22 Types of pants – Can you name each one of them?

Dressy to casual, pants fit all types of styles. And different occassions call for different types of pants. I think that the most important things to consider when going about getting your pants are:

1. It fits you properly. 
2. The color of the pants complements you.
3. The style matches your age and body shape.

If these considerations are taken care of, your pair of pants will make you look fabulous. Check out the choices you have when it comes to pants, and decide which one you need right now. Chinos, slacks, and corduroys are just a few types of dress pants suitable for various occasions.

The most common Pant styles

Trousers

This is the most common type of pants; you probably own one and wear it to work every day – formal or tailored pants.

Dress pants (or suit trousers as they are also called) refer to pants that are worn for formal to semi-formal functions; they are usually made of woven material/expensive suiting material and may or may not be part of a suit. These pants typically have an opening in the front with zippers or buttons.

Slack is a trouser that is not part of a suit. 

Straight pants, as the name suggests, are straight all along their length. Flat-front pants are seamless and pocketless. 

Here is a tutorial to make it comfortable to wear straight pants for women.

Fabrics used for the pants can be another differentiator. For eg. Corduroy pants offer a textured look that pairs well with casual and semi-formal outfits.

For formal meetings, you’ll want to wear pants made from wool or a wool blend. Twill pants have a distinct diagonal weave, offering a textured alternative to flat fabrics.

Differing from office wear, workwear pants are designed for durability and functionality, ideal for jobs that require heavy-duty attire. Heavy-duty cotton or even materials like canvas are common in workwear pants, designed for maximum durability.

Jeans

Jeans are pants made of denim. Made primarily from denim, jeans offer durability and casual style.

It is characterized by double stitching lines all along the seams done in a thick thread. Made for rough use, jeans epitomize youthfulness. To know the names of 45 different types of jeans in this post – Different denim jeans names. 

Related posts : Different parts of jeans that make them special 

Overalls or Jumpsuits

These are pants that have a bodice attached to it at the waistline. 

Culottes

These are a mix of pants and shorts. They are knee-length or slightly longer.

Capri/pedal pusher is a 3/4 length pant – the hem falls below the knees. The hem is usually cuffed.  

Check out the names of shorts.

Harem pants

These are trousers with gathers at the waist and ankles. Elastic bands or waistbands hold the gathers with drawstrings.

 Baggy pants

These pants are loose fitting pants. Harem pants is a type of baggy pants. Baggy jeans is another pants in this style. The fit of a Boyfriend jeans makes it a type of baggy pants.

Bell Bottoms/ Flared pants

These pants are fitted at the waist, hips, and thighs and flare from the knees. Bootcut pants/jeans are in this style. In this type, the flare starts from the knees to the ankles.

At different points in history, (during the 1990s they were very popular) they were called by other names – hipster pants, sailors pants, and yachting pants.

These are very fitted pants made of hosiery or knitted stretch material.

Treggings are leggings that look like trousers, and Jeggings are leggings that look like jeans with small details like pockets (faux) and front fly, and the jean’s special seam stitching.

Learn more about the different types of leggings,  difference between leggings, pantyhose and stockings.

Tights

Most people confuse tights and leggings and call them by the same name. But there is a slight difference between leggings and tights; though tights are made of the same stretch material as leggings, tights extend to cover the whole foot.

Punk Pants

These are pants with lots of stitching lines and pockets stitched on them for decorative purposes rather than functional ones. They are trendy among the young generation, and the style varies over the years.

Stirrup pants

Stirrup pants are very similar to leggings, the only difference being that they have a connecting strap that goes under the foot holding the pant in place like a belt.

Cargo pants/Carpenter pants

Cargo pants and carpenter pants are pants with additional pockets or different types of pockets than the ones on traditional pants – usually placed halfway down the pant legs. Cargo pants are also called combat pants.

The carpenter pants have more than four pockets, and additional hoops called hammer loops (under the main pockets).

Cargo pants feature special roomy cargo pockets halfway down the legs.

Fatigue Trousers

These are military-inspired pants (imitating the original trousers worn by American Military in the Vietnam war) with details like Zip-fly with button closure, inner drawstring, and buttoned-down cargo pockets in camouflage fabric.

Stovepipe pants (Drainpipe trousers)

The term Stovepipe refers to the fitted silhouette of the pants. Stovepipe pant is used almost synonymous with skinny jeans, so you know what it looks like. Stovepipe pants are very slim-fitting pants with tapered legs (trousers or jeans). They look almost like leggings on you. Most of the stove pipe pants are designed ankle length.

Other names for these pants are cigarette pants, and pencil leg pants. Slim-fit pants offer a sleek silhouette- best choice if you want a modern look.

Peg-leg pants

These are relaxed fit pants with a cropped, tapered leg; they taper and become fitting at the ankle where it ends. They have darts at the legs to make the pants slim fitting there. 

Toreador pants

These pants are cropped, close-fitting, and end somewhere near the calf, just under the knee. They resemble the pants that Spanish bullfighters wear and hence the name.  

Eastern pants

Eastern pants include many pants of Asian and Middle East origin like Harem pants, Salwar pants, Dhoti pants, Chudidhar pants and Thai fisherman pants. These pants have elasticized or drawstring waists with big flared legs which may or may not be drawn at the hem into a plain cuff or an elastic one.

Jodhpur pants

A variation of pegged pants, these pants are loose to the knees and end in a simulated cuff at the ankles. Jodhpur pants have more volume around the hips than normal pegged pants.

A different take on Jodhpurs is riding habits worn by the horse riders. They are calf-length and end in a long fake cuff.

Cropped Pants

This is a pants style with the hem cut just above the ankle. Flood pants is in this style – cut just above the ankle.

Brancusi Pants

This style has a balloon-shaped silhouette near the leg opening. It is usually an ankle-length pant style.

Dungarees

These are trousers with a bib that is attached to the back with two adjustable straps. Workmen usually wear these – basically overalls used as work clothes.

They are made of very thick material. They have a long stitching line starting at the neck and going along the crotch line at the front and back. The bib usually has a pocket or sometimes a patch. Pockets are usually topstitched.  

Athleisure pants

Joggers, sweatpants, and tracksuit bottoms are all types of athleisure pants you can wear for comfort and style. Joggers are sweatpants with a more tapered fit. Tracksuit bottoms are another type of athleisure pants. They are usually made of cotton-blends, spandex, or synthetic blends.

If you are looking for the different categories of pants in terms of their fit, cut rise, etc., check out this post Fitting guide for pants – 15 terms that matter.

Paper-bag waist pants

These are high waisted pants with the waist tied like a paper bag.

More Pant Names