Essentials of Getting Dressed #07: Six Un-boring Black Pants For Every Closet

How to transform a love-hate relationship with black pants to all love.

Stepping out in Harlem. Full look description below.

The other day my sister walked into my room in a pair of new black pants and asked what I thought. “They’re really nice!” I said, “They’re black pants, but I think next time you shop you need a shopping buddy so you don’t keep buying the same thing.” We both heard the asshole-ishness in my voice, but I had reached my breaking point with the black pants. In all honesty, I’d been reaching for the same pair of black cargo pants for the better part of winter and probably let my own self-judgement boil over when my sister brought another pair of black pants into the building.

After she began wearing them I softened up and apologized, understanding why they were an instant staple in her closet and why black pants deserve all the love they get. In today’s maximalist age, a simple to coordinate, classic and flattering choice just isn’t as easy to come by. At the same time, black pants can easily become a styling cop-out if you’re in a rush, don’t want to put much thought into your outfit or are feeling insecure about your body. All this has led to me having a love-hate relationship with the mysterious closet essential. I love black pants for being totally necessary, but resent them because they sometimes become the lazy or “boring” choice.

After working through my black-pants pathology, I decided to take a look at my own closet rather than judge my sister’s. Here are the six essential pairs of black pants I found:

Trousers

Time outside with my friend Aditi who snapped me above in DÔEN pants with a Uniqlo sweater, socks and bag, Scanlan Theodore turtleneck (available in other colorways), Tod’s loafers, Goldstories necklace and Able accessories, in 2024.

Trousers are wonderful because they instantly say that whatever you’re doing, you are taking it a little more seriously than you would if you weren’t wearing trousers.

Cargo Pants

Wearing Uniqlo pants, jacket and shirt last spring with a Scanlan Theodore top, Rothy’s flats and Oofos sandals (similar), WSJ cap, Ferragamo bag and Goldstories necklace.

Cargo pants are just as comfortable outside as they are at home. It’s crucial to have a pair of pants that you can get a bit dirty too, especially if you live in a funky city like New York.

Jeans

Taking a quick stroll last year in Everlane jeans, Kapital coat, vintage sweater, Uniqlo mid-calf socks, New Balance sneakers, Vogue Runway tote bag and yes, a Mimikyu plushy.

Obviously.

Leather Pants

Above, headed to a New York Fashion Week presentation in Scanlan Theodore pants (similar) and camisole (cashmere version), LouLou Studio blazer, Bally boots, Kapital coat, Able accessories, Goldstories necklace and Gucci bag. Below, same pants styled with a Uniqlo sweater and mid-calf socks with Rothy’s flats, same coat and necklace and my Vogue Runway tote bag.

Leather pants give sexy. They give equestrian. They are the quintessential reminder that black pants are not boring.

Leggings

Running errands wearing Lululemon leggings, Aritzia (The Group by Babaton) puffer, Uniqlo mid-calf socks and bag and Rothy’s flats. These leggings are a bit shorter than I’d like, so I wear the black mid-calf socks to create the illusion that they’re longer.

Fall/winter 2023 Miu Miu style lives on. Besides being the obvious comfortable choice, leggings or yoga pants serve an actual performance function, making them a clear essential.

Sailor Pants

Above, shopping wearing Tory Burch pants with a Kapital coat, American Vintage vest (this one is cool), Scanlan Theodore top, Tod’s sneakers (similar) and an Eric Javits beret (similar) borrowed from a friend. Below, the same pants worn to a party with my LouLou Studio blazer, same top, black socks (Falke ones are nice) with Alterre shoes, Goldstories necklace, Able three-dot ring and ivy ring plus Kate Spade bag.

Truth be told, the last pair on this list could be any black pants that are slightly quirky. My sailor pants, for example, bring something unexpected (lots of buttons) while still being super easy to grab when I’m in a hurry and don’t want to feel boring. For those who defer to black pants and want to branch out but are hesitant to try something too loud, “quirky” black pants can be the perfect stepping stone to move out of a fashion slump.

~

With that, thank you so much for being here. I have been working on something fun (and having writer’s block haha) and have been on more of a bi-weekly schedule as a result. It feels right for the time being, but I hope to be back to weekly All-Year Season posts ASAP. :) Until next week…

Yours Truly,

Kyoko

I am not compensated for the features listed in All-Year Season. My sincerest thank you to Uniqlo, Goldstories and Alterre for supporting the creation of this post.