Moving to Paris Made Me Ditch My Sweatpants—Here’s What I’m Wearing Instead

Have a glance at my wardrobe and you’ll notice something peculiar: I don’t wear a lot of pants. I swing from the comfort of soft sweats straight into the roomy ease of skirts, leaving a curious and rather gaping hole in between.

In Toronto, this sartorial dichotomy worked just fine. My Tibi Calder joggers were my faithful go-tos for school drop-offs, casual coffee meetings, and just about everything else. I love their directional shape, the heft of the cotton, and how effortlessly I could style them. Truly the best!

Then, two months ago, we moved to Paris.

Here’s the thing about Parisian style: it’s not that they don’t do casual—they absolutely do. But the city’s (unwritten) style codes are noticeably different than at home. In North America, loungewear has been fully absorbed into the street style lexicon. In Paris, while sweatpants aren’t explicitement interdits—wear what you want, really—athleisure tends to remain in the private domain of gyms (and living rooms).

So, somewhere between navigating French bureaucracy and settling my kids into their new schools, I added one more task to my ever-growing to-do list: find a few pairs of chic, versatile, everyday pants. Basically, a worthy substitute for my beloved Calders.

Let’s talk about jeans, and the fact that I rarely wear them. Crazy, right? Coming here, I knew that would have to change. I’ve always admired the look of a full-length, wide-leg puddle pant, but on my frame, I feel like I’m drowning in fabric. And despite how cool it looks in photoshoots, I can’t stand the feeling of my hems dragging on the ground. Does anyone actually walk around like this?

Then, I had an epiphany. I could capture the spirit of the puddle, sans actual puddle. The secret, I discovered, lies in a leg opening of between 7.5 and 8.5 inches. It allows for a generous break, but is narrow enough for your shoe to catch the hem before hitting the ground. My new Agolde Kelly jeans nail this perfectly. One down.

Next discovery: the cropped barrel jean. A different silhouette than the Agoldes, these Veronica Beard Ryders also check all my boxes—structured but not clingy, no dragging hems, roomy and relaxed.

Just around the corner from our new apartment is a Soeur boutique, a French label known for their androgynous silhouettes with a feminine edge. The brand doesn't have any North American outposts (yet), but their styles are available online.

I clocked these Vernon pants on one of the sales associates and immediately pounced. They’ve turned out to be the pair I’m wearing most often. Similar in profile to the Veronica Beards, but cut from a weightless cotton-linen blend that’s just so comfortable.

And now, a potentially controversial take. Call it my wild card: I’m convinced these leopard-print harem pants will be easy to style. They're defined by a toned-down palette, a barrel-like silhouette, and plenty of personality. Throw on a tee, sweater or jacket and you’re done.