12 Soft Pants Outfits You Can Wear to Work

Soft pants: Whether they're loose-fitting sweats, buttery soft leggings, or silky wide-leg pants, they're just about the most comfortable you can wear. Period. Since they're the ultimate cozy piece of clothing, it should be illegal to ban them from business casual attire, but sadly, sweatpants are still frowned upon in formal office settings. Still, there are plenty of under-the-radar ways to style soft pants so that even your boss won't know you're basically wearing joggers to work.

Ahead, we've rounded up a dozen work-appropriate outfits featuring your favorite cozy, casual bottoms.

Ultra-Wide Leg Soft Pants

A wide-leg silhouette is an ideal choice for when you want to look your most polished. We recommend looking for woven knits that feel silky soft but have a sturdy look and won't wrinkle.

Flared Leggings

Flared leggings are having a moment which is great if you want to wear leggings to work (without anyone knowing you're wearing leggings to work). Opt for high-end knit materials that drape or puddle at the hem to feel equal parts polished and comfy.

Fringe Sweatpants

Certain design details reinvent the feel of casual separates, fringe among them. A pair of sweats lined with fringe at the side serves high-fashion energy, not "comfy inside pants."

Silk Cargo Pants

Roomy and soft, silk or satin cargo pants add an eclectic, trendy vibe to any outfit. Pair with a blazer if you're feeling bossed up or a slouchy cardigan if you prefer to walk around in a cocoon of ultra-softness.

Classic Sweatpants

Don't let the elastic ankle fool you. These are not the sweatpants you were forced to wear for middle school gym class. Stacked loafers, a ruffled button-down, and classic sweatpants all in hues of pastels or vibrant primary colors serve so much fashionista energy that no one will notice how cozy you are.

Soft Joggers

Don’t tell your boss, but there’s almost no difference between a sleek “professional” jumpsuit and a soft cami tucked into matching satin sweatpants. Except, of course, how comfortable you'll feel.

Ruched Soft Pants

A little ruching goes a long way toward elevating soft pants into business casual. We recommend looking for deeply saturated colors, patterns, or prints to breathe even more life into this style.

Stirrup Leggings

Almost everyone knows you can trick the eye into thinking that tapered leggings are trousers or cigarette pants. To take it a step further, try a stirrup ankle detail when wearing leggings to work. Pair with a pullover and sleek heels for maximum CEO vibes.

Color-Coordinated Sweats

One way to take soft pants to the next level is to keep the silhouette wide and color-match the pants to a blazer or sweater. The look is meticulous, even if the individual pieces are very casual.

Shimmery Soft Pants

A metallic or shimmering soft pant paired with an equally decadent sequined sweater or blouse recalls vintage womenswear while still being firmly planted firmly in the present fashion girlie moment.

Cropped Soft Pants

A tapered pant cropped at the ankle, even in the softest silks or satin, gives any outfit an air of tailored seriousness.

Add a long-line blazer or jacket to keep any stretchy waistbands that'll give away the exact nature of your cozy pants out of sight.

Drawstring Soft Pants

Not all drawstrings radiate casual energy. A pair of high-waisted soft pants with a woven rope or braided drawstring is all quiet luxury, so no one will think you wore your workout clothes to the office.

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