Dress for Success: Best Pants for Work

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4 years ago

OK, so you have finished prepping for your big interview or presentation and picked out the perfect Blouse to wear. Now you need to pick pants!! Should you choose basic black? Or something in a vivid pattern? How long should they be? Is high waist appropriate? Ah! so many questions! You can’t really spend time on this because you need to be spending your time on crushing your work! So, how do you choose pants for work?!

Dress for Success: Best Pants for Work

Here are the rules I follow when I need to choose pants for work:

1. Pants should sit two inches below the belly button

You want to avoid having pants too low, because, well, this….

Someone once told me to ensure pants are no more than 2 inches below the belly button. This should help avoid any embarrassing situations.

2. Pants should be tailored for length

What is the ideal length? Depends on your shoes. If you will wear certain pants with heels, then they would be one length. If you would wear them with flats, they would be another.

What? You’re kidding, right?

I need flexibility to wear whatever shoe I want! Sometimes I like to wear heels to “step it up” a bit for a presentation. Sometimes, I want to wear flats because I am responsible for picking up my kids many days of the week. I need to be able to chase them around the parking lot, yelling empty threats if they didn’t get in the car right now!

So, often times, I end up getting two pairs of the same pants. One get tailored for heels, the other for flats. If you feel this is wasteful, or not realistic for everyone’s budget, discuss how you intend to wear the pants with the tailor and he or she will help you figure out the right length.

Aren’t alterations expensive?

No, not at Nordstrom, who offers free tailoring in certain circumstances. I have used Nordstrom’s tailoring services many times, and I have always found their people to be expert at what they do. And relatively quick.

3. Buy boring pants

By “boring” I mean “not some crazy pattern.” I wear pants in black, grey, blue, and tan. I do this for 2 reasons:

a) budget: if you buy versatile pants, you many not need as many, and

b) I honestly don’t think you need variety here, especially if you have a blouse that stands out

While the pattern may be boring, or non-existent, I think the cut should be exquisite. Well-cut pants are worth their weight in gold. They will make you look amazing.

What about skirts????

Rules for skirts are generally the same as pants, except length should usually be no shorter than knee length. I personally think you can have a wilder color / pattern in a skirt than you can with pants. In other words, you won’t go wrong with a black, blue, grey or tan skirt but consider experimenting a little more than you would with pants.

Here are some options for Pants for work:

(Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.)

Donna Karan New York Straight-Leg Ankle Pants

Theory Testra Wool-Stretch Classic Crop Pants

(I’m a huge fan of Theory pants. If you’re struggling to navigate all the Brands out there, I’d focus on Theory and I guarantee you will find many suitable options. Yes, they are pricey but you will have them forever! Wait for a sale!)

If you’re interested in more budget-friendly pants, I suggest the Halogen brand at Nordstrom. Very reasonably priced and a lot of variety. Not exactly the sharp look of Theory, but you don’t need it. What I do is get 1-2 Theory pants and wear for important meetings. Buy them on sale. Then buy Halogen (or similar brand) for all other days.

And, now, for some skirts:

What do you think? What are your favorite selections for pants for work? Do you have different rules for skirts? I’d love to hear your feedback below, and feel free to email me at mrstypea@mrstypea.com.