Summer Work Pants for Women
If you are like me and live and work somewhere that gets a real summer, this post is for you! Summers in Boise are hot but bearable (most of the time) because of the lack of humidity. If you live and work in a humid place, WHEW! 😅 I traveled to the east coast and to the southern states in the spring and summer for work and pretty much only wore linen. Linen will be your best friend! (That and cardigans/blazers because I know y’all survive on indoor air conditioning.)
Even though summer is a great season to not work thanks to all of the fun things you can do outside, unfortunately, most of us are still working through much of the summer months (and I hope if you’re a teacher, you get a much-needed break for yourself, even though I know you also put in some work during the summer months).
Summer is definitely not the most comfortable season to commute and work in, so below I rounded up some of my favorite workwear brands that offer summer pants for women that are comfortable, stylish, and that will keep you cool in the summer heat!
READ NEXT: 12 of the Best Summer Work Shoes
Summer Work Pants For Women
If you’re on the hunt for summer work pants, these are the qualities I recommend searching for: lightweight, loose through the leg, and made of a breathable material like linen or a linen blend. That said, I personally wear a variety of work pants in the summer, including denim (any color, but most frequently white or light wash jeans), ponte pants, paperbag pants, wide leg pants, straight leg pants, slim-fit linen pants, etc. I don’t spend a lot of time outside during my commute, so I dress mainly for the indoors unless for some reason I know I’ll be out in the heat for a while!
Here are eight brands I recommend browsing for summer work pants! I rounded up dozens of work pants for women from each brand and for all budgets in the corresponding widgets.
Abercrombie & Fitch
If you haven’t heard the news, Abercrombie is back and better than ever! It’s no longer the Abercrombie of our millennial youth; they’re all grown up and ready to go to work. The brand is most well-known for their trousers, which have made a comeback and remain a classic work pant, even in the summer.
Ann Taylor
Ann Taylor is synonymous with workwear. Definitely give Ann Taylor a browse if you work in a more business formal office environment. Their suiting is beautiful (may I recommend a bright pink set a la Barbie?!), and they have a wide variety of smart work pants, including lots of linen and linen blends for summer.
Banana Republic
Banana Republic is one of the top-tier workwear brands, and they’ve had a bit of a rebrand over the past few years. Check them out for classic trousers as well as other on-trend styles in summer-friendly fabrics, including linen and linen blends. They’re on the more expensive side but run sales every once in a while.
Carhartt
If you need heavy duty work pants for outdoor responsibilities, look no further than Carhartt. They definitely put the “work” in workwear! Carhartt is known for their canvas work pants that have all the bells and whistles, like belt loops (and hammer loops, should you need that), ripstop fabric, and cargo pockets for heavy duty jobs.
Everlane
Everlane has really beefed up their workwear selection in recent years. My favorite office pant has to be the Dream Pant; it’s a ponte knit that looks smart but that feels just like a sweatpant. They’re SO comfy, they don’t feel like work pants at all! I love (and highly recommend). It’s worth browsing their other pants!
J.Crew
J.Crew has always been that girl (woman!!!) in the workwear world. One of my first somewhat proper pair of work pants was the Pixie pant from J.Crew, their staple ponte pants. They were a wardrobe workhorse when I was a grad student! As someone who vehemently did not agree that leggings were pants, the Pixie pants were the next best alternative.
LOFT
LOFT is the hip younger sister to Ann Taylor. I picture Ann Taylor as the editor of the fashion magazine and LOFT as the intern to the editor. (I’m picturing The Devil Wears Prada now, haha.) LOFT does workwear almost as well as Ann Taylor (LOFT leans slightly more casual in my experience) but the brand offers much more than workwear and is perfect for pieces that go seamlessly to the weekend.
Old Navy
Old Navy is the budget-friendly sister of Banana Republic. You can find a wide variety of work pants for women at Old Navy—everything from the traditional slim-fit trouser to on-trend wide leg pants and even a few linen options. I also like that ON offers a variety of rises in case you prefer a mid-rise work pant! (I still love high-rise.)
Quince
Quince is a relatively new brand, and they are definitely worth a browse if you are shopping for workwear on a budget. They offer a wide variety of ponte knit pants, which are great all-season work pants but can sometimes feel a little warm in the summer. Be sure to check out their wide leg and linen options!
