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 post was last updated in January 2023.
While seasonless wool pants are warm enough, and velvet and corduroy pants are great for more casual days, I thought we’d go on a hunt for the best women’s winter dress pants for cozy but professional work outfits.
Personally I’ve always loved the softness and drape of wool flannel pants, and although the styles change from year to year, I always feel like that’s a polished look for the office.
Wool blend pants are also great, although they can be on the itchy side, particularly if unlined — you may want to check out our last discussion on what to wear beneath unlined pants, and I’ll drop a collage with links to my top suggestion for what to wear beneath unlined pants — thin long johns.
(Particularly for silk long johns, but true of lots of the other ones out right now — they do an amazing job of blocking the wind when you’re outside but not adding too much extra warmth or bulk when you’re inside, so they’re great for ALL pants, but particularly as a layer between you and itchy wool pants.)
Ladies, what are you wearing to work on the coldest days — are you on Team Fleece Tights? Team Wool Pants? Or have you found another solution for staying warm on your commute on the coldest days?
{related: what to wear to work when it’s cold outside}
Pictured at top: red velvet / green corduroy / black wool blend / lavender cashmere silk blend / olive wool flannel
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Admin note: this post was originally published in 2019, but we’ve completely updated our product selections for Dec. 2022 but kept the original comments on the post.
My Top Choice for Women’s Winter Dress Pants: Wool Flannel Pants
Flannel pants are, I think, the holy grail if you’re looking for warm winter pants. They don’t have the itch of wool or tweed, but they drape better and feel more versatile than velvet or other options. Of course, the downside is that you often end up paying a lot for them…
Loft is a surprisingly good spot to check for affordable wool flannel pants — for a few years now they’ve had a nice selection. For 2022 it’s a pleated, cropped look — you can wear it with loafers as pictured here or ankle boots for more coverage.
Some reliable spots to check for wool flannel pants (in addition to Loft) include Brooks Brothers, Saks (which has options from brands like Theory and Vince) and Eileen Fisher. If you’re looking for soft, warm wool pants also keep an eye out for Italian wool options like those from J.Crew.
(Menswear blog Die, Workwear has a good comparison on flannel pants vs wool twill pants if you’re interested — wool twill is a bit harder to find for women, but it can be done — M.M.LaFleur has a bunch as of 2022. For my money I’d still prefer the softer option (flannel), but that’s just me.)
Another Great Option for Women’s Winter Dress Pants: Other Wool Pants and Wool Blends
I’m separating out wool flannel because I think it’s the softest, the warmest, and the most versatile — but there are a zillion other wool blends and woolen fabrics, including wool gabardine and wool blended with something for stretch. These may be itchy, though — note that silk long johns are amazing for this because they’re soft, block the wind, and don’t add bulk or too much extra warmth when you’re inside.
Note that seasonless wool (aka tropical wool and “lightweight wool,”) is also great for winter, but, as we’ve noted before when advising on whether you can wear a tropical wool suit in winter, they may be a bit chilly on the windiest and coldest days. Tweeds may be a wool or polyester — but for my $.02 I’ve always preferred tweeds as a skirt than a pant because the inner thighs of pants may wear unevenly and/or get nubbly.
Wool blends are a lot easier to find than flannel — but you really have to try the pant on to see how warm it really is. Nordstrom has a ton of wool blend pants for work, including some classic pants from Theory, Boss, and Lafayette 148 New York. And don’t forget about Banana Republic’s trove of washable wool work clothes, including a ton of pants; M.M.LaFleur also has a lot of great washable wool styles.
{related: how to dress professionally on the coldest days}
Warm Winter Dress Pants, Lux Edition: Cashmere
Cashmere pants are easier to find than ever, but a lot of these (a LOT of them) are barely one step above athleisure or even lounge pants — so know your office. The more structured cashmere pants are going to be more appropriate for conservative offices.
You can find a ton of cashmere blends (usually cashmere/silk, but sometimes cashmere/wool) from the very high end brands like Akris, Max Mara, Lafayette 148 New York, Loro Piana, and more — accordingly, Nordstrom and higher end department stores are good spots to check.
Velvet & Corduroy Pants for Work Outfits
I’m putting velvet and corduroy together because they both can go either way, although corduroy is inherently more casual and velvet is inherently more dressy. But if you see either fabric in a five-pocket style (like denim), the pants may only be acceptable for a more casual office in general (or, say, a weekend workday in a conservative office). (Know your office!)
On the flip side, if you see cut like trousers or other work pants, or even just without pockets (or only welt pockets), then they’re far more acceptable to wear to conservative offices. Note that the swish-swish sound both pants make while walking can be a problem in an office with very quiet hallways — and that lint can also be a problem with both. (If you’re having a lint emergency at work, a Fed Ex mailing pouch works in a pinch…)
Recently there has been a TON of velvet jeans — note that those are not acceptable at every office, so know yours. You can find a wide variety of colors and fits at Banana Republic, Loft, and Talbots, as well as from brands like Paige. Also of note, some nice trouser-styles of velvet pants at Nordstrom.
{related: how to do business casual in cold weather}
Some of our all-time favorite cords (again, mostly for casual offices) include the Kut from the Kloth ones at Nordstrom, available in regular, petite, and plus sizes. If you prefer a tighter fit, check out corduroy from denim brands like AG; if you prefer a looser but still tailored look check out NYDJ cords. Madewell also has a ton of great cords right now, and I’m drooling over all the colors of these cropped, flared cords from Tuckernuck.
BONUS Category for Warm Women’s Dress Pants: Long Johns and Silk Leggings
One last thing worth noting: long johns can be lifesavers, whether you’re using them to make an already warm pair of pants SUPER warm, to warm up a favorite pair of less seasonal pants (such as a washable pant for work probably in a cotton blend), or to use as a liner for an unlined suit pants.
These are particularly great when the problem is the wind (such as in a city like Chicago) more than the temperature — especially because while a silk long john will block the wind, it won’t overheat you once you get inside.
Readers, which are your favorite warm women’s dress pants for the office? Which fabrics are your favorite — which wear the longest — and where have you bought them recently?
{related: what to wear to work in winter}
Our Favorite Dress Pants for Work in General
These would all be great with the long underwear pictured above…
Like this feature? Check out other recent installments!
{related: interview coats: the best coats to wear over a suit in winter}
Social media photo credit (businesswoman in pants and winter coat) via Deposit Photos / Astroid.
Anon
Cropped/ankle pants always seem out of place to me in freezing cold north-east winters.
Anon
But they are great with socks and booties down south. We rarely get below 30 F and winter typically sees us between low 50s and mid 60s.
AttiredAttorney
Yeah, I’m a little confused about the number of ankle pants in this roundup.
Anon
YES. THANK YOU.
I am struggling SO HARD to find pants that are not cropped that fit my curvy self. The Loft Julie pants have been a staple through some recent weight fluctuations. Does anyone have a solution to this? Anything non-ankle is wide leg and that’s definitely not the look for me.
Anonymous
I always see a reference to “the Julie pants” here. But I understand Julie to be a “fit”, not a specific pant style. So what are the magic pants that all the curvy girls love so much here? Could use the recommendation.
JuliaS
Try LOFT pants – I like to go in the store and try on for size, and then order online. There are so few styles available in the stores.
joan wilder
I bought a pair of these Talbots flannel pants featured above (in the curvy fit) and they are amazing, and I have been happy with a lot of their pants overall. [I am a petite pear, 4P in Talbots, 6P in most other brands for pants]
Anonymous
Thanks, I have not tried Talbots pants in a while but will give these a try. I also like their belts, they last forever.
anonymous
Does Express still make the Editor pants? They used to be the perfect boot cut pants fo rme.
Housecounsel
Editor pants were the best pants ever.
Anon
+1
Triangle Pose
I’m in NE and wear cropped pants through the winter. Unless there is snow on the ground, I don’t see an issue.
anon
NO ANKLE PANTS FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
JuliaS
Agree!!!
Tania
Seriously! There’s a pretty limited time frame for when I want to wear ankle pants, and its way too cold /mushy/snowy here for that right now.
lifer
They are perfect with my booties and dark trouser socks/knee highs. And I’m in Chicago. The trouser sock/knee high either matches the color of the booties or the pants. Since my favorites are all black booties (I have like 6 pairs/styles) and black pants, it is pretty simple….
Anonymous
hate ankle pants! the look just screams ‘I hit a growth spurt and can’t afford new pants’. so much yuck.
Vicky Austin
Subzero here and the last few days have been a mix of:
NY&C 7th avenue in bootcut flare over pantyhose and leg warmers
Uniqlo “pile-lined” tights under dresses
So, uh, no ankle pants. I’ve been really pleased with the pile lined tights though.
Cat
Huh, I don’t mind ankle pants for winter — I wear boots for commuting so ankle pants are actually BETTER because they tuck into the boots nicely.
Anonymous
+1, and they don’t get salty and crusty like longer pants do.
Anon
Yeah, same here. If the weather is that bad, I’m going to wear actual cold weather footwear when I’m outside.
HW
Agreed! It’s 20 degrees here and I’m wearing ankle pants today. I think they look better with boots than my trousers do, plus I don’t have to worry about them getting covered in salt or snow.
Is it Friday yet?
+1 I’m not going to wear full length pants in crappy weather, the bottoms just get gross.
Anon
+1 – I also like my ankle boots to show, they’ve usually got fun tops and it’s a whole thing to style them without hiding the fun.
Anon
Words cannot express how happy I am to see wool pants in the $100-$150 range (see: Talbots). I have a pair from about 2009 that are starting to look a little long in the tooth, but I’ve never wanted to spend $200+ to replace them.
kk
Ankle pants that are loose enough at the ankle (more of a cropped flare) are actually super cute over sock-boots. It’s not a trend with any staying power, but at least its a way to get a little more mileage out of your cropped pants.
Shorty MacShortface
Heh, I’m actually quite pleased with the number of ankle pants shown in this. The “cropped” trend has been gold for a long-torso short-inseam (26.5″) petite woman like me who just wants to buy a dratted pair of pants without *having* to get alterations. Clothing manufacturers who think petite pants should have an inseam of 30″ are out of their ever-loving minds.
Senior Attorney
Sing it, Sister!!
Lutheran wool socks
yep!!
Anon
This year, I have seen several “petite” and “short” inseam pants with a 31” inseams. Clearly the merchants are missing the point of offering petite and short pants.
Fishie
My Old Navy full-length Harper flares/straight leg are my favorite work pants ever. I hope they bring them back.
Anon
Oh no!!!! I love the Harper pants too and didn’t realize they were discontinued. I have them in navy, gray, and maroon and was planning to buy new ones this winter.
I suppose I’ll have to check out some of the options above, but none look like the right leg shape on the models – I want that in-between boot cut and straight leg that the Harper has, not tapered and not flare.
Rachel Betts
I’ve always wondered whether you can wear booties with the longer style pants. My feet and ankles are so cold in flats or pumps, so I’d prefer to wear booties – BUT is this a fashion no-no?
JuliaS
I wear booties under longer pants all of the time – I think they look fabulous. I also love the neutral color SmartWool knee socks – thin and warm, and they look good with loafer-style flats plus I wear them over tights under boots.
JuliaS
I’m perpetually looking for work trousers, washable, with a touch of stretch. Loft has one style, but only in black. I LOVED Gap’s Perfect Trousers (but only in charcoal grey – the other colors fit oddly) but they don’t make them anymore. Thank goodness for Poshmark. Having slightly slanted or horizontal pockets for me is a MUST – otherwise the pockets bulge. I’m also not a fan of the latest waist-high pants. To me, they look dated and dowdy.
I don’t understand the fascination with ankle pants – they only look good with heels (no thanks) or flats/no socks (ouch). For New England winters, they are out! Could you consider doing a “hunt” on unlined washable dress trousers with some stretch? And would you consider doing an updated button-down shirt (washable, no-iron) roundup? Your last one was 2017. I love BR’s tailored shirts – but again, so hard to find. I’m willing to try other brands if I know that they’re true-to-size, tailored, and tuckable. Thanks!
JuliaS
My favorite frigid weather outfit by far is a sweater dress with a tank top underneath to tuck into the top of black footless tights, and then SmartWool knee socks and knee-high boots. I had an extra button added to my long wool winter coat (with a hood) so that it stays closed in the wind better. Then I take a long scarf that is like a thick pashmina only it’s not wool (bought about 15 years ago at Marshalls) and I wrap it around my neck to keep my hood up and bury my face. I usually wear a lined knitted wool hat from North Face too. Add my fur-edged lined leather gloves, and I’m good even below 0 before considering windchill.
I’ve found that lined flannel pants are just way too hot for me in the office. If my feet are warm, I’m pretty comfortable inside. Also too many layers in the bitter cold leaves me super-wrinkled. Much prefer cozy sweater dresses. Sadly a lot of sweater dresses are now tunic length (boo – I’m looking at you Gap-takeover of Athleta).
Anon
If you’re offended by amazon, avert your eyes, but these pants have been complete workhorses for me. And they come in various inseam lengths!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DSD583T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1