Linen pants are the perfect piece of workwear during the warmer seasons, they are a versatile piece of clothing that can be used both in the office environment as well as outside of work. Linen pants are similar to joggers in that sense, both are quite casual but when styled correctly you can get away with wearing them to work. Which is where I come in, let’s dive into how to wear linen pants to work and how to do so in a classy and chic manner.
Can I Wear Linen Pants to the Office?
A very common question, are linen pants business casual? As previously mentioned, that really depends on how you style them and the type of linen pants that you wear. I would suggest opting in for wide leg linen pants as they give off a more business casual vibe. If you work a corporate job it is best to be on the safe side and sneakily hide features that indicate that these are in fact informal pants. For example, avoid linen pants with multiple pockets as shown in the image below.
If you chose to purchase linen pants with drawstrings hide them by covering them with your top or cleverly tuck in your blouse so that it covers that area. Invest into high quality linen pants that are not see through, the pockets outline should not be visible, see image below for reference.
What is the Best Color for Linen Pants?
As with all office wear keep it neutral, stick to navy, white or black linen pants. It is easier to learn how to style linen pants for work if you can mix and match various pieces in your wardrobe and a neutral color palette plays well into this. Although if you work in a more creative industry where the dress code is not so strict, be more original with your linen pants, try out an electric blue or emerald green pair.
What Shoes go Well with Linen Pants?
Not sure what shoes to wear with linen pants? I have you covered. Take this rule into account when thinking about what to wear with linen pants, to offset the casual piece of clothing balance it out with a formal item of clothing. So in this instance the formal item could be your shoes; a pair of loafers or work appropriate sneakers. Check out my go to formal work shoes below.
What Shirts to Wear with Linen Pants?
When I think of linen pants my go to thoughts are loose, free and wide leg. It’s important to balance the fit of your clothing items, if your choose to wear a loose top balance it out with tighter pants and vice versa. When styling wide leg linen pants opt in for a tighter top, perhaps a body fitting long sleeve top with a boat neck or a blouse with a cinched waist. The aim of the game is to elegantly accentuate the beautiful features of your body. Although we often see influencers styling wide leg linen pants with loose blouses, the key hack to pulling this off is by visually dividing the two with a belt. If you are ever unsure as to how to wear linen pants to work, take inspiration from the stunning thecarolinelin.
How to Wear Linen Pants to Work
Now lets get to the nitty gritty of it all and explore how to wear linen pants to work. We will touch upon a variety of different linen pants from a cream linen pants outfit to outfits with black linen pants. By the end of this article you will hopefully glean inspiration as to how to style linen pants.
White Linen Pants Outfit
When struggling to style a white linen pants outfit stick to a monochrome look, you can never go wrong. Remember the styling rule that we previously discussed, when styling a loose piece of clothing this should be balanced by something a little more shapely. This rule especially applies to styling wide leg linen pants. As you can see in the outfit above, the linen wide lag pants are counterbalanced with a tighter waistcoat top to balance the proportions of your body.
Here is the outfit breakdown:
- Reiss, Viscose Linen Single Breasted Suit Waistcoat
- DeMellier, Midi New York leather tote bag
- Reiss, Viscose Linen Wide Leg Suit Trousers
- Scarosso, Ludovica Sand Suede Loafers
Cream Linen Pants Outfit
A cream linen pants outfit can take you a long way, there is something so sophisticated about their off-white shade. To answer your question, ‘are linen pants business casual’, these bad boys definitely are. Consider styling wide leg linen pants with a black blouse to create a contrast in color. If you want to accentuate the waist try tucking in the blouse and adding a black leather belt to the mix. If you still feel unsure about what to wear with wide leg linen pants look to zuzabaloniak who can provide you with an abundance of inspiration.
Here is the outfit breakdown:
- Ralph Lauren, Harley Silk Chiffon Diamond Scarf
- House of Dagmar, Asymmetric Shirt
- Little Liffner, Open Tulip Tote Micro
- Weekend Max Mara, Malizia linen canvas wide pants
- Aeyde, Gabriella Satin Ballet Flats
Wide Leg Linen Pants Outfit
The outfit above is a classic staple when styling wide leg linen pants for a business casual environment. You have your striped shirt with wide leg white linen pants and a throw on jumper for an extra layer of warmth. So if you are ever stumped with what to wear with wide leg linen pants make this your go to and you won’t regret it. This would look equally as well if your were to swap out the white linen pants for navy linen pants.
Here is the outfit breakdown:
- WNU, The Boyfriend: Linen, Cornflower Blue Stripe Shirt
- Chinti & Parker, Cream Cashmere V-Neck Funnel Sweater
- Longchamp, Le Pliage Extra Large Cognac Leather
- ME+EM, Retro Trainer, Italian Leather + Suede
- Faithull the Brand, La Plage de Mau linen wide-leg pants
Black Linen Pants Outfit
If you were ever concerned about when to wear linen pants? Maybe it’s too cold? This outfit will have you covered, the extra layers will keep you warm whilst the weather is transitioning. Although if the weather is a bit nippy I would swap out the sandals for loafers. If you are still stumped about what shoes to wear with linen pants you can always go back to the beginning of the article and swap out these shoes for some of our other recommendations. Outfits with black linen pants generally look quite formal and fortunately you do not have the same problems that you may have with white linen pants where you need to look out for material density.
Here is the outfit breakdown:
- Twist and Tango, Womens Beige Evy Wide-sleeve Cotton-blend Trench Jacket
- ME+EM, Cotton Muscle Sweatshirt Tee
- COS, Tailored Linen Blend Trousers
- Ralph Lauren, Fay Tumbled Leather Sandal
- Celine, Classic Panier Small Braided Triomphe in Raffia and Calfskin
Navy Linen Pants Outfit
When I think of a navy linen pants outfit my go to thought is a striped top. The two seem to balance each other out perfectly. Once you get yourself a cute pair of navy linen pants how to wear linen pants to work will no longer be a problem. This outfit embodies the business casual aesthetic. Styling wide leg linen pants with a tank top can’t really go wrong, the perfect outfit for a hot summers day in the office.
Here is the outfit breakdown:
- Axel Arigato, Memory Relaxed Cardigan
- ME+EM, Ultimate Crew Neck Stripe Vest
- Reiss, Navy Front Pleat Linen Pants
- Reformation, Bethany Ballet Flat
- DeMellier, The New York Natural Raffia Tan Smooth
I hope this article has shed some light on how to wear linen pants to work and answered your questions concerning how to style linen pants; are pants business casual? When to wear linen pants? And what to wear with wide leg linen pants? Leave a comment as to your go to color of linen pants for an outfit, whether you prefer a white linen pants outfit or outfits with black linen pants.
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