In 1984 Brian Hill opened the first standalone Aritzia boutique at Oakridge Centre, a mall in his hometown of Vancouver. He had started out inside his family's Kerrisdale department store and left it at 23. His idea, in his own words, was clothing for young women with real disposable income who don't want disposable clothes.

 

That idea is why people are still arguing about one pair of trousers four decades later. In the 1990s the company moved toward designing and making its own labels, Babaton first, and the Effortless Pant arrived in 2019 as a high-rise trouser with front knife pleats, an easy drape and a long, wide leg. It started as a single style and grew into a whole lineup. If you are hunting an Aritzia Effortless Pant dupe, you are really hunting four things: the rise, the pleats, the drape and the length.

 

So I would begin with the original, because every look-alike is measured against it. The Crepette in Light Birch is the cream-beige one I would picture with a white tee and loafers. The Crepette in Rich Mocha Brown is the fall pair, good with a black knit and a belt. Martini Olive reads almost neutral once you put a cream sweater above it.

 

The fabric changes the personality. Crepette is the Japanese crepe Aritzia says basically never wrinkles, while the Eversential in Heather Charcoal is a heathered stretch for office days. PowerLinen in Cool Beige and CruiseLinen in Natural Ecru are warm-weather picks, and the Cropped Crepette in Black is the one to wear with boots. My tip: look at the pleat line and the hem first. Those two details are what you will compare every pair against.

Black is where look-alikes either hold up or fall apart, because there is nowhere for a thin fabric to hide. The pairs here all keep the high waist and the long, straight fall, and that is what makes them read like the Effortless Pant at a glance.

 

The Sloane from Abercrombie and Fitch is the closest in spirit: a high-rise tailored wide leg with front pleats and a fluid drape. Everlane's Buttersmooth trouser has a 30 inch inseam and a flat, clean line, so check that number against your height before you fall for it. Zara's front pleat pair adds a zip and a metal hook closure, which sits flat under a tucked-in knit. H&M's pair has multiple pleats and creased legs, a looser, more relaxed take. If you want to keep going, Fall Trousers: Wide Legs, Straight Legs and Ponte Pull-Ons is the one I would read next.

 

Fabric is where they split. Naked Wardrobe's pleated pair is mostly polyester with viscose and spandex, so it moves. Favorite Daughter's Anywhere pair blends in wool, which dresses it up. Cinq à Sept's Marne is a crepe, the nearest cousin to Crepette. JLUXLABEL's Clara has deep front pleats in 100 percent polyester, so expect a lot of swing at the hem.

 

Try this in the fitting room: sit down, then stand and look at the pleats. They should stay closed at the waist and open only as you walk. Pair black with a cream knit and loafers. What I would skip: any pair where the pleats gape while you are standing still.

The Effortless Pant is trademarked by Aritzia, and it came in a long list of colors, fabrics and lengths. That range is why the neutrals matter most here: camel, cream and gray are the shades people reach for when they want one trouser that works all week.

 

For cream, I would look at Lauren Ralph Lauren's Mascarpone crepe pair, which has front pleats and a fluid leg and is 100 percent polyester crepe. Theory's oversize pleated trouser in Rice is looser and wider, and FAITHFULL's Sofia in ecru has an easy long leg. L'AGENCE's Aubrie in Latte is a mid-rise, so it sits a little lower than the original, and I like that on a long torso.

 

For the darker end, Everlane's Buttersoft trouser in Graphite is a Tencel twill with pleats and a high rise. Reiss's Katya in dark grey is a soft suiting blend with a high waist, and 4th and Reckless has a gray herringbone Mira and a camel-taupe Stanlie with a straight leg.

 

For October, I would wear the Stanlie with a black turtleneck and ankle boots, and the cream pairs with a gray cardigan and a trench. Test the fabric by scrunching a handful in your fist for a few seconds, then let go. If the creases hang around, a light color will show every one of them. What I would skip: pale cream in a fabric you can see through against a window, since daylight is less kind than a store mirror.

Mr Porter's advice on wide legs is simple: for a dressier version, look for pleats and a slight rise at the waist. Pinstripes and wool blends are the easiest way to do that, and they make a wide-leg trouser feel like a work pair rather than a weekend one. I also put together La Ligne Sweaters: Stripes, Soft Knits, Wide-Legs and Dresses.

 

Abercrombie and Fitch's Sloane comes in two pinstripes, Brown and Dark Coffee, both high-rise with front pleats, a narrow stripe that suits a tailored pair. L'AGENCE's Allanah in Grey Tan Pinstripe is a mid-rise tailored cut, and Posse's Mackenzie in cream pinstripe has a long drape. Naked Wardrobe's midnight navy teal pinstripe is a stretchy blend with a high waist, which makes it the easy one to wear on a long commute.

 

The wool group is warmer. H&M's tailored wool pants in Dark Grey Marl have a crisp crease. Zara's herringbone pair in dark gray has front pleats and hidden side pockets. Reiss's Luna in camel is a wool blend, 53 percent wool, with a long straight drop. Wool needs a different fitting test: check the hem against your shoes, since a crease makes a hem that is too short obvious.

 

Wear the Luna with a cream sweater and low boots, and the Marl with a white shirt. What I would skip: a stripe that is too wide on a very light fabric, because it will look like a costume.

Chocolate brown is the shade I would add to a closet that already owns black. It looks softer against the face and works with denim, cream and the olive green that is in the lineup too.

 

Abercrombie and Fitch's Sloane comes here in Dark Coffee and Muted Basil, a sage-olive, both high-rise with front pleats. Theory's Wide Pleated Trouser in Cacao has a long fluid leg, and Everlane's Buttersmooth in Deep Taupe has an olive-brown tone and a 30 inch inseam. H&M's wide-leg pleats come in Dark Brown with creased legs, and the Zara navy pair has a long straight leg with pleats. I went deeper on a related idea in AG Jeans: Fit Notes on the Best Straight and Wide Legs.

 

Navy is the quiet one. Theory's Classic Pleated Trousers in Deep Navy have a clean line, and H&M's four-way stretch wide-cut pair in Navy Blue is the one for days of sitting and moving. Aim for a navy that looks nearly black until it meets daylight, then see which of your tops pairs with it. Brown with navy is an old combination and a good one.

 

My styling idea for October: brown trousers, a navy sweater and flat boots, or navy trousers with a cream knit and a brown belt. Fitting test: step into a window and look at the color outside the store lights, because dark browns and navies drift. What I would skip: brown pleats in a thin fabric that clings, since the pleats lose their shape.

I would start with the cut, not the label. Put the Effortless Pant's description beside any look-alike: high rise, front pleats, easy drape, long wide leg. If a pair gets three of four, it is close.

 

Then I would pick the fabric for the season. Crepe or a crepe-like polyester for fall, wool blend for the coldest weeks, and a stretch pair for days with a commute. Check the hem against your shoes before anything else.

 

Brian Hill wanted clothes young women would not treat as disposable. I would hold a dupe to that, and choose the pair I would wear on repeat.