I have a complicated relationship with jeans. I love the idea of them—the ease, the versatility, the way a good pair can make a T-shirt look intentional—but lately, I’ve found myself reaching for anything but denim. Maybe it’s the pendulum swinging toward softer, roomier silhouettes, or maybe I’m simply tired of pretending that a rigid waistband is the price of looking pulled together.
Enter the Leset Kyoto Carpenter Pants, the decidedly un-jeans-like pants that seem to have quietly become a uniform among some of fashion’s most closely watched women. Jennifer Lawrence has worn them. Kaia Gerber has worn them. Katie Holmes has worn them. Usually, I’d be one to point out that celebrity sightings alone aren’t usually enough to convince me that I need a new pair of pants, but there’s something particularly compelling about the way it feels like everyone in my fashion North Star mood board has a pair. Naturally, I had to see what all the fuss was about.
Leset Kyoto Pants on Celebrities
The appeal, I quickly discovered, is that the Kyoto Carpenter Pants occupy a sweet spot that jeans can’t quite reach. They have the slouch and nonchalance of workwear, but they look significantly more considered than your average pair of cargoes or sweats. They’re the kind of pants that make a simple outfit feel like a look without announcing that you tried very hard to make it one.
After spending over two months wearing and rewearing the viral pants to find out whether they really deserve their anti-jeans status, I’ve compiled my thoughts. Below, read my full review of the Leset Kyoto Carpenter Pants.
Read Our Editor’s Full Leset Kyoto Pants Review
Leset Kyoto Pants Details
Price: $280
Sizes: XS–XL
U.S. size equivalent: XS (0–2), S (4–6), M (8), L (10), XL (12–14)
Colors: The current lineup includes Black, Chalk, Cypress, Birch, Leset’s classic Cobalt Blue, Cerise, Carnation, Maroon, Military, Chocolate, and Nuit, with additional seasonal shades appearing periodically.
Material: 100% cotton
Silhouette: Relaxed, barely there barrel-leg fit with a cropped ankle length
Waist: Pull-on, adjustable waistband with drawstring
Leset Kyoto Pants on Editors
Ana’s review: My first thought when I pulled these on, you might ask? Oh, these are going to be dangerously easy to wear. I’d been eyeing a pair for months but couldn’t swallow the price tag at first. On the surface, the Kyoto Carpenter Pants look like one of the dime-a-dozen pairs of cotton drawstring pants that dominated my Instagram and TikTok feeds in summers past. And, transparently, part of me still feels that. But when I find a pair of pants I love as a size 12/14, I’ll usually buy them in several colors—making the Leset Kyoto Carpenter Pants a seasonal staple for me. After wearing the classic Black pair throughout fashion month, I headed to the Leset boutique in the West Village to try on a dusty mauve pair, another colorway I’d been craving since seeing it on Leset’s website.
The only caveat that I did want to point out is that you have to be gentle with them. After swearing I’d wear them throughout the rest of the summer and fall, I accidentally caught a front pocket through the door handle of my apartment and ripped it clean off. Sure, it’s an easy fix and perhaps a fluke accident, but I wouldn’t do manual, hard labor in a pair of these pants.
Jamie’s review: I legitimately refuse to travel without these pants. (I’m actually about to head to the airport in the mirror selfie above!) Relaxed and lightweight, they’re comfy enough for long-haul flights yet still look elevated for any post-plane plans. The wide-leg fit with the cropped length is also so flattering for my 5’1” frame. Most baggy silhouettes unintentionally become puddle pants no matter how high I hike them up. I officially need these in every color!
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