Bottoms Instead of Jeans?

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

As a complement to LJP's thread about jeans:

https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....daisy-edit

.....I'll ask a related question:

When you don't wear jeans - what do you wear as bottoms?

I'll go first:

I wear jeans very frequently. They are an essential for my style. I wear trousers (pants) frequently too. White pants that are not jeans are another essential for my style. Most of my trousers are dressy. I don't wear shorts or athleisure bottoms. I wear sweat pants as loungewear at home or when I go to PT. I wear yoga joggers for yoga and Pilates at home. If I'm not in jeans or trousers, I'm wearing one of my few skirts. It would be nice to have more skirts! And I love my dresses! I'll wear those in warm and hot weather. Transitional at best. Not in Winter.

Over to you!

1 day ago

Dressing

33 replies

Latest reply was from Jaime

slim cat

Veteran

I'm usually in jeans most of the time ( plus I'm SA who is more "denim specialist" without the official title - lol ).
3 midi skirts that I wear a bit in summer and one denim shorts that I came back to last summer since I've got AG straight ones with a bit extra length ( current favorite with 3 other denim shorts feeling a bit too short/young for me ).
1 black lightweight cotton cargo pants from BDG and 1 flare/trouser black pants in heavier cotton from my time at Banana Republic.
2 corduroy pants - green bootcut and black straight. Couple pants from GAP in holding zone ( they have been workhorses before ).

1 day ago

Sal

Veteran

I wear trousers/pants more often now than jeans. In summer and transitional weather I wear dresses and skirts at least half the time.

I have edited out my shorts as they feel too short now- but I do wear active wear shorts as well.

1 day ago

Veteran

Well, you already know my answer: SKIRTS in infinite variety. Occasionally sweatpants at home, but usually skirts there too.

1 day ago

unfrumped

Veteran

I probably wear jeans 1x/week if that. I wear way more often chino-type pants, Athleta Brooklyns or full length wide- legs, some Eileen Fisher wool lantern pants, Vince trousers in linen and wool, and selected sweatpants & joggers. I guess I have a pretty big variety of styles and fabrics, more are slightly tapered as that is easier to do with the types of casual footwear I wear and easier ( for me) to style in travel capsules.

1 day ago

Star (Lise)

Veteran

I actually only wear my jeans mostly in Spring and Autumn. In this time period I also wear cargo pants and a cargo skirt, and snake print skinnies.
In winter I wear straight cords of which I have three pairs (beige/burgundy/grey) , and a houndstooth patterned pair of trousers, navy ponte-like leggings
(they have a zip) and now my faux leather leggings.
In summer I wear cotton shorts, denim pedal pusher style shorts, a camo cotton skirt, a black/white gingham skirt. These are the bottoms that get the most wear, there are others that have not been favourites or fitted in recent years. Lots of dresses in summer too like you ANGIE.

1 day ago

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Almost anything else. I own 15 pair pants of which only the white pair are jeans. They are a bit loose too, which adds to their comfort as opposed to being tighter. Most of my pants are much softer fabric than denim. They are mostly slim straights, one slightly wider pair and one wide leg.
I gave away my NYDJ several years ago for discomfort over the front of my abdomen, even though I did think they held me in well it was not fun when sitting down!

1 day ago

Irina

Veteran

I used to have warm, wool pants for the winter. I still have 2 pairs but I will sell them as I see no need for it. I wear sweatpants to go to a pool, gym or grocery shopping. Jeans are for the other activities.

In the spring/fall I sometimes wear tropical wool pants. Also, I wear cotton chinos type pants from BR when it’s not too hot. I rarely wear jeans in the summer. My summer pants are linen and thin cotton.

1 day ago

Helena

Veteran

Mostly jeans ... Then trousers, either slim or straight/slightly wide, almost exclusively for work. At home, comfies - lounge pants, sweatpants or leggings/workout pants depending on planned activities. I have only one skirt and a handful of summer dresses and shorts for deep summer.

1 day ago

Dee

Veteran

I probably have no more than 4 or 5 pants that aren't jeans. A couple of summer chinos, one linen trouser and two ponte dress pants. I also have a couple of sweatpants for around the house.

1 day ago

LJP

Veteran

I don’t wear jeans a lot in winter - only when I head out on Saturday to grocery shop and run other errands . The rest of the time I’m in sweats at home . I wear jeans a lot more in spring and fall when I don’t mind wearing them around the house ( loose fit BF styles ) . All summer I am in shorts or linen pants . I wear black denim to work maybe once a week . Because denim has never been appropriate for any job / career I’ve had , I’ve never developed a strong dressing style around it . Kind of interesting when I think about it.

1 day ago

Suntiger

Veteran

I'm wearing jeans much more than before- up to 4 pairs now! All dark denim or black and dressy enough for my comfort.
Aside from that, a variety of pants for winter/transitional weather (trousers, flowy, harem, cargo, leggings), and skirts/dresses (and occasionally shorts) once the temps hit 70.

1 day ago

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

In winter, if I'm not wearing jeans, I'm wearing corduroys, or occasionally wool pants/trousers. In warmer seasons, if I'm not wearing jeans, I'm wearing denim shorts, pants in rayon-poly-lycra blend fabrics (e.g. travel-type fabrics), or dresses.

1 day ago

Kate

Veteran

Jeans mostly, until summer, when I wear skorts, shorts and skirts.

In winter, I have three pairs of heavy weight and very warm sweats that I wear at home.

1 day ago

Carla

Veteran

A quick check of my record books revealed jeans were worn on 200+ occasions. I was surprised - not surprised. I thought maybe more? Then I checked the counts for other garments and realized wear counts for shorts just over 100!! 2025 was a good year (summer, really) for dresses at almost 30 occasions.

Linen trousers, wide leg ‘dress’ pants, corduroys, joggers, and skirts rounded out the year.

Although I feel like I wear jeans all the time, I actually don’t wear them much at all in June, July, and August. If I do, it’s because I’m doing heavy duty gardening. Bit of an eye opener!

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1 day ago

nuancedream

Veteran

I wear dark wash jeans throughout fall, winter, and spring. Dressy wide-leg wool, faux leather/suede, and corduroy pants are also in the mix. I have comfy sweats, leggings and lounging pants for home or Pilates/yoga. I have some joggers but don't wear them very much anymore. They may need to find a new home. I rarely wear pants in the summer unless they are full-length and fluid. I'm not big on shorts. My preference is for knee-length or midi skirts and dresses in warm weather.

1 day ago

LaPed

Veteran

In hot weather, linen or cotton skirts, sometimes dresses. I might occasionally wear denim shorts but most of my shorts are quick-dry. More practical for my uses.

When it’s cold, I prefer cozy corduroys or wool trousers for around town, and spend a lot of time in various technical softshell pants for hiking, XC skiing, etc.

For moderate temps, I’ll reach for jeans if I have a day that doesn’t involve trail running or hiking. I really like lightweight nylon joggers for travel and mixed-activity days (better range of motion, pack small, don’t wrinkle, can be washed in a sink and dry easily overnight). Chinos (especially loose, high-rise, pleated ones) give my jeans a lot of competition; they add some extra personality to otherwise simple outfits.

1 day ago

lyn67

Veteran

Oh, yess. Lisa said it for me: "Because denim has never been appropriate for any job / career I’ve had, I’ve never developed a strong dressing style around it". And really "that is kind of interesting when I say that aloud"-but true for me, too.
I am NOT a pants girl-but before the wide leg era I had a big collection of cigarette pants and I always love my cream and white jeans. Since cigarette is out of trend -and barrels are so not me- I wear only wider legs for the few trousers I have (black/charcoal for dressys and some in plaids) but my love always goes for my skirts and dresses collection which I have them in various weights so it is so normal for me wearing one for the colder seasons too.

1 day ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I love jeans and they are a core component of my style, but I actually wear my trousers more often than my jeans! In winter, I wear jeans once or twice a week and trousers all the other days. I wear trousers to teach and trousers to work from home. I wear trousers for casual events and also more formal events (my flocked Anthro trousers are perfect dressy trousers.)

Granted, two pairs of my trousers (the Wit and Wisdom) almost qualify as athleisure in that they are stretch material, in one case without a ziipper. And my summer trousers are as loose and comfy as pajamas. So while they might *look* dressier, I don't feel the least bit uptight or precious in them.

In winter I might wear a skirt twice a month. In summer I wear skirts and dresses and long shorts/jorts much more often, and like you, Angie, I'd like ot have more skirts (and more jorts!).

I wear athleisure pants only for lounging. Not otherwise.

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1 day ago

Brooklyn

Veteran

I wear jeans every day in winter and on cooler days the rest of the year. I have maybe 3 pairs of warm trousers (including my velvet flares) but I reserve them for dressier occasions, not everyday wear. (Too hard to launder.) Also some winter skirts for occasional wear. At home I wear slim velvet or corduroy pants for lounge wear but I don’t generally wear them out.

In transitional weather I wear a mix of jeans, cargo pants and denim skirts for everyday wear. I also have some heavier weight (easily laundered) skirts that I wear with boots as everyday wear. And some dressier skirts for occasional wear. During this period I have some oversized cotton cargo pants that I wear at home as loungewear.

In summer it’s all about the skirt. I wear them everyday unless it’s unexpectedly cool. I wear shorts at home as lounge wear and to exercise.

1 day ago

Jonesy

Veteran

I rarely wear jeans, unless we are counting gear (e.g., I have two pair of dog-walking jeans, and a pair of jeans I wear whenever I'm going on a long road trip and/or moving furniture). Right now, I only have three pairs of jeans that I'll wear pretty infrequently, maybe one pair once every few weeks.

Instead, I wear lots of corduroy, wool, and cotton pants in the fall/winter/spring (plus the occasional skirt or dress), and at home I wear warm lounge pants. In the summer, I wear cotton pants, shorts, or skirts.

1 day ago

cat2

Veteran

Anything structured. I give drawstring waist, elastic waist or other flowy constructions a pass.

1 day ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Thanks, everyone! Much enjoyed your replies.

There is style life after jeans

Glad the skirt divas Cookie, Brooklyn and Lyn67 chimed in!

For the most part I think that Athleisure bottoms compete with jeans these days. More so than dressy pants, casual pants that aren't Athleisure, cords, and skirts. Shorts are extremely popular in the US too.

Like LJP and Lyn67, I never wore jeans when I worked in an office (children's wear designer, retail buyer, and consultant). It was dress code! I only wore jeans over the weekend. I started developing a denim style when I came to the US and began my own business (20 years ago). I thoroughly enjoy denim because I find it extremely versatile, comfy, and robust.

To split hairs, half of my jeans capsule is not blue. It's white, patterned, or a non-neutral. That gives me variety, and feels like I'm not wearing jeans.

Suz, cheers to finding more skirts this year! Perhaps if you had a jeans refresh, you'd wear jeans more frequently?

Star, cheers to wearing dresses in Summer! Sal and Nuancedream too!

1 day ago

Sloper

Veteran

Poplin cargoes and sweats!

I have jeans but they don’t appeal right now. Lifestyle and health situation makes me crave easy, soft and roomy.

1 day ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Also high fiving al the cotton pants wearers! Irina, Jenni, Suz and Jonesy!

I decided a few years ago that I don't want to wear linen bottoms anymore. No linen dresses or skirts either. The occasional linen top is fine.

1 day ago

LJP

Veteran

It makes sense for your profession , Angie, as denim is the single most popular item of the last century. And styling them the way you do is a great selling tool . Being your own boss has lots of benefits too, doesn't it? I love jeans, but they just aren't the be-all and end-all for me. In fact , as I type this at 5:30 pm on a bitterly cold Friday evening, I'm in my pyjamas already ;).

1 day ago

kkards

Veteran

As I mentioned on Lisa’s thread, I have a number of what I think of as denim adjacent pants. The twill barrel legs, the white military pants, 5 pocket cords, and the Trompe-l'œil “jeans”.these days for WHF I’m usually in athleisure pants, and I find joggers work really well for summer in office days. And yes, some times I go full preppie and wear chino’s/khaki’s.

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1 day ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Angie, I do need a jeans refresh, I think, and I'd probably wear jeans a bit more often if I did one. But I do still love the jeans i have, they fit well, they are not untrendy, and they work for my different climate requirements. So the fact that I wear them only about a third of any given week on average is not entirely down to that. (Note that's an average -- I will wear jeans every day on some weeks! It all depends on my mood, the weather, and what's on the agenda.)

Still, my love for trousers has grown exponentially during the pandemic and beyond. The ones I own are all easy launder (I even wash the wool ones in delicate), so Brooklyn's objection does not apply to me. The different fabrications work for different temperatures. I like the combination of stretchy ease (or ease of cut) with structure in my trousers and also the drapiness and swagger of some. And maybe I"m finding it easier to "dress down" dressier looking pants than I'm finding it to "dress up" jeans to my preferred level of dressiness -- now that I don't own a single blazer except my little Paul Smith summer jacket? Hmmm. I think that might have something to do with it.

Mind you, now that my beloved jean jacket has bit the dust I will need a new one of those to dress down my trousers.

On the shopping list: a fun blazer and a really great cropped jean jacket with silver hardware.

10 hours ago

Aquamarine

Veteran

Lately it’s been track pants and athleisure bottoms, especially after the holidays My other non-denim bottoms are several ponte trousers, and in the summer, two pairs of linen pants—new to me last year. It took a while to find some that didn’t bag out excessively on my flat rear. Or at least the cuts seem to minimize a baggy-butt appearance.

8 hours ago

karen23

Active Member

These days I mostly wear jeans, either dark blue, medium blue or beige. If I am not wearing jeans, I'm wearing khakis (or the black or olive variant.)

I do have a pair of black ponte pants (pull-on, bought at Talbots outlet) and they look all right but they tend to sag downward as the day goes on and that drives me up a wall. I also have a pair of black dress pants that are slightly too tight.

This is not necessarily what I want to be wearing.

When the weather warms up I will probably start wearing midi skirts or dresses more of the time. I hope to have some other trousers and one or two pair of capri pants before summer.

7 hours ago

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