The Best Pants for Women Over 50

2. Solve the rise situation before anything else.

Women say:

 “I want pants that are high enough to tuck in my belly.” 

“I never tuck in tops. Which rise is best for me?”

 “These pants look great, but I keep tugging the waistband up!”

Let’s be clear. The rise is the distance from the top of the waistband to the bottom of the crotch. It’s the make-it-or-break-it zone for a well-fitting pair of pants. Here’s what gets an instant no: a waistband that hits too high and leaves your bust no torso space; a waistband that is too low and requires constant tugs to stay up (especially every time you sit and stand); or one that is just uncomfortable. The same goes for a rise that gives you a front or back wedgie or baggy butt at the rear. It doesn’t matter if you love the pants; it’s still a reject.

A higher rise sits at or above the belly button, around 9 to 12 inches. Styles like the Old Navy Women High-Waisted OGC Chino Tapered Straight Pants in Nomadic Trail, Black Jack, In The Navy and A Stone’s Throw ($28, oldnavy.gap.com) and DKNY Women’s Soft Ponte Knit High-Rise Pull-On Pants in Black ($89, macys.com) are efficient at tucking in muffin tops, emphasizing a trim waist and solving waistband gap issues if you’re slimmer on top, wider on bottom.

A high-rise can be a problem for women with a large chest or a short midriff. They do better with mid-rise pants, such as Gap Mid Rise Straight Khakis in Mojave Tan, Mesculen Green, Black, or Navy Blue Night ($34, gap.com). Mid-rise pants sit at the belly button or just below it, at approximately 8 to 9.5 inches, to provide more midriff space. No one needs their breasts sitting right on top of the waistband! Yes, there’s overlap, and some pants labeled as high-rise are actually mid-rise, and vice versa. Let your body tell you what works by checking your view in a full-length mirror — from front, side, and back, and when seated.

3. Choose a “makes-sense-for-me” length.

“I can’t stand buying pants and then paying again for extra tailoring.”

“Most so-called ‘ankle pants’ are too short on me.”

“I want a length that works with all my shoes.”

Does this sound like you? Pant length is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and that’s why brands like Banana Republic Factory, J. Crew, J. Crew Factory, Gap Factory, Loft, Lands’ End and others now offer inseams in petite/short, regular and tall. This makes it easier to find your best ready-made length.

Some shorter women still find the petite/short inseam too long and tailor that critical inch or two at the hem to prevent the pants from buckling or bunching at the ankles. The two best choices are an ankle-length pant like the J.Crew Factory Women Ponte Cropped Pull-On Pant in Navy or Black ($55, factory.jcrew.com) and A New Day Women’s High-Rise Cropped Pants in Black ($40, target.com) or a full-length ankle-covering pant such as Kasper Women’s Mid-Rise Pull-On Straight Leg Pants in Black ($89, macys.com) that just grazes the top of the shoe. The latter is designed to fall straight without “puddling” or “breaking,” even if it’s a bootcut or flare. 

Ankle pants work well with the flats most women over 50 wear every day, as well as their sneakers. “Long” full-length pants are more conservative, tend to look dressier and can be a better choice if you wear heeled shoes or ankle boots. My advice? Choose one length that works with your shoes and stick with it. Then play around with pant volume, color and fabric for a fashion fix.  

4. Wear wide-leg pants the right way.

“Will wide-leg pants make me look heavier?” 

“I’m short and wearing wide pants with flats makes me look boxy.”

“Do wide-leg pants work with untucked or bigger tops?”

Here’s the truth. Wide-leg pants can be flattering regardless of your height, size and shape — only if you choose the right pair and wear them with some sort of strategy. Let’s start with what to avoid: wide-leg pants with pleats (they add bulk and bulges to the belly) and excessively wide pants (sorry, but palazzos require long legs and heels to be successful).

The good news is that the flow of wide-leg pants feels great after years of wearing skinny pants. The bad news is that extra width does create a wider proportion, just as an oversized chunky knit sweater or horizontally striped tunic does. The trick is to wear the wide pants you love and create a vertical illusion.

Pull on pants with a flat, smooth fit on top and relaxed flow from thighs to hem like the Banana Republic Women High-Rise Wide-Leg Everywhere Ponte Pull-On Pant in Black, Ganache Brown or Redwood Canopy Burgundy ($100, bananarepublic.gap.com); Anne Klein Women’s Velvet High-Rise Pull-On Wide-Leg Pants in Anne Black ($99, macys.com); or J.Jill Wearever Double-Face Jersey-Knit Trousers in Cream, Hickory Bark or Black ($90, jjill.com). There are no belts, flies, buttons or design details to break the line. Matching pants and top without a color break at the waist helps too, regardless of the width of the pants, the volume of the top you wear, whether you tuck in or untuck, and your size and height. Don’t restrict yourself to only black, as any neutral color works here for a monochromatic effect, from winter white to grey, navy, camel or brown.

5. Decide between pull-ons and tailored styles.

Everyone wants to try pants with pull-on waistbands now, even women who have worn structured pants with a zipper for decades. Both come in a variety of styles and have their advantages.

Elastic-waist pants have a clean, minimalist look. Aside from the comfier feel, these pull-ons offer a smooth, flat front that makes an excellent base for untucked and semi-tucked tops, and can be an ally in managing weight fluctuations, belly bulge and bloat. Sizes are typically small to 2X, so don’t expect precision. Elastic waist pants sit at your natural waist — wherever it may be — which eliminates the rise dilemma.

Fly-front tailored pants have a classy, polished and structured look (they’re sized numerically for a more specific fit too) that gives curvy bodies a sharper, firmer silhouette and a confidence-boosting hold, similar to that of jeans. They are best for showing off a still-trim waist or hourglass figure (most feature belt loops) or to opt for a specific rise (high-rise or mid-rise).

Try ones like the Woman Within Stretch Ponte Knit Pull-On Wide-Leg Pants in Black ($29, target.com); J. Crew Factory Women Remy Full-Length High-Rise Wide Leg Pant in Black ($80, factory.jcrew.com); or Gap Women High Rise Double Knit Boot Pants in Black ($39, gap.com) to see which works best for you.

6. Choose straight-leg pants for a classy, classic look.

Women say:

“I’m over skinny jeans and pants, but I don’t like wide-legs or a bootcut.” 

“I want a basic pair of pants that’ll work day or night for any season and won’t go out of style.”

“I need pants that look as good with a silk blouse as with a T-shirt.” 

Straight-leg pants are the answer. They never look overdone or too casual, too trendy or too stuffy, especially in all their updated styles. Try Loft Straight Corduroy Pants in Whisper White, Coastal Grey, Perfect Camel or Iced Espresso ($54, loft.com); Old Navy Women High-Waisted Pixie Straight Pants in Dark Heather Gray, Black Jack or In The Navy ($35, oldnavy.gap.com) a zip-fly basic pant in a stretch cotton; and the Banana Republic Factory Women Straight Ponte Pull-On in Black or Preppy Navy ($50, bananarepublicfactory.gapfactory.com) to energize your current wardrobe. They’ll stick around for next year, too.

7. Update your do-everything dressy black pants.

Every woman over 50 has a pair of black pants in her closet that she can rely on for evenings out, festivities and events. They’re the pants you grab to hide extra pounds at a party, the ones that make you feel sexy and sleek with an oversized cozy sweater, authoritative with a black turtleneck, business-like with a crisp white shirt — and they can stand in for a dress when paired with a fancy top and low heels.

These old dependables don’t look good forever, though. In fact, your idea of “dress pants” may be quite different now than it was a few years ago. Updates in style, design details and the addition of machine-washable soft stretch fabrics make splurging on a new pair a good idea. One can’t-miss pant I always suggest is a black faux leather style like Loft Wide Leg Pants in Faux Leather in Black ($48, loft.com); NYDJ Faux Leather Ankle Pants in Black ($67, bloomingdales.com); and Lysse High-Waist Stretch Faux Leather Pants in Black ($128, nordstrom.com). You’ll wear them day and night and wish you had bought two. Not into leather? Try a wide-leg style in dense, lush ponte like The Simply Vera Vera Wang Women’s Luxe Ponte Wide Leg Pants in Black ($44, kohls.com).

8. Find a legging/sweatpant update.

Let’s address the off-duty/lounge/comfort category. Not long ago, nearly every woman over 50 depended on black leggings or sweatpants. On days when the bathroom scale was off the charts, when you just wanted to hang out at home, when your jeans refused to zip up, or any kind of “real” clothing was just too much to consider, they never failed. That’s why many women still secretly refuse to toss or donate them.

However, two new choices in athleisure may change that. Flared leggings, such as Old Navy Women’s Extra High-Waisted Cloud Comfy Flare Leggings in Black Jack ($17, oldnavy.gap.com) and GapFit Smooth Foldover Mini Flare Leggings in True Black ($63, gap.com), have eliminated the “tights” look and improved lower-leg circulation while evolving into a more streetwear-inspired style.

Sweatpants have changed, too, and brands like Universal Thread Women’s Mid-Rise Relaxed Leg Sweatpants in Black ($30, target.com) and L.L. Bean Women’s Ultrasoft Sweats, Straight Leg in Classic Navy, Black Coffee or Ledge Heather ($70, llbean.com) have swapped the puff at the ankle for a straight leg style that elevates fleece to a luxury level. Both leggings and sweatpants work well with sneakers, of course, but also look equally stylish over ankle boots, mules, clogs, ballet flats and loafers.