Black pants: one of the true essentials of any wardrobe. In recent years, we’ve been living in a golden age of tailoring. You can dress them up with a blazer when you mean business, or make them feel a little more casual with your favorite white t-shirt and sneakers. Below, the best black pants we can’t live without, from flared to skinny to oversized.
You know I love a big pair of pants. I just think there’s something effortlessly cool about a big (but still well-tailored!) pair with a crisp white shirt. COS’s wide-leg black pants are the ideal – perfect with sneakers or ballet flats or heeled boots. These Alice + Olivia pants are swingy but still sharp, and a more fitted high-waist. Anthropologie’s Maeve pant is perfect for tucking a shirt in.
With spring right around the corner, I’m ready to show off my ankles and my cute new shoes again. When it comes to classics, you can trust J.Crew like this perfectly cropped skinny pant. A slim-fit kick and flare from COS brings some fun and balance to the skinny silhouette. Vince’s tapered pant brings a little bit of edge to any outfit.
Another silhouette of the moment? A dramatic wide-leg flare. Something more fitted at the top that sprouts into a flare around the knee. These Spanx pants come with a really flattering, smoothing fabric that are still super comfortable. Veronica Beard always has really strong classics with an updated point of view, and her black pants are no different.
I also love a somewhat vintage-inspired, straight leg fit. I love this straight-leg, menswear-inspired pair from J.Crew which looks especially great with loafers or ballet flats. These Maeve ankle-zip pants are long, lean, and bring some rock star edge.
Shop the rest of our essential black pants edit:
All of our recommendations are curated by Susan & the In The Groove editorial team. In some, but not all cases, we receive a small commission for leading you to what, how and where to buy all this wonderful stuff.