Trousers have enjoyed quite the glow up in recent years. If they were once more of an afterthought, playing second fiddle to shirts, shoes and sneakers, right now, pants are in the driving seat. As any menswear netizen worth his salt will have noticed, the bottom half is where all the exciting stuff is happening. Silhouettes have widened generously, fabrics have become more innovative; trousers are bolder, brighter and more bodacious than they’ve ever been. Pink metallic leather pants for $5,000? Jeans big enough to park your car in? Western chaps (yes, the crotchless ones) in beige cotton-canvas? All, as it happens, current options you’ll find on the distinguished digital shelves of MR PORTER.

“It’s a battleground out there,” says Ms Sophie Watson, MR PORTER’s Junior Fashion Editor. “There are now so many trousers to choose from, and I think it’s natural if guys feel hesitant about what to wear.” Fortunately, the wealth of options around means that there has never been a better time to upgrade your trouser rotation and to take part in a bit of waist-down exploration. Indeed, a stellar new pair of pants – or five – might just be the key to breathing new life into a dreary wardrobe. To help you navigate this newly bounteous trouser landscape, below you’ll find a few expert tips to take it all in your stride.

While the new world of opportunity for your bottom half might feel overwhelming, don’t feel as though you have to jump in with both feet first. “I would say branch out slowly,” advises Ms Chloe Keiko Takayanagi, a Los Angeles-based stylist who works with Messrs Simu Liu, Taika Waititi and other red-carpet regulars.

Instead of plunging straight into clown-pant territory, she recommends making “little tweaks” to what you’d normally wear, such as trousers with a slightly wider silhouette. Or try a pair of pants that has a subtle point of difference about it, such as trousers with embroidered detailing or a drawstring waist.

Takayanagi’s favourite go-tos come with a built-in adjustable belt and are made by Parisian brand Officine Générale. The cut of the leg is roomy, but only just, and thus easy to wear every day. “I wish I could put every guy in those,” she says. “They’re a great a staple.”

Want to inject a bit of insouciant luxury into your wardrobe? Invest in some fancy pleated pants. “I’ve never in my entire life worn pants without pleats,” says Mr Umit Benan, the Turkish born, Milan-based designer behind the brand UMIT BENAN B+.

Benan has no time for flat-fronted options (“they feel cheap”). Instead, he makes decidedly grand trousers out of superfine wool that are voluminous, billowing, and crucially have a big pleat and a high waist – the combination of which he says helps to flatter one’s proportions. “It is the trick to help you look skinnier than you are,” he says.

Takayanagi is also a die-hard fan of a pleated trouser. “They’re really cool,” she says. “It’s like a nod to a vintage feel a little bit, but you can dress it up or down and wear it any time of year.”

Benan likes to wear his with lace-up boots, but suggests espadrilles as a suitably luxe, summer alternative.

If you’d like to push it wider with your silhouette, but aren’t sure where to start, look to workwear. Utilitarian styles such as cargo or carpenter pants naturally lend themselves to a slightly more capacious leg, and are comfortable to boot, Watson says. While previously seen as a dorky dad throwback, they’ve had a stylish renaissance over the past few years and can now be found at some of the most stylish menswear brands around, from craft-focused Japanese label KAPITAL to Swedish contemporary brand Our Legacy.

“They’re a great entry point into wearing something a bit wider,” Watson says. She points to NYC luxury brand Nili Lotan as a particularly easy-to-style choice. Its carpenter pants have subtle darts in the knees, which give the leg a slightly more curved, generous shape (“still a straight leg, but more forgiving”) in a cotton-twill that is durable but dandy. In other words, they’ll make it look like you can do a spot of home DIY, but not so much that the neighbours will start asking you to inspect their leaky plumbing.

As well as silhouette, it’s also worth paying attention to the rich diversity of fabrics on the market right now. For this, self-consciously stylish outdoorsy brands are a safe bet. “Crinkle shell or technical fabrics always look amazing as a wide leg, with sneakers and a tee or a blouson over the top,” Watson says. She recommends that you “choose monochromatic colours to keep it chic”.

SAIF UD DEEN’s crunchy canvas cargo pants come in a straight leg, are an accessible choice, while the ties just below the knees give a sufficiently Gorpcore feel. Watson also points toward Japanese brands such as Norbit by Hiroshi Nozawa as a particularly stylish option – the under-the-radar label makes cotton trousers with shell detailing and hidden pockets, ideal whether you’re attending a trendy pop-up opening or are off to climb a mountain. Or both.

Just because the whole world and its trousers have gone mad, that doesn’t mean you need to. Instead, think as the best dressers do: timelessly. No brand perhaps embodies timeless trews as well as Italian label Incotex, which has garnered a reputation for consistently great trousers that have barely changed in its 70-year history.

“‘Loyal to our heritage’, that’s our mantra,” says Mr Piero Braga, the CEO of Slowear, parent company of Incotex. “We have always believed that keeping it strong and steady is the right answer to a mutating market.” The brand’s current best seller is its slim-fit style (though not too slim), which will happily go with everything in your wardrobe – indeed, that’s the point. “A cool trouser makes building a look an effortless exercise. If the trousers are well made, the fabric is top level, the details are cared about, the rest of the look will easily shine.”