5 Pant Trends That Will Define Spring 2026, According to Menswear Experts

Spring arrives like a reset button after winter, with lighter fabrics and fewer layers—and a major changing of the guard in the pants department. Out go the wide-wale corduroys and weighty wools, in come the easier, breezier trousers you can wear through the transitional months—before the summer heat forces you into your trusty Baggies. But exactly what kind of spring pants should a well-dressed man be wearing in 2026?

The answer is as wide-ranging as it’s ever been. “More men are shopping with the pant as the focal point of the outfit,” says Sophie Jordan, the menswear buying director at Mytheresa. “A few seasons ago, that wasn’t really the case. Now they’re thinking about trousers first and constructing the look from there, which is quite interesting.” In an era when well-dressed men are pulling on everything from delightfully flared denim to slouchy travel pants—sometimes in the same day—having the right array of bottoms at your disposal is key to unlocking your personal style.

To get a read on where things are headed next, we called up a handful of menswear insiders. Here are their picks for the pants to invest in now—and some crucial advice for looking sharp in ’em all spring long.

Straight-Leg Supremacy

Has the big-pants bubble burst? Not exactly. The prevailing wisdom right now is that trouser silhouettes are settling into a kind of Goldilocks territory: not too baggy, not too slim. A recalibration of the scales, if you will. You’ll start noticing it more this spring.

“We’re seeing the reversing of the baggy trend,” says menswear creator Drew Joiner. “The wide-jeans movement started because people didn’t want to wear skinny jeans anymore, so everything swung really baggy. Now the pendulum is drifting back toward the middle.”

Don’t expect a full sprint back to the über-slim denim of the early 2010s, however. “Things are definitely shrinking a bit, but they’re still very straight and roomy,” adds Jordan. “I expected to see a lot more slim silhouettes by now, and honestly, I just haven’t.”

The move now is to opt for more classic silhouettes like the Levi’s 501—still the gold standard for straight-leg jeans. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the ideal straight-leg fit varies by body type—on more athletic builds, a true straight leg may still hug the thighs, so some guys might prefer a slightly roomier cut to achieve that clean, relaxed line.