Oscar Hartzog
Contact Oscar Hartzog by Email View all posts by Oscar Hartzog July 31, 2026
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I am not a fan of shorts. Unless I’m at the beach or a pool, shorts make me feel underdressed, and every sock option (or lack thereof) doesn’t sit right with my tastes. Luckily, when it’s just too hot for any normal pants, there is an alternative to shorts: linen pants.
At a Glance: The Best Linen Pants for Men
Best Overall Quince 100% European Linen Pants
BUY NOW $54 Jump to Details
Runner-Up Madewell Pull-On Pant
BUY NOW $138 Jump to Details
Best Linen Dress Pants Rag & Bone Evan Linen Trousers
BUY NOW $298 Jump to Details
Best Drawstring Linen Pants Alex Crane Bo Pants
BUY NOW $158 Jump to Details
Best Budget pick Coofandy Men Linen Pants
BUY NOW $28.99 Jump to Details
Best Linen-Blend Pants Abercrombie & Fitch Relaxed Pull-On Pant
BUY NOW $85 Jump to Details View more +The best linen pants offer almost the same level of airiness and comfort as a pair of shorts, and they do it while looking much more stylish and pulled-together in my opinion. Linen pants are one of the oldest pieces of clothing, with origins in Ancient Egypt, but their modern form started to emerge in the 1920s when wealthy people wore them during the summer.
Today, linen pants are having a resurgence in menswear. Search interest for linen pants this summer is more than triple what it was in 2025 (Google Trends), and it’s easy to understand why. Coming off the quiet luxury trend, many of the world’s most stylish celebrities and tastemakers have been spotted wearing the breathable trousers, from Brad Pitt to Prince Harry to Lewis Hamilton. Guys are fully realizing the versatility of linen pants — like they are with linen shirts — sporting them with casual outfits as well as preppy, dressy ones.
As a shorts hater, I’ve been very glad to see linen pants having a moment. However, the explosion of interest from shoppers has also created an explosion of linen pants offerings from just about every brand. And not all of them are worthy of your summer wardrobe budget. To help find the ones that are worth your hard-earned dollars, I personally tested over a dozen pairs to find the best linen pants on the market. Read on to see which ones made the cut.
How We Tested and Selected the Best Linen Pants for Men
To find the best linen pants for men, I started by calling in samples of more than a dozen bestselling pairs from all kinds of brands, including high-end labels and affordable Amazon brands. I then washed all of them (cold cycle, hang dry) and rotated each pair during the first couple of months this summer. I wore most of them around New York City (on 100-plus-degree days, in some cases), and I took some on different vacations. Here’s what I considered while handling and wearing all of them:
Fabric: In my experience, linen is one of the most variable materials in menswear. Different linen is woven at different tightnesses, so some will be more billowy and breezy while others will be more stiff and trouser-like (which can be good if you’re going for a more formal look). Some linen also just feels nicer, and others are actually a linen blend instead of the real thing.
Fit: Generally, I think linen pants should be baggier on average than any other pant to aid in the intended cooling effect. However, if you’re shopping for linen slacks or just prefer something more slim fit, those are still available. While testing, I made note of exactly how each pair fits, since brands’ fit descriptors are usually irregular.
Note: Linen pants often change size quite a bit after their first wash, even if you hang dry. If your new pair feels slightly wide or too long when they arrive, they’ll likely shrink down to what you’re looking for after washing. If they fit exactly right before washing, you might want to return and size up, and always wait until after washing to get them hemmed.
Details: There are some small details that make a significant difference in each pair of linen pants’ overall appearance and functionality. These can include a drawstring (on the inside or the outside), belt loops, and pockets stitched on the outside instead of the inside. My ideal pair has both a drawstring and belt loops, and has the exterior-stitched pockets for a more unique look.
After testing pants myself, I had an AI agent amalgamate user reviews from all sites where each pair of pants is sold. This was primarily to weed out pairs that don’t hold up long-term, since I was only able to test most pairs for a couple of months, but also to get a sense of how they worked for others.
The Best Linen Pants for Men
After months of testing, these are my favorite pairs of linen pants:
Best Overall Quince 100% European Linen Pants
$54
Buy Now at quinceFabric: 100% linen Colorways: 5 Sizing: S-XXL, 30 or 32 inseam
Oscar Hartzog Quince’s linen pants check all the right boxes, and they do it at a significantly lower price point than almost all the other pants on this list. Quince uses 100% high-quality linen, and it feels as nice as any that I tested. I liked the tightness of the weave, as it was breezy but still structured enough to wear with more dressy pieces. The fit is equally balanced with a relaxed silhouette that’s neither too baggy nor too slim, and I like the interior drawstring opposed to one on the outside. Don’t get me wrong: There are a few other pairs of linen pants that match Quince’s quality, fit, and details, but the $54 price tag on these makes them my number one pick for just about everyone.
Runner-Up Madewell Pull-On Pant
$138
Buy Now at madewellFabric: 100% linen Colorways: 3 Sizing: XS-XXL
Oscar Hartzog Madewell’s Pull-On Pant is another example of an excellent, straightforward pair of linen pants. The linen has a relaxed, loose knit that’s excellent for breathability, and I was a big fan of the fit (loose but not too baggy). As some customers note in their reviews, I did notice that these run a little large, so consider downsizing.
Best Linen Dress Pants Rag & Bone Evan Linen Trousers
$298
Buy Now at Rag & BoneFabric: 100% linen Colorways: 2 Sizing: 28-38
Oscar Hartzog These Evan linen trousers from Rag & Bone have become one of my go-to pairs of office pants. They’re more dressy than the other linen pants on this list, looking great with button-ups and loafers, but they’re still relaxed enough to wear casually with sneakers and tees. I also think the classic fit is as close to perfect as you can get, and you’ll want to pick your exact size or even go down one inch. The gray and brown color options are both great (I got them in gray), but I do wish they came in a few more colors.
Best Drawstring Linen Pants Alex Crane Bo Pants
$158
Buy Now at alex craneFabric: 100% linen Colorways: 12 Sizing: XXS-XXXL, 32 inseam
Zoe Denckla If you’re looking for a pair of linen pants on the casual end of the spectrum, Alex Crane’s Bo Pants are your best bet. The bestselling pants use a natural yarn and a wash for a worn-in look. In person, they’re uniquely textured for a true linen look. The linen comes from Normandy, France (one of the world’s best sources), meaning the pants will likely hold up to years of wear and weather. The drawstring on the outside adds another layer of casualness, and you get a great variety of colors to choose from, including stripes and solids.
Best Budget pick Coofandy Men Linen Pants
$28.99
Buy Now at AmazonFabric: 70% rayon, 30% linen Colorways: 12 Sizing: S-XXXL, 28–30 inseam
Oscar Hartzog At under $30, Coofandy’s linen pants are an excellent budget-friendly option. The loose fit is great, and you get a wide range of colors to choose from, but the main trade-off with more expensive pairs is that these are a synthetic-heavy linen blend (30% linen, 70% rayon) instead of 100% linen. Still, they feel soft and breathable, and they hang nicely. The rayon is also actually helpful for longevity, since linen can sometimes break down faster than synthetics.
Best Linen-Blend Pants Abercrombie & Fitch Relaxed Pull-On Pant
$85
Buy Now at abercrombieFabric: 78% cotton, 21% linen, 1% elastane Colorways: 5 Sizing: XS-XXL, 28.5–32.5 inseam
I’m not sure what the designers at Abercrombie & Fitch are doing to make their clothing so soft. Just like the brand’s T-shirts and hoodies, its linen pants are extremely soft. They use a cotton-linen blend to achieve this unique feel. They look very similar to most 100% linen pants, but feel somewhere between that and sweatpants, so I’ve been wearing them primarily as lounge trousers around the house. Still, they’re pulled-together enough to wear a little dressed-up — say, with loafers and a casual button-up shirt.