This season's pants: less denim, more sturdy trousers

Pants have long been regarded as a liberating garment, and jeans have always been top sellers season-round. But this fall, the emphasis is off denim and on sturdy trousers with a more grown-up, relaxed silhouette.

Riding on the trend, both mass market and high-fashion labels are marketing collections centered around the "perfect" pant. This past September, Gap rolled out its line of "Black Magic Pants," a collection in seven shapes and styles that promises to flatter every body type out there. Among the offerings is "The Perfect Trouser" ($59.50, or 45 euros), which Gap describes as: "A perfectly tailored silhouette gives way to a slightly flared leg."

Now, Phoebe Philo, the creative director of the French house C ufffdline, is launching a highly anticipated collection of five pants she deems "building blocks" for every modern woman's wardrobe, due in stores worldwide on December 15. Dubbed "Five Perfect Trousers," the styles include a cropped tube leg (370 euros, or $489), a classic tapered leg (420 euros, or $555), a high-waisted wide leg (570 euros, or $753), a menswear-inspired straight leg (590 euros, or $780), and a pleated tapered leg (440 euros, or $582). Each of the pants feature Philo's signature expert tailoring and channel C ufffdline's minimalist chic aesthetic. According to the Wall Street Journal, the five-piece collection will be permanently available with slight changes in fabric and style according to the season.