adjusted to fit if the styles gape at the back of the waist.

Interestingly, some of these styles work just as well for straighter body types. For example, I have a pair of COH Ambers and David Kahn boot cuts. I don’t own Paige Premium “Hidden Hills” and COH “Elsons” but they fit well too. So don’t rule out the styles if you’re not that curvy on the lower half of your body. You might be pleasantly surprised.

We all know how stressful jeans shopping can be, so I was hoping that you could add to this list. Curvy gals, let’s hear about your favourite brands of denim jeans.

I love skinny jeans and I’m open to most variations of the silhouette. But the styles you see below don’t make it through my trend filter. Severely spattered, ripped and shredded clothing looks awful. The lace and mesh insets aren’t attractive either, although those styles look better than the others.

Perhaps these styles could work on a dramatic teen aching to express a sense of individual style. But I can’t get my head around these looks for anyone else. Can you? Mums, what would you do if your daughter came home with a pair jeans like these?

The 80’s revival of fashion has brought back skinny zippered  jeans, but the modern incarnation is longer, sleeker and full of stretch. What would we do without stretch! I shudder to think. It’s the only way to wear tight clothing.

I was enamored with the idea of sporting zippered skinnies again because of my weakness for zipper detailing. I also fell in love with how the hems cascade over the foot and expose the ankle bone when unzipped, adding an unexpected and interesting detail to the outfit. So I recently added a premium pair to my denim collection and they’ve become a fast favourite. I’ve worn them three times in the last week.

These particular skinnies are tighter than my other pairs, but surprisingly more comfortable because they’re softer with more stretch. And you can’t even feel the zippers. Because they’re tighter, they’ve added a bit of curve to my legs which is a welcome change. It’s nice to have a variety of skinny jeans, each with a slightly different look and fit.

Zipper detailing is quite masculine and severe, so I like these jeans best when contrasted with feminine touches. Above on the left I’ve matched them with girly items: a ruffle blouse, oversized pearl beads and low yellow pumps. But I couldn’t resist throwing in the androgynous boyfriend blazer for some 80’s fun. A huge blast from the past, but much improved and I’m enjoying every second of it.

I’ve added similar feminine accents in the outfit on the right: a waterfall draped top, Chanel-esque jacket and chunky pearls. The buckled black booties are edgier, but I like how they contrast with the prim and proper top half of the ensemble.

The zippered skinny is also great zipped-up, where it essentially becomes a normal pair of skinnies. Above you can see a close-up of my new pair zipped and scrunched with flats. I wasn’t sure about unzipped with flats because of the length, but I wore this look yesterday and it worked fine. Lots of possibilities.

If you don’t like skinny jeans, this item is not for you. But if you’re all over the silhouette like I am, give the zippered version a try. They are available at Banana Republic, Martin & Osa, Nordstrom, Guess, Armani Exchange, Bebe and Shopbop at the moment and they’ll turn up in more stores as the season progresses.

When I have a change of heart about a fashion item, I own up to it. If you’ve been with YLF since its inception, you might remember that I was challenged by skinny jeans when they first resurfaced over three years ago. I blogged about not liking the look and being unable to wear skinnies again after wearing them to death in the 80’s. But shortly after that, I was all over the silhouette and subsequently wrote about giving them a second chance. I’m grateful I did, because my wardrobe wouldn’t function without multiple pairs of skinny jeans.

I’ve had a similar change of heart about harem pants and it took a trip Israel to help me get the look. When I saw women wearing harem pants with sass in Tel Aviv, I felt silly and narrow-minded that I’d boxed the trend as a no-no. Shame on me. But I know better now. While I’m still not a fan of the styles with very low hanging crotches, the others look great. The harem and harem-esque style pants in jersey knit and denim that you see pictured here get my vote.  If I could find a woven silk pair, I’d definitely give them a try. The cropped versions remind me of pedal pushers and knickerbockers, which I loved wearing 25 years ago. I guess I got a little nostalgic on this one.

But the harem pants below don’t make it through my filter. They look like nappies gone wrong no matter how you wear them. I wonder if the trend will stick around? My guess is that the more wearable styles with regular fitting rises will become more mainstream while the others will fall away. Time will tell.