A pair of leggings, or sweatpants can, of course, keep you comfortable. But, for days when you want to elevate your look, you may want a pair of flattering pants instead. Don’t worry – you don’t have to opt for a pair that dig into your waist all day. Take a look at the most comfortable pants for women below that you can wear for day or evening.

What to look out for when choosing comfortable pants for women

Comfortable pants for women - Susan matches her suede derbies to her sweater and pants | 40plusstyle.com

With much of the world working from home, many of you are dressing more casually.

Look out for pants with an elasticated waist or featuring material that stretches such as lycra, spandex or elastane. That way, your pants will have some ‘give’ and won’t dig in anywhere.

Susan @susan_unefemme above (read her style interview here) opts for stylish ankle pants and matches her shoes to the neutrals in her sweater.

Get her look with this exact sweater from Petite Studio, and wear it with this similar pants, shoes and necklace.

the best comfortable pants for women in stores now

Let’s take a look at some good comfy pants options to add to your everyday outfits.

Eileen Fisher stretch pants

Eileen Fisher is always a good go-to for separates that look stylish while being comfy and casual. The black pants (below) are an absolute classic that will go with anything in your closet. Plus, they’re made from a soft jersey, making them ideal for working from home.

Eileen Fisher Slouch Ankle Pants | 40plusstyle.com

Eileen Fisher Slouch Ankle Pants

Everlane dream pants

Everlane’s Dream pants (below) have plenty of features to make them comfortable pants for women, including an elastic waist, the fact they’re made with 4% elastane so they have some give and the wrinkle resistant formula. You could easily wear with sneakers and a t-shirt for weekends, or with a smart shirt for work.

Everlane The Dream trousers | 40plusstyle.com

Everlane The Dream Pants

Lafayette stretch pants

Lafayette’s stretch pants are pricier than some of the other comfortable pants for women options in this list, but they will stay on-trend for season after season. They have 11% elastane to provide stretch and help them keep their shape and, even though they’re designer, they are machine washable. You could style the beige pair shown here with other neutrals for an on-trend look this year, or opt for black, white or a choice of brown or olive shades.

Comfortable pants for women - Lafayette 148 New York Gramercy Acclaimed Stretch trousers | 40plusstyle.com

Lafayette 148 New York Gramercy Acclaimed Stretch Pants

Anthropologie pull on flare pants

When searching for comfy pants, a pair that pull on is a good option. The pull-on flare pants (below) are easy to wear yet also feature subtle details that elevate their styling, such as a zip at the back of the ankles and slanted pockets.

Anthropologie Maeve The Sabine Pull-On Flares | 40plusstyle.com

Anthropologie Maeve The Sabine Pull-On Flare Pants

Lee relaxed fit all day pants

For a pair of timeless, comfy, straight leg pants, Lee’s relaxed fit style (below) look like a perfect choice. Reviewers say they don’t ride down at the waist, have a good cut for those who have a bit of a belly and have just the right amount of room without looking like “old lady pants”.

LEE Relaxed Fit All Day Straight Leg trousers | 40plusstyle.com

LEE Relaxed Fit All Day Straight Leg Pants

high waisted ankle pants

A pair of high-waisted pants can make your legs look longer if you are thinking about looking taller and slimmer. The Old Navy drawstring pants (below) come in regular, tall and petite. Reviewers say they are comfortable and are particularly good if you have bigger thighs.

Comfortable pants for women - Old Navy High-Waisted Brushed-Twill Ankle trousers | 40plusstyle.com

Old Navy High-Waisted Brushed-Twill Ankle Pants

satin pants

If you want to elevate your style while staying comfy, you could try a luxurious material like satin. The pants below come in black, cream or tan. You could dress these up with a camisole top, blazer and heels.

Lacausa Uma Pants | 40plusstyle.com

Lacausa Uma Pants

Stretch cigarette pants

A pair of ankle length cigarette pants look sleek and dressy while being comfortable. You could add a pair of ballet pumps for an Audrey Hepburn style look, or choose low heels for work or dinner.

Comfortable pants for women: Vince High Waist Cigarette Pants | 40plusstyle.com

Vince High Waist Cigarette Pants

Wide leg pants

Comfy pants for women - Dayle in black wide leg pants, tunic and red accessories | 40plusstyle.com

Wide leg pants are particularly on trend right now. Dayle @artfulcitystyle above (read her style interview here) often wears wide legged pants as part of her signature stylish yet relaxed style.

Steal her look with this similar top, pants, sandals, scarf and earrings.

Comfortable pants for women: H&M Creased Pants | 40plusstyle.com

H&M Creased Pants

Tapered elastic waist pants

The tapered pants (below) look like classic dress pants, but they have an elastic waist meaning they are easy to get on and wear. Reviewers say they are comfortable and warm, and are versatile enough for professional and casual days.

Uniqlo Tapered Pants | 40plusstyle.com

Uniqlo Tapered Pants

two-way stretch pants

When choosing comfortable pants, choosing a pair that stretch in two or more directions can be key. The Uniqlo pants (below) come in the taupe color shown here or plaid. Reviewers say they wash well and are comfortable while looking smart.

Comfortable pants for women: Uniqlo 2-Way Stretch Glen Pants | 40plusstyle.com

Uniqlo 2-Way Stretch Glen Pants

Two-tone pants

For an unusual style that will make your outfit stand out, how about the two-tone pants (below). They have a wide, relaxed fit that won’t make you feel constricted and feature elastane for a bit of stretch.

4th & Reckless Amur Two-Tone Trousers | 40plusstyle.com

4th & Reckless Amur Two-Tone Trousers

Pull-on pants

The most comfortable pants for women you'll want to wear every day | 40plusstyle.com

Pull-on pants can be ideal for day-to.day or for travelling. Alison @wardrobe_oxygen above (read her style interview here) opts for a pair of blue pants with her lilac sweater, and adds an on-trend chain necklace.

Check out this similar sweater, pull-on pants, loafers, shoulder bag and necklace.

Reviewers say the pull-on pants (below) have all the comfort of yoga pants while also looking “put together”.

Comfortable pants for women: Lands' End Elastic Waist Pull Straight Leg On Pants | 40plusstyle.com

Lands’ End Elastic Waist Pull Straight Leg On Pants

Stretch high rise pants

Lululemon is a good go-to brand for both exercise and day-to-day wear. You can either wear the drawcord out or hide it inside on the stretch high-rise pants (below) to create slightly different looks.

Lululemon Stretch High-Rise Pants | 40plusstyle.com

Lululemon Stretch High-Rise Pants

Dress yoga pants are stylish and comfortable pants for women

You can, of course, wear your yoga pants for yoga. Or, if they look smart like the dress pants (below) you can wear them for all sorts of occasions. Choose from skinny, straight-leg or bootcut.

Comfortable pants for women: Betabrand Dress Pant Yoga Pants | 40plusstyle.com

Betabrand Dress Pant Yoga Pants

Comfy lounge pants

Of course, when it comes to comfy pants, you might want a pair of lounge pants for your lounge wear capsule that can take you from your exercise class to working from home to running errands. Reviewers say the Sarin Mathews pants (below) are made from soft, velvety fabric.

Sarin Mathews Lounge Pants | 40plusstyle.com

Sarin Mathews Lounge Pants

Paperbag pants

A pair of paperbag waist pants could be another good style to look out for as they tend to have elastic waists. The Yissang pants (below) would look good styled with heels so you get a mix of casual and formal in your look.

Comfortable pants for women: Yissang Paper Bag Waist Pants  | 40plusstyle.com

Yissang Paper Bag Waist Pants

Rib knit sweater pants

Carmen in green coat, striped sweater, straight leg pants, sneakers and tote | 40plusstyle.com

Rib knit pants are very comfortable AND very on-trend currently. Wear yours like Carmen @carmen_gimeno above with sneakers or you could style with chunky boots.

Steal her look with this similar sweater, coat (another option here), pants (another option here), sneakers, handbag and sunglasses.

Nordstrom Flare Ribbed Sweater Pants | 40plusstyle.com

Nordstrom Flare Ribbed Sweater Pants

tummy control Four-way stretch pants

I talked about stretch earlier, and the bootcut pants (below) have four-way stretch to help them to fit well, stay comfortable and retain their shape. They come in a good choice of colors and reviewers say they are a good enough quality for wear for business casual as well as being ideal for earing around the house. For more options check our article on tummy control jeans and tummy control leggings.

DAYOUNG Bootcut 4-Way Stretch Pants | 40plusstyle.com

DAYOUNG Bootcut 4-Way Stretch Pants

comfortable pants for women – Tapered joggers

Sweatpants can be very versatile, particularly if you choose a pair that looks a little like dress pants like the jersey knit tapered joggers (below). I like how they’re styled here with heels. You could add a blazer for a night out.

LITA by Ciara Tech Jersey Knit Taper Joggers | 40plusstyle.com

LITA by Ciara Tech Jersey Knit Taper Joggers

High waist tapered pants

A pair of utility-style pants with an elasticated waist could be a good choice for casual days. I can see Jennifer Aniston wearing the Universal Thread pants (below) with a white t-shirt and black blazer.

Universal Thread High-Rise Tapered Pants | 40plusstyle.com

Universal Thread High-Rise Tapered Pants

palazzo pants

Wide-leg palazzo pants can be a comfortable choice. You can find more inspiration in this article on how to wear your palazzo pants.

Comfortable pants for women: White Mark Paisley Printed Palazzo Pants | 40plusstyle.com

White Mark Paisley Printed Palazzo Pants

Stripe pants

Suzie in striped pants, white top and heels | 40plusstyle.com

A pair of stripe pants can make your legs look longer. Suzie @suzie.richetti above chooses a pair with a drawstring and styles with heels.

Recreate her outfit with this similar top, pants, sandals and earrings.

Universal Standard Stephanie Wide Leg Stripe Pants | 40plusstyle.com

Universal Standard Stephanie Wide Leg Stripe Pants

What are the most comfortable pants you own? I’d love to hear your recommendations.

shop the featured comfortable pants for women here:

Related articles to comfortable pants for women:

  1. The Best Pants And Skirts To Fit And Hide Your Belly
  2. How To Wear Leggings Over 40 – A Complete Guide With The Best Leggings And Tops And Shoes To Wear With Them
  3. How To Style Sweatpants 10 Different Ways

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Comfy pants for women: The most comfortable pants you'll want to wear every day | 40plusstyle.com

Feature image by Carmen @carmen_gimeno

Sylvia

Sylvia is 40+style’s editor-in-chief and has been helping women find their unique style since 2011. An alumni of the School of Color and Design, she is devoted to empowering women of any age to look and feel their best. Read more about Sylvia and 40+style on this page.

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