Here’s What to Wear With Black Pants for the Office, Date Night, and Beyond

Not to brag, but I’m what some would call a black pants aficionado—an expert on what to wear with black pants. My closet houses various cuts (wide-leg, tapered, barrel-leg, cargo, you name it) in every conceivable fabrication, from linen and leather to denim and wool. Needless to say, the time-tested staple is the backbone of my fashion-editor wardrobe. In fact, I’d trade every pair of blue jeans I own for just one pair of these sleek trousers.

People go on and on about the wearability of blue jeans, but I’m here to inform you that their versatility has nothing on plain black pants. They truly do it all—working hard everywhere from the office to the bar to the playground. The same pair of pants can look utterly relaxed on a Sunday, then tackle a professional dress code come Monday morning. Here’s how to style black pants for nearly every occasion for the season ahead.