No matter your personal style, pants are the one item of clothing that you put on nearly every single day. And while you can get pretty far on a regular rotation of jeans, maybe it's time to kick your daily denim habit. Why not branch out? This season, swerve from the standard jeans and your go-to chinos and pull on a new pair of pants now and again. The kind that make you look like a cool, confident guy who knows what's in style. Herewith, four smart takes in a range of options and price points.
Everything else from the '90s is back, so why not cargos? But these pants are different from the nondescript and boring beige ones of years ago. The coolest options today are cut in textured cotton or ripstop fabrics and finished with higher, more streamlined pockets. They exude masculine style and confidence, so pull some on and feel good, man.
Herringbone cotton cargo pants,
$228 by Todd Snyder
Ripstop cargo pants,
$138 by Wallace & Barnes
Reinforced cargo pants,
$279 by Ami
Plain, solid pants are fine. But for bolder gents, plaid and checked styles are making their way off the golf course and into the wardrobe of the cool guy at the office. The old school pattern is mixed with a more modern silhouette for a look that adds an extra sense of dimension to an otherwise standard outfit.
Brushed cotton 484 pants,
$89.50 by J.Crew
Stretch wool pants,
$198 by Bonobos
Pleated trousers,
$165 by Scotch & Soda
Call them baggy, call them roomy ... just give them a try. Do like most stylish guys are doing: Loosen up the fit of your pants just a little bit, then keep the rest of your outfit more or less the same. In rich, textured fabrics like wool felt, velveteen and corduroy, it looks relaxed and seasonal, not sloppy.
Consider these the next best thing to wearing sweats. They're cozy as hell, but if you pull them on (literally) with a pair of minimalist sneakers and a sweater, you look put together and modern. It's a sartorial shortcut that we all need to have on hand.
Brushed twill trousers,
$195 by Mr P.
Relaxed twill chinos,
$120 by Save Khaki United
Corduroy pants,
$325 by YMC