The weather’s been cold for a while now. At the start of fall, I thought I was well set for pants, but I’m already getting bored of my existing selection. That got me researching new men’s pants trends to see what I could buy to freshen up my wardrobe.
One thing was clear: men’s pants are getting interesting. The domination of slim and skinny fits appears to be ending, ushering in a whole new world of more interesting styles.
See Also: Men’s Jeans Trends to Rock in the Coming Year
For starters, this seems to be the year that wide-leg pants are going fully mainstream. While wider leg styles have been growing in popularity over the last few years, it seems like this is the year that there going to be fully adopted—in various shapes and forms.
The other major trend is all the ways that pants are getting louder and more experimental. It seems like after two years of the pandemic, men are wanting to express themselves and pants seem to be the method they’re choosing to do so. Cue a ton of out-there trends such as paneling, embroidery, and more.
Whatever you’re after, here are some great men’s pants trends to freshen up your wardrobe.
See Also: These are the Stylish Men’s Shirts Trends I’ll be Wearing This Year
2022 Men’s Pants Trends
Wide Leg Pants
I wrote a post recently about how jeans are getting wider and the trend has only grown in prominence since. Wide pants and jeans come in a variety of styles, from ones that just slightly fall off the legs to full-on 90s style baggy denim. My biggest issue with wide jeans is that because I’m relatively tall and thin my outfit seems to lose all its shape as soon as I put them on. I do want to keep trying though. On my wishlist is a pair that is cropped slightly at the ankle in the hopes that this will give the outfit some shape. I also like smarter ones with a higher waist like in the image above.
All About the Details
One thing I like about pants at the moment is that many of them feature extra details. They are never boring. Look for things like double belts, heavy seams, textured materials, pockets, and zips on your next pair of pants. Embroidered details are also becoming more common, especially on jeans. And they come in a large variety of styles, from those with minor embroidered details to those that cover the pants.
Corduroy
Corduroy is another trend that is growing more popular by the month. And it makes a lot of sense. The material is warm and comfy and comes in a variety of colors that are perfect for fall. Like with jeans, many corduroy pants are getting wider. I haven’t had a pair of corduroy pants for a few years now, so I’m super excited to grab a new one.
Cargo Pants
Cargo pants are another style making a comeback. This seems almost inevitable as cargos fit the casual aesthetic perfectly. When looking for cargo pants you really do have an incredibly wide selection available. From relatively toned-down pairs in dark colors, to full-on camo adorned with multiple pockets. I like the ones in the image above due to the extra paneling details.
Heavily Cropped Pants
Heavily cropped pants have been popular for a few seasons now and there are still plenty around. It’s a look that goes well with the wider styles mentioned above. All styles are being cropped, from jeans and combats to chinos and tailoring. Another similar style is exaggerated turn-ups. This is when you wear jeans with turn-ups that are far larger than you’d normally expect.
Smart Comfort
Smart comfort was a big pants trend last year and it looks like it will continue. These are more comfortable, relaxed takes on regular pants styles. A common example of this is jeans or cords in super soft material with an elasticated waistband. Another is smart-looking sweatpants that can be worn outside the gym: like the ones in the image above.
Patterns and Colors
Patterns and colors seem to be everywhere at the moment. We’ve seen plenty on coats, shirts, and jackets, and pants are not being spared. It takes some confidence to wear check pants—more so than coats or jumpers. But it looks great if you can pull it off. And you can always tone it down by choosing a muted grey pair, or turn it up to eleven with a more colorful pair. This pants trend is one of the smartest on this list.
