The story of the On The Loose Work Pants starts in a vintage store. According to Forbes in August 2026, Ruti Zisser and her designers found oversized pants from Japan and loved them. She says it was so big that she wanted to make a huge pant women could wear every day, and make it flattering. That is the whole idea in one rack find.

That is also why RUTI pants feel like one person's point of view rather than a trend response. Zisser was a tech executive before she started the label, frustrated by how little fashion there was for professionals in her age range. The brand began from a garage in Palo Alto, and Grazia lists the three principles behind it: every piece should be cool, flattering and practical. Each season, she told Forbes, starts with the studio covered in pictures of customers.

The first group is the origin pant in all its versions. The On The Loose Work Pants come in Dune, Aubergine and Graphite, with a hidden elastic waist, a flat front and a barrel leg that ends at the ankle. If you are tall, the Long On The Loose Work Pants in Walnut, Deep Sea and Plume add extra inseam. The Storm Gray scuba version is a structured take, and the Side Stripe pair in Fall Leopard is the one I would wear with a plain black knit so the print does the talking.

October tip: Graphite or Walnut with a fine merino, loafers and a long coat. Stand up and sit down in the fitting room, and check that the hem lands where you want it with the shoes you actually plan to wear.

Zisser has said she designs for real working women, so it makes sense that RUTI's wide-leg trousers read as office clothes that forgot to be stiff. The Wide Leg Trousers in Deep Teal, Champagne and Black all have pleats from the waist, an elasticated waist and two pockets. Champagne is the one I would pick for a holiday dinner with a black turtleneck.

The Belted Wide Leg Trousers in Pebble Melange have an adjustable self-tie belt and an elastic back waistband, which means you can cinch them or leave them loose. The Clean Pleat Wide Leg Pants in Autumn Haze add a button and zip front and belt loops, so they look more tailored from the front. The Side Stripe Wide Leg Trouser in Black Red Stripe is a sporty twist on tailoring that I would style with a plain white tee and flat boots.

For something with texture, the Wide Leg Pleat Jacquard Pants in Black have a tonal pattern you only notice up close. The Carefree Wide Leg Pants in Black are the easy end of the group, with a relaxed fit, side pockets and a back pocket.

In the fitting room, stand with the pleats closed and check that they lie flat rather than pop open. Then walk, because a good wide leg should swing, not cling. What I would skip: the jacquard pair if you want one pant that works with everything printed.

Zisser told Forbes that barrel pants are popular now, but that RUTI has had the right barrel for 10 years. This group is where that shape gets fall fabrics. The Uptown Loose Barrel Corduroy Pants come in Black, Pomegranate and Elm, with soft corduroy, a relaxed barrel leg, a curved shape through the leg and tapered ankles. Pomegranate with a cream sweater is the one that stops people on the street.

The Uptown Loose Barrel Vegan Leather Pants in Dark Chocolate have a hook-and-bar closure and belt loops, and a tapered fit that keeps the vegan leather from looking costume-like. I would wear them with a gray knit and a leather loafer.

The Slouchy Soft Twill Pants in Light Roast, Scarlet and Washed Navy have a tapered leg that hits above the ankle and boxy pockets in the front and back. The Relaxed Cargo Barrel Pants in Walnut add cargo patch pockets to a softly curved leg, a good Saturday pair with a chunky sweater.

Corduroy and twill both read differently in daylight, so look at them near a window before you decide. Sit down too, because slouchy pants should still fall neatly at the ankle. What I would skip: the cargo pockets if you plan to tuck in a thick sweater every day.

RUTI treats denim like its pants: one clear silhouette at a time. The Ultimate Barrel Leg Jeans 2.0 in Indigo are described as a new and original take on the classic, wide in the leg with a vintage wash and a button and zipper closure. The Long version in Nyx Dark Wash adds an extended inseam, which is the one I would check first if standard lengths always stop short on you.

The Classic Barrel Leg Jeans in Rich Dark Wash have a slight stretch, belt loops and two back pockets. The Palazzo Jeans in Dark Ocean Wash lean into dramatic volume with a mid-rise waist, and the product page suggests a tucked-in knit or a sharp blazer, which I agree with.

For a looser mood, the Slouchy Jeans 2.0 in Vintage White Wash and Dusted Black have a tapered leg, boxy pockets and a back yoke for shaping, and they hit above the ankle. If you want a slimmer line, the Fitted Jeans 2.0 in Dark Ocean Wash are ankle length with a slight stretch, and the Crop Mid-Rise Straight Jeans in Ebb Dark Wash have a concealed multi-button fly.

Try denim with the shoes you will wear it with, since a hem that hits above the ankle looks different with a boot than with a sneaker. What I would skip: the white wash in a rainy week.

Zisser has described stores as places to sit with a glass of wine, but the pants in this group are the ones you wear when the day has a calendar. Start the list with the Cropped Wide Leg Pleat Pants in Black, an extra-wide cropped leg with deep front pleats and a soft elastic waistband. I would wear them with a fitted turtleneck and pointed flats.

The Tailored Straight Leg Pants in Charcoal Herringbone have a classic waistband with belt loops, a button and zip front and a full-length fit. The Wide Leg Ankle Pants in Mulled Basil are a barrel-adjacent shape with a softly curved leg and a tapered hem, and they are the green I would reach for with cream in October. The Not Too Tapered Pants in Graphite have visible leg seams, a straight leg and an elasticated waist.

For the black basics, the Stretch Suit Tapered Pants, the Streamline Straight Leg Pants and the Everlasting Slim Pants all work with knits, blouses and jackets. The Formal Wide-ish Pants in Black taper at the ankle and hide an elastic waistband in back.

Test them sitting down, then lift your arms, because a tailored pant should not pull at the waist when you move. What I would skip: pairing the slim and tapered pairs with very chunky boots, which can overwhelm a narrow ankle.

I would start with the shape that matches your day. If it is travel and long hours, the On The Loose Work Pants in Graphite. If it is a desk and meetings, a tailored pair from the last group, then a corduroy barrel for weekends.

Check the length first, since there are long versions of the On The Loose and the barrel jeans, then the fabric, then the color. Brands rarely get a pair this popular by accident.

Zisser found a pair of oversized pants in a vintage store, and the rest is a store on Madison Avenue. I would choose the pair that tells a story you can wear.