Men’s elastic waist pants—y’know, those once-cursed hybrid trousers with adjustable drawstrings at the waist—were never especially stylish. Even five years ago, the category was rife with joggers, PJ bottoms, and funky khakis with ‘hidden comfort’ benefits. Unserious pants, if you will, and certainly not the preserve of anybody dignified enough to appreciate the difference between a four-in-hand and a Windsor knot.
Times have changed. In 2025, every brand worth its weight in elastane has come around to the sneaky-comfy flourish, and elastic waist pants for men have progressed in leaps and bounds accordingly. Yes, these days, proper trousers, cargo pants, and even jeans have gone just a little stretchy—and you might never have noticed unless you were specifically ogling their waists. So to help you (and your get-money-gut) embrace the moment, the Recommends squad took to the web in search of the very best of the genre, from loud-and-proud lounge pants for your imminent summer getaway to office-siren slacks ready-made for your corporate HQ. These are our favorites right now.