Buying Guide

The Ultimate Summer Pant

This time of year, you want—no, require—your pants to be light and breezy. Otherwise, your thighs, calves or junk are trapped in a hell of their own making. Stifling hot or too stiff, maybe chafing around the waistband. The solution is easy. Literally. Easygoing and relaxed, a pair of drawstring pants are casual, airy and ready to take on the balmy conditions of summer.

Best of all? The coolest pairs in 2024 basically look like regular pants. You know, the kind with zip-up flys, pleats or a boxy, tapered leg that you can wear to work or on a date. Which means these stretchy-waist trousers offer all the comfort and non-constrictive ease of your kick-around-the-house pants, but look a whole lot more respectable. Pull them on with a simple T-shirt, a bold camp collar shirt or knit polo. Ground the look with some loafers, some minimalist canvas sneakers or your go-to summer slides. Put another way, there's no wrong way to wear them. The only mistake would be not including a pair or two in your summer wardrobe rotation.