Work trousers - where to find ones that fit nicely?

[Rosewaterblossom]

I've started a new job which is office based, have not ever needed to wear office wear before.

I'm after some smart black trousers that will go with a suit jacket (have the jacket) but they appear to be a nightmare to find! I've tried M and S and Next but smart work trousers seem to be really tight around the waist but if I size up I end up with it fitting the waste but baggy in the bum and legs.

Can anyone please suggest some which have a more generous waist band, with or without a button, which fit elsewhere on the body without being ill-fitting and baggy bum?

I desperately needed a pair of larger trousers the day of an important meeting, I ran into Tesco and was surprised to see all their smart trousers buttoned up smartly at the front but has some elastic at the back, they were really comfortable while still looking very smart. I can't believe places didn't do this years ago.

Thank you. I'll take a look in tesco 🙂

Are they shiny ? So many smart black work trousers are polyester and look shiny/

I actually used to find either monsoon or primark were good places for work trousers that had a better waist to hips fit for my body shape. I have the same issue as you op with next and M&S.

Wearing my new trousers to work today and bought them from Matalan. They are better quality than the ones I looked at from Next and defiantly not shiny. I am going back to see if they still have them in stock because there were some dark blue ones too.... I begrudge spending a lot of money on clothes for work so these fit the bill perfectly

Uniqlo are generally good for apple shapes, especially if you go for the ones with stretch. I have a big waist and very small hips/bum and Uniqlo are the only ones that I can bend down (eg to pick something up off the floor) and not need to do a trouser hitch afterwards.

Wallis trousers have also been quite good for me in the past too, although I haven't bought trousers anywhere except Uniqlo for years.

Trousers are like jeans in that I need to try on loads of pairs before I hit the jackpot, it's infuriating, and is so dependant on hip/waist/leg length, it's a bloody minefield! Good luck!

I'm also finding this difficult. I don't need regular work trousers, but do need similar type smart trousers for occasional wear. I had two from M&S but they've bobbled a bit, so will need replacing in due course. The problem is M&S seem to only do narrow and wide now, not anything mixed (or those ones that end way above the ankle deliberately, which I hate) and neither narrow straight leg nor wide legged smart trousers work on me (although the narrow ones I frequently struggle to even get on, whereas the wide leg I just don't like the look of). The style I like is tight on the thighs and broadening out on the calves - bootcut? not quite as dramatically done as flares. M&S used to do them a few years ago, but even online I can't find them there now.

When you find a style that looks okay, it's wall to wall polyester. I don't buy tops with any polyester, but with trousers now I'd even settle for a mix, but I struggle to see any cotton blends at all.