Put on Your Party Pants: Meet the Season’s Chic Answer to the Cocktail Dress

Put on Your Party Pants: Meet the Season’s Chic Answer to the Cocktail Dress

We all know the cocktail dress—it’s reliable, it’s flirty, it hits just above the knee—but this season, it’s time to meet the cocktail pant (and take a pair out to a holiday party). For those instantly picturing a pair of black tuxedo pants with a silk stripe down the side, think again. Just like there’s more to party dressing than a little black dress, there are more party-ready pants out there than just your standard LBPs. Take, for example, a pair of Seafarer flared velvet pants. True, they’re black, but the dramatic silhouette and soft, shiny fabric will make everyone else look twice. Flares are in again, and why not declare it to the world (or at least the room) by reminding your fellow revelers how good a little extra fabric at the ankle looks swaying on the dance floor? If, however, it’s a seventies look with a more modern silhouette you’re after, try Suno’s silk-satin paisley tapestry trousers. Style them with a silk blouse with a tie, and if you’re feeling particularly inspired (or cold), you can layer a pair of bright tights underneath them to add a pop of color at your feet. For a more black-tie-appropriate take, No. 21’s embellished, cropped brocade pant has metallic texture that would dress up even a white T-shirt for formal occasions (with a diamond necklace, why not?). J.Crew also has a pair of cropped gold sequined pants that not only provide armor from the cold, but may have the cocktail dress beat when it comes to flirt factor (“Stay golden, boys!”). The flashy sequins also mean you can keep it simple on top; they do all the “I’m dressed up!” work for you. And finally, if you’re still stuck deciding what to wear to your office party, Elizabeth and James’s blue-and-red striped trousers just might be your day-to-night answer (wearing them with a metallic loafer will give the lookAnnie Hall pep with evening elegance), and Adam Lippes makes a pair of dressed-up-denim pants with a slim cut and black cord drawstring waist that you can take out on the town. Adding to the inherent chicness of the cocktail pant, you won’t have to wear tights or brave bare legs in the cold, and thinking of ways to style your new pair will give you the perfect excuse to scroll through photos of Tilda Swinton on the red carpet. When it comes to a party pant, she is the master, and call us crazy, but it always looks like she’s having the most fun of the night, too.