How to check pull on bootcut work pants before Monday morning

A pull on pair with a little flare at the hem can look like proper trousers or like pajamas in disguise. Here is how to tell which one you have, in five steps.

Start with the fabric tag

Turn the waistband out and read the label. Most stretch dress pants are a polyester blend with some rayon and a small share of spandex. Polyester holds a crease and shrugs off wrinkles. Rayon drapes and feels softer. Spandex, usually around five percent, is what lets you sit through a long meeting without the knees bagging. A fabric with a visible, slightly woven texture reads as trousers. A flat, shiny knit reads as leggings.

Check the waist and the pockets

A pull on pair has no zipper, so the waistband does the work. Look for a wide, flat band that lies smooth when you stretch it, not a thin gathered elastic. Then check the pockets. Slip a hand in and see whether the pocket bag stays flat against the hip or bulges. Pockets that sit flat are worth keeping. Pockets that puff are better sewn shut or ignored.

Settle the hem with your shoes on

This step decides everything. Bootcut means fitted through the thigh and a gentle widening from the knee down, and the hem is meant to cover most of the shoe. Put on the shoes you will actually wear, stand straight, and look in the mirror. The hem should skim the floor at the back and sit about a thumb’s width above it. Flat shoes need a shorter length than heels, so a pair that works with one may drag with the other. Which looks better is a matter of taste, but dragging and fraying is not.

Keep them looking ready

Hang them by the hem on clip hangers so the crease stays put on a crowded wardrobe rail. If they come out creased, hang them in the bathroom while the shower runs and let the steam loosen the fabric. Wash cold and hang to dry, because heat is what wears out spandex over time. With a tucked top and a belt loop free waistband, the whole outfit comes together in about two minutes, which is the point of the pull on style.