Denim changes the rules, because a zebra stripe on a five-pocket jean looks like a decision rather than a costume. Hold the jeans up in daylight and look at the scale of the stripe. A bold print reads best on a wide leg, and a tonal one is easier on a slim leg.

The two rag & bone pairs are the grown-up ones. The Phoebe jeans are featherweight, washed gray and cream with a drawstring waist, and I would wear them with a fitted white tank. The Miramar is a brown zebra ankle jean with a high waist, and a cream sweater makes it look intentional. The AQUA wide-leg in chocolate is the warm, high-rise one, and the EDIKTED baggy straight pair sits low and slouchy, so I would keep a cropped jacket on top.

Then the quieter ones. The 7 For All Mankind Stovepipe and the Citizens of Humanity Blaine flares are both brown and cream, so the print almost behaves like a texture. The Lioness Peak jeans are the sharp black and white, and the GANNI Lari in egret and black has a button fly and a high rise. A black turtleneck works on every one.

What I would skip: three print moments at once. If the jeans are striped, the shoes and the bag should be plain.

Soft fabric is where zebra pants get easy, so check the drape before the print. Hold the pant up by the waist and see if it hangs straight or clings. A good fluid pair moves, and a stiff one makes the stripes look flat.

The Natori silk twill pull-on pant in black and white has a soft hand and a straight leg, and I would wear it with a cream cardigan to a dinner. The GANNI satin trousers in cream and chocolate have a drawstring waist and a wide leg, so I would pair them with a plain tank and a leather belt. The Bananhot Tommy flares are semi-sheer cotton with a tie waist, which means a lining or a long shirt on top is smart. The Elan palazzo pants have a smocked waist and are cover-up pants for the beach, so I would wear them over a swimsuit and sandals.

For the movement days, the Jessie Zhao New York leggings have a wide contrast waistband, and the Grey Lab pair is tan and black with a high waist. The Proenza Schouler jacquard skinny pants are the sleek, going-out version, and the adidas Originals wide-leg track pants in faded purple-gray with 3-Stripes are the loose weekend ones.

What I would skip: leggings that are see-through when you bend. Do a squat in the fitting room.

I would pick one pair, not three. Decide where you will wear it first: the office, the weekend or dinner. Then choose the cut that suits that place, a tailored trouser for the first, jeans for the second, satin for the third.

Try it on with the plainest top you own, and walk across the room. If you still feel like yourself, you have found your pair.

Cavalli built a signature out of a stripe that nature never repeats, so I like to think my zebra pair is a little bit mine. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Taffeta Pants and Foldover pants.