Sure, we all know what wardrobe essentials for work professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.
This page was last updated June 2023 except where otherwise noted.
While I was doing my yearly review from last year, I noticed that there’s a WIDE selection of pull-on pants for the office (many featured during our morning reports) — so I thought we’d do a separate roundup if you’re hunting for super comfortable but polished workwear!
Readers, which are your favorite pull-on pants for work? What is the best balance between comfort and polish for your office and your preferences?
{related: The Ultimate Guide to Business Casual for Women}
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!
Reader Favorites for Pull-On Pants for the Office
Hall of Famers include:
- Regular Sizes (many pictured above): Nic & Zoe, Eileen Fisher, Theory (but low in stock everywhere right now — hmn), Betabrand, Krazy Larry, Boden, Lands’ End, Eddie Bauer, Of Mercer, Loft, Everlane,
- Plus-Sizes: Nic & Zoe, Universal Standard (many ponte options), Eileen Fisher, Betabrand (up to 3X), Lands’ End, Krazy Larry (very limited inventory in plus), Of Mercer (up to 20W),
- Petite Sizes: Nic & Zoe, Eileen Fisher, Betabrand, Loft, Eddie Bauer
- Tall Sizes: Betabrand, Loft, Eddie Bauer,
- Plus-Size Petites: Betabrand (up to 3XP), Lands’ End (very limited inventory) — also sometimes Eileen Fisher
- Under $100, generally: Loft, Lands’ End, Betabrand, Eddie Bauer, Everlane — also check Target and Uniqlo
{related: comfortable workwear for late nights}
Classic Dress Pants for Work (Many With Zippers)
Classic Plus-Size Pants for Work (Many With Zippers)
Some Specific Styles of Pull-On Pants for the Office…
LOFT consistently has great pull-on pants for work — but the inventory changes frequently by season and color and so forth. In general they’re $69-$79 full price, with lots of options for regular, petite, and tall sizes (although they discontinued their plus sizes, grrr).
Another good option for affordable pull-on pants: Eddie Bauer! These are $80 new, available in regular, petite, and tall sizes. As Elizabeth noted a few months ago,
These ankle pants from Eddie Bauer were recommended by a reader recently as a substitute for the Eileen Fisher crepe pants, and I really like them. They have a thick elastic waistband, a mid-rise, and a lightweight polyester/spandex blend that looks like it would resist wrinkles pretty well.
If business travel ever resumes in earnest, I would wear these for long flights, paired with a soft T-shirt and a wrap cardigan. I think you could also wear these in a more casual office with a printed blouse and a sweater blazer.
Of Mercer has some great pull-on pants in a few colors right now — they’re $175, available in sizes 0-20W, and made in NYC. To quote the brand’s product page: “A slouchy, tapered trouser that slips on with ease, thanks to an elastic waistband.” Nice.
These cotton-blend pants from Boden look professional and pulled together, but they have no buttons, just a faux fly front detail and a little bit of elastic in the back. Plus, they have real, functional pockets!
They come in this very basic navy, which would be great for the office, and several other fun prints, which would be great for the weekend.
The pants are $45-$90 at Boden and come in sizes 2–22 — many are marked as clearance items at the moment, so we’ll see if Boden keeps the pant in regular rotation.
These Eileen Fisher pants are the OG reader favorite pull-on pants — readers used to call them “magic pants” because they felt like pajamas but looked like regular pants. Well well… They come in regular, petite, and plus sizes (and occasionally plus-size petites, as well), all for just under $200.
Like this feature? Check out other recent installments!
