Suits get the attention, but the real workwear workhorse is a beautifully-cut pair of trousers — the piece that makes every office outfit look sharp, pulled-together and expensive, no matter what you pair it with. The nine-to-five edit: why the trouser matters most, how to find the perfect pair, and how to build outfits around it.

Why the Trouser Matters Most

The power of a well-cut trouser: it-makes-everything-look-sharp (the a-great trouser making outfits look-sharp from the modern-workwear-beyond-suits chapter — the the-sharpness; the looks-sharp), the it’s-the-workhorse (the the-trouser as the workwear-workhorse from the workwear-capsule chapter — the the-workhorse; the workhorse), the beyond-the-suit (the the-trouser working beyond-the-suit from the modern-workwear-beyond-suits chapter — the the-beyond-suit; the beyond-suits), the the-foundation-of-workwear (the a-great-trouser as the workwear-foundation from the building-a-workwear-capsule chapter — the the-foundation; the foundation), and the reframe (the well-cut-trouser as the sharpness-making, workhorse, foundational workwear-piece).

How to Find the Perfect Pair

Finding the perfect work trouser: the the-flattering-cut (the a-flattering cut (straight, wide, tapered) from the workwear-capsule chapter — the the-cut; the flattering-cut), the the-quality-fabric (the a-quality, structured fabric from the building-a-workwear-capsule chapter — the the-fabric; the quality-fabric), the the-right-rise-and-fit (the the-right rise-and-fit from the workwear-capsule chapter — the the-fit; the right-fit), the the-versatile-color (the a-versatile color (black, navy, gray, camel) from the building-a-workwear-capsule chapter — the the-color; the versatile-color), the the-tailor-them (the tailoring for a-perfect-fit from the workwear-capsule chapter — the the-tailoring; the tailor-it), the the-the-right-length (the the-right hem-length for your-shoes from the workwear-capsule chapter — the the-length; the right-length), the the-invest-in-a-couple (the a-couple of great trousers from the building-a-workwear-capsule chapter — the the-invest; the a-couple-great), and the the-summer-and-winter-weights (the seasonal fabric-weights from the summer-office-dress-code chapter — the the-seasonal; the by-season).

How to Build Outfits Around It

Building outfits around the trouser: the the-with-a-blouse-or-shirt (the a-trouser with a-blouse-or-white-shirt from the office-outfit-ideas chapter — the the-top; the with-a-blouse), the the-with-a-blazer (the a-trouser with a-blazer from the modern-workwear-beyond-suits chapter — the the-blazer; the with-a-blazer), the the-with-a-knit (the a-trouser with a-fine-knit from the office-outfit-ideas chapter — the the-knit; the with-a-knit), the the-elevated-shoes (the elevated shoes (heels, loafers) from the office-outfit-ideas chapter — the the-shoes; the elevated-shoes), the the-statement-office-piece (the a-statement-piece over the trouser from the statement-office-pieces chapter — the the-statement; the add-a-statement), the the-commute-proof (the commute-proof, comfortable trousers from the commute-proof-workwear chapter — the the-commute; the commute-proof), the the-day-to-evening (the the-trouser day-to-evening from the modern-workwear-beyond-suits chapter — the the-versatility; the day-to-night), and the frame (the well-cut-trouser as a-flattering-quality-and-tailored foundation styled-with-blouses-blazers-and-knits — does all the work. Build around a well-cut trouser — with a blouse-or-white-shirt, a blazer, or a fine knit, and elevated shoes (heels, loafers) — choosing a flattering cut, quality fabric, versatile color and tailored fit: the workwear foundation that makes every office outfit look sharp.

Suits get the attention, but the real workwear workhorse is a beautifully-cut pair of trousers — the piece that makes every office outfit look sharp, pulled-together and expensive. Find the perfect pair — a flattering cut (straight, wide, tapered), quality structured fabric, the right rise-and-fit, a versatile color (black, navy, gray, camel), tailored, at the right length (invest in a couple). Build outfits around it — with a blouse-or-white-shirt, a blazer, or a fine knit, and elevated shoes (heels, loafers), adding a statement piece, day-to-evening. The workwear foundation that does all the work.