While there are a few things we like to remember from the height of the pandemic era, work-appropriate soft pants are certainly one of them. When “hard pants” were just too uncomfortable and sweatpants just too sleepy, the void of in-between pants needed to be filled and we haven’t looked back since. But let’s lay down some of the ground rules first: no, this does not make track pants office-appropriate, and yes, this includes elastic waist, but it does need to be paired with a more sophisticated fabric or tailoring. For some fresh ideas on how to add a few more of these to your work-to-play wardrobe, here are some of the latest and greatest shapes from designers who are doing them best. CATEGORIES Fall fashion