Pants

Women's pants

Pants carry more of the working week than anything else in the wardrobe, so this is the widest range Forcast makes. You will find wide leg, straight leg, slim, bootleg, flared, cropped and high-waisted cuts, in sizes 4 to 18. Most are tailored for the office; some, like jeans and linen pants, are made for the days in between. Forcast has been dressing Australian women for work since 1992, and pants are where that experience shows.

Choosing a cut

Start with the leg. Wide leg pants, palazzos and culottes give the most movement and look sharpest with a tucked top, while straight leg pants are the classic trouser, clean from hip to hem and easy over flats or heels. Slim pants and skinny cuts are the neatest line under a longer jacket. Bootleg and flared styles such as the Chelsea Bootleg Pants or the Milan Crop Flare Pants add a little shape at the hem, and cropped lengths show the shoe in warmer months.

Waists and details

A high waist lengthens the leg and holds a tucked shirt in place. Across the range you will find paper bag waists, tie waists, belted styles, tapered legs and pleated fronts like the Daphne Pleated Crepe Pants. Elastic and adjustable waistbands, as on the Maggie Elastic Waist Pants, give a little more ease through a long day without losing the tailored look.

Fabric and fit

Office pants are cut in suiting blends with a little stretch, ponte and crepe, so they hold their line and recover after hours at a desk. Linen and denim handle the warmer, slower end of the week. Hem length is worth checking against the shoe you wear most, since it changes how a cut reads.

How to shop it

Sizes run 4 to 18; the size guide helps if you sit between two sizes or are deciding on a high-waist style. For the office, work pants narrow the range to tailored styles, and black pants are the first pair most wardrobes need. Finish with a belt and a top that suits the waist height.