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- Wide-leg, high-waist pants are the top trend for women in finance this season.
- Popular brands include Aritzia, Lululemon, Abercrombie, Arcteryx, and Club Monaco.
- Premium fabrics and higher price points define the most sought-after women's business pants.
The hottest fashion item for women in finance right now isn't a flashy accessory like a scarf or a watch, or an expensive pair of shoes. It's a good old pair of pants.
This week, I did some boots-on-the-ground reporting in Midtown Manhattan, visiting stores to ask about their best-selling women's business attire items. Time and again, pants kept coming up.
But we're not talking about any ordinary pants — in most cases, they're made with comfortable, high-quality fabric and fall on the pricier side, ranging from around $60 to $350 a pair.
Often, they're also a bit baggy.
"I think wide-cut, high-waist is the trend," said Cassie Henry, a trader at Gresham Investment Management.
Here are five of the big hitters in the Wall Street women's pants battle:
Aritzia
Pants name: The Effortless Pant
Price: $148
Aritzia has crushed earnings lately, pushing its share price up 119% over the last year.
One of the drivers of that growth? Its $148, TikTok-famous Effortless Pant.
Lululemon
Pants name: Daydrift High-Rise Trouser
Price: $148
Lululemon probably started the expensive pants craze, albeit with their athleisure wear. It was therefore no surprise that the brand launched its Daydrift pants in 2025.
"At some points it's completely sold out," a sales associate said. "I"d say it's most women's go-to whenever they come in looking for anything."
Abercrombie
Pants name: Sloane Tailored Pant
Price: $63
For millennials, it's hard not to associate Abercrombie with jeans. However, the brand has made a strategic shift towards fancier attire.
"That's where everybody gets their pants from," said Nyla Legemah, a customer success manager for benchmarks and indices at London Stock Exchange Group in New York.
Arc'teryx
Pants name: Veilance Khara Pant
Price: $350
Arc'teryx is predominantly an outerwear brand — think an even more intense version of Patagonia. But the brand has gotten in on the pants gold rush, too.
"We have a lot more die-hards for the menswear stuff," a sales associate said. "But they are obviously branching out into the women's line, so I think it's gaining momentum and we're seeing a lot more women coming in."
Club Monaco
Pants name: High-Rise Fluid Crepe Trouser
Price: $248
Club Monaco goes for the old-money vibe, and they're priced like it, too. A sales associate said their high-rise fluid crepe trouser was probably their most popular item.
"I know my friends like Club Monaco," Henry, the trader, said.
