I have such a love-hate relationship with pants. I appreciate the value of a good lineup. Having a few trusted pairs on hand makes getting dressed so much easier. Ah, but therein lies the downside, too: It’s so damn hard to find pants that work for me. Most slacks simply don’t fit my proportions right, and don’t start with me about the tailor—I’ve tried! (Shopping is a lot less fun when every item requires a trip to the seamstress.)

As such, I stick to my tried-and-true jeans, one great pair of Dickies that I’ve had since my waitressing days, and...that’s pretty much it. Those are my options for bottoms to wear out of the house, except, of course, for the leggings and sweatpants that I wear in my neighborhood. But everyone there has already seen me at my worst, so that’s fine.

This is all a long-winded way of setting a scene. Having heard my plight, you can imagine how excited I am that a new silhouette is taking the front stage: the kick flare. Dear reader, I think these pants might be the answer to my prayers. Most kick flare styles are made of knitwear, which is chic, yes, but more importantly, comfortable. They stretch! The legs are fitted throughout before curving into a slight flare at the ankle. Many of the pairs I’m eyeing are cropped, but there are full-length options for long-legged shoppers, too. The beauty of this wardrobe hero is that it provides the clean, work-friendly look of trousers with all of the comfort of your coziest joggers. This might be the best thing to happen all year, especially for those who can’t wear jeans to work.

What’s this I’m feeling? Silly as it might be, I think I’m experiencing genuine relief. My fall and winter uniform just fell into my lap. Below, see the kick flare pants I’m shopping this season.


Soni Crop Flare Trousers
LK Bennett Soni Crop Flare Trousers
Kick Gingham Stretch-Cotton Knit Cropped Flared Pants
High Sport Kick Gingham Stretch-Cotton Knit Cropped Flared Pants
The Rib Kick Flare
Donni The Rib Kick Flare
Now 11% Off
Crop Flare Everywhere Ponte Pant
Banana Republic Crop Flare Everywhere Ponte Pant
Now 15% Off
The Kick Flare Foster Pant
M.M. LaFleur The Kick Flare Foster Pant
Now 10% Off
Thilde Slit-Front Skinny Pants
The Row Thilde Slit-Front Skinny Pants
Slim Kick Flare Trouser
Argent Slim Kick Flare Trouser
Kick Flare Perf Pants
SPANX Kick Flare Perf Pants
Rio High Waist Flare Pant
Leset Rio High Waist Flare Pant
The Dream Kick Flare Pant
Everlane The Dream Kick Flare Pant
Now 74% Off
The Margot Kick-Flare Cropped Pants
Maeve The Margot Kick-Flare Cropped Pants
Ciara Trousers
Sezane Ciara Trousers
Compression Knit Ashford Pants
Tuckernuck Compression Knit Ashford Pants