A Ranking of Various "Easy Pants" Put to the Test

Easy pants have been drawing more and more attention over the past few years for their comfort, and ZUTTO now carries a wide range of styles as well. There used to be a mindset that being stylish meant putting up with some discomfort, but these days, with so many varied easy pants that can be worn smartly or styled into an outfit, it feels like there's really no need to compromise anymore.

With that in mind, this time our focus is on easy pants you'll want to wear in summer.relaxed fit, stretch, and coolness—we've ranked these three points in our own ZUTTO way, to help you find the perfect pair based on each one's characteristics. Please use this as a reference.

Three Key Points for Choosing Easy Pants

Relaxed Comfort Ranking …focusing on roominess of silhouette

Ease of Movement Satisfaction Ranking …focusing on ease of bending and stretching the knees

Cool Comfort Ranking …selected comprehensively from the staff's perspective, considering thickness and breathability

Relaxed Comfort Ranking

For this ranking, we focused on "roominess of silhouette." In the intense heat of summer, bottoms that release easily from the skin even when you sweat are especially comfortable. We're introducing, in order, the pieces that felt most comfortable even after long periods of sitting—whether at a restaurant, a café, or at your work chair.

These wide-silhouette pants are made from a dry, cool fabric based on the technique of "Takashima chijimi (crinkled cotton fabric)," a tradition dating back to the Edo period. One characteristic of Takashima chijimi is that it's "drier than ordinary chijimi due to its strong twist," but this fabric takes that twisting to the limit, making it even drier, cooler, and better at releasing from the skin.

While the wide silhouette makes the most of the fabric's smooth release from the skin, the slightly tapered hem also gives it a "slimming" effect and a look that's "not too loose"—qualities that make it easy to wear as everyday clothing, too. That's not to be overlooked.

The unisex double-gauze tapered pants from Kyoto Chijimiori Yamashiro offer a relaxed, stretchy fit, and the elastic waistband allows for comfortable, easy movement—which is why they rank so highly for comfort.

These pants are woven with two layers of cotton—soft, breathable "gauze" and crisp, cool "yoryu"—giving them a comfortable texture. They're perfect for casual outfits, and for everyday wear, pairing them with an oversized T-shirt is an easy, recommended look.

These are ZUTTO's original pants, designed to be layered under dresses and tunics. Great care went into the design to balance two things—a slim enough fit that it doesn't disrupt the outer dress's silhouette, and a good visual balance when peeking out from the hem—resulting in pants that are neat yet not too narrow, with just the right amount of relaxed ease.

These pants are also made from textured yoryu fabric, and the biggest appeal for stylish wear is the lettuce-hem finish at the cuffs. With just the right touch of sweetness, they offer roominess while still working well for a more polished style.

Ease of Movement Satisfaction Ranking

For this ranking, we focused on "fabric stretch," introducing the pants in order of how easily they allow the knees to bend and stretch, and how easy they are to move in. In particular, fabrics with stretch in the horizontal direction are useful for active pursuits, and are also great for relaxing at home or spending long hours seated during travel, without feeling restrictive.

These sweatpants have a fine, layered texture on the fabric, giving them a comfortable, gauze-like feel against the skin. As you can see, they've earned the top spot for stretch: while they look slim before you put them on, they stretch to nearly twice their size, and even sitting in seiza (formal kneeling position) leaves plenty of room to spare—making these truly reliable pants.

With gusset panels reminiscent of vintage sweats and a design with no seams on the sides, these pants offer outstanding comfort. Not only do they stretch beautifully for relaxed wear, but they're also stylish enough to be worn as casual outerwear.

This chijimi fabric is also a cotton-linen blend with a textured surface, and it stretches remarkably well—every bit a match for our top pick. It has the feel of well-worn, washed fabric, growing softer and molding to the body the more you wear it, so sitting cross-legged or in seiza causes no stress at all. It's comfortable enough to wear for jogging, yoga, and other active pursuits.

They resist trapping heat and moisture, and with no tightness at the hem, they're cool and comfortable for nightwear or lounging around the house.

The BIWACOTTON wide tapered pants ranked highly not only for their relaxed fit but also for their stretch. You might assume that a wide silhouette wouldn't need much stretch, but these pants stretch impressively well, making them a great option for people of many different body types.

Also, while this summer's easy pants (the ones introduced in this article) didn't make it onto the stretch ranking this time, please rest assured that all of them offer enough stretch to move comfortably in, so you can refer to the other rankings with confidence.

From left: Yoryu Stripe Petti Pants (ZUTTO), Tapered Pants (Kyoto Chijimi-ori Yamashiro), Monpe (Kyoto Chijimi-ori Yamashiro)

Coolness & Comfort Ranking

For this ranking, we focused on the "coolness of the fabric"—how resistant it is to trapping heat and moisture—and selected pants based on our staff's overall assessment of thickness, breathability, and similar factors. We've picked two items for each category.

First place went to the Kyoto Chijimi-ori Yamashiro monpe and the BIWACOTTON wide tapered pants, which also ranked in both the relaxed comfort and ease-of-movement satisfaction rankings. Both share the quality of fabric that doesn't cling to the skin, and both feature a wonderfully smooth, dry touch.

▲Wide Tapered Pants / BIWACOTTON

The BIWACOTTON wide tapered pants took first place among the cool easy pants, not only for their dry feel but also for having the thinnest fabric of all. Their light wearing feel is a welcome relief in summer. However, because the fabric is so thin, the light-colored (SILVER) version can be somewhat see-through when worn alone, so we recommend layering them over a petticoat or other inner garment.

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The Kyoto Chijimi-ori Yamashiro jogger pants and the BIWACOTTON sweatpants both have fabric layered like mille-feuille, giving them a reassuring thickness that holds up well to washing while still feeling refreshingly cool to wear in summer.

You might think layering fabric would make pants hotter, but layering thin fabric like mille-feuille actually creates air pockets similar to gauze, which helps regulate body heat against the outside air—making them less prone to trapping moisture and heat in summer. They also won't leave you feeling too cold, which makes them a great choice for anyone who finds air conditioning indoors a bit too strong.

▲Jogger Pants (Kyoto Chijimi-ori Yamashiro)

Staff try-on review: "There's just enough thickness to keep them from being see-through, but the fabric is dry and doesn't cling to the skin—wonderfully cool."

▲Sweatpants / BIWACOTTON

Staff try-on review: "Very similar to the jogger pants, but slightly softer by comparison. The dry, gauze-like touch keeps things comfortable even on days when you break a sweat."

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These two pairs, which tied for third place, are both relaxed pants that can be dressed up for going out.

The Yoryu Stripe Petti Pants offer a refreshing wearing feel thanks to their cotton-polyester blend. The crepe-textured fabric not only releases from the skin easily but also has just the right amount of stretch, giving it a pleasant touch in summer. On top of that, its versatility—wearable not just in summer but from spring through autumn—also contributed to its high overall rating.

▲Yoryu Stripe Petti Pants / ZUTTO

The Kyoto Chijimi-ori Yamashiro tapered pants are notably cool even as dressy easy pants. By double-weaving breathable gauze with refreshingly cool chijimi (crepe fabric), they achieve a fluffy, cloud-like texture. While they're wonderfully cool in summer, they're also easy to wear on chilly days, making them a happy choice you can wear all year round.

▲Tapered Pants / Kyoto Chijimi-ori Yamashiro

We've introduced ZUTTO's original rankings across three categories: relaxed fit, stretch, and coolness. All of the easy pants featured here are suitable for the hot season, so we hope this helps as you choose your next pair. Easy pants have a comfortable charm that also broadens your styling options. Whether at home or out in town, we hope you enjoy a comfortable summer with a good pair of easy pants by your side.

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