Ease your trouser quest by focusing on designers who are known for good pants. "Fit is an expertise," said swimwear designer Lisa Marie Fernandez, who compared pant design to the complexity of making bathing suits. Ms. Fernandez, a former stylist, recalled the late '90s, when brands like Katayone Adeli, now defunct, and Chaiken & Capone, were celebrated for their well-fitting, leg-lengthening pants. Ms. Fernandez is still wearing her many pairs of Balenciaga pants made in the era when Nicolas Ghesquière was at the brand's helm. "Nicolas could make a mean pant," Ms. Fernandez said. "I used to buy a few at a time.