I maintain that the quintessential Power Suit does not have to involve pants of any kind.

But there’s still something about the right kind of pants, the ones that accentuate your body in the ways that make you feel confident, the ones that celebrate your feminine shape rather than hinder and hide it.

For me, the right pants have a high waist that fit at my natural waist, but they still leave generous room for my hips and thighs. That way, I’m not playing tug-of-war with my pants. My thighs usually win that battle.

Needless to say, the right pants must have some give. Look for pants made from material that has at least some Spandex in the mix. The ones I’m wearing above are made of 12% Spandex.

As far as length, I prefer pants to be tapered near my ankle. That gives the pants a clean line from my waist down, and the hem doesn’t awkwardly catch on my shoes or drag on the ground.

As far as color goes, I prefer a solid color that matches my top and jacket. Solid colors (depending on their tone, of course) draw less attention to my lower half.

You can probably tell that all of the elements of the pants that make me feel most confident address my insecurities, which live mostly in my lower half. This shape of pants might help you feel more confident, too, but if that’s not the case, I encourage you to try out different outlines to find the one that makes you feel most powerful.

Whichever shape fits you best, there are many styles of suit pants. You don’t have to settle for the ones that were designed to mimic men’s suits and snuff out your feminine power.