Is it ever possible to have too many pairs of black pants? I can honestly say that I have almost 18 to 20 pairs, ranging from casual, everyday pants to dressy, tailored wool trousers with side zips. But what types are essential and what are unnecessary? — Michelle, Chicago
That’s a lot of black pants, no question. It’s a lot of pants, full stop.
At the same time, black pants are a wardrobe basic, like the white T-shirt, the white button-up and jeans: an item that goes with everything, always. And as with those other basics, it is possible to spend years chasing the perfect pair, which exists permanently twinkling in the distance, like a desert mirage just beyond reach.
The truth is there is no single style that answers every need, which is why we often end up with so many. Indeed, said Jamie Mizrahi, the stylist who put Adele into more than 50 long black dresses for her Las Vegas residency, “styles come in and out of favor so often that it’s good to have a collection of black pants in different cuts and materials and lengths that are flattering to your body.” (Ms. Mizrahi confessed to having “countless pairs myself.”)
Black pants are essentially the trouser equivalent of a canvas primer: You can put almost anything on top. That’s why Kate Lanphear, the women’s style director of T Magazine, said she did not believe it was possible to have too many black pants.
I would say, however, that you are asking the wrong question. It should not be “Do I have too many black pants?” but “Do I wear them all?”
If the answer is no, then — as with any wardrobe item that is simply taking up space, symbolizing the fruitless quest for some ülkü garment, or just reminding you of wasted money — you should pare back on the black.
