Male Spring Bottoms. What the hell?

[Iscah]

This

Should not

Have happened

(Butler's slacks, wedding pants, best man's)

While I understand the overall frustration with the lack of variety, I don't think these three sets are the right ones to make an example of the issue. They're all variations on mens' suits, so in this case it makes sense for them to be similar-or-the-same.

[BillyKaplan]

While I understand the overall frustration with the lack of variety, I don't think these three sets are the right ones to make an example of the issue. They're all variations on mens' suits, so in this case it makes sense for them to be similar-or-the-same.

I'll remind you of this post the next time a dress comes out and it's nothing like any dress released in the game thus far, because where's your "it's the same clothing item so it should look the same" god then? Two of those pants are the exact same model with a different color scheme when one of them is something you have to buy with real money for the wedding. That just shouldn't happen.

[Iscah]

I'll remind you of this post the next time a dress comes out and it's nothing like any dress released in the game thus far, because where's your "it's the same clothing item so it should look the same" god then? Two of those pants are the exact same model with a different color scheme when one of them is something you have to buy with real money for the wedding. That just shouldn't happen.

What I mean is, that example isn't an issue with the game, it's an issue with men's vs women's formal wear. Suits are more uniform than dresses. In a real-life wedding the groom and best man will most likely be wearing variations on the same suit, while the bride and bridesmaid's dresses will be different. All three of those costumes call for that style of pants, or they won't look right - and they've actually gone to some effort to make the third set (butler, I'm assuming) look unique instead of just recolouring the same plain pants again.

I'm not saying there's no issue with variety in men's pants overall, just that these are not a good example of what the issue is. (eg. a better example might be showing three sets of equivalent male and female equipment where the female version is interesting and the male version is plain pants again.)

What do you think they should have done differently with these three specific pairs of pants, while still keeping them looking like formal suit pants?

[Oce]

I agree. I think a better example would be basically any of the recent dungeon or tomestone gear, where females get a mix of shorts, skirts, capris, and unique designs and males get the philosophy of "don't show any skin".

[BillyKaplan]

Suits are more uniform than dresses.

Google would disagree, seriously. That said, they can still have much greater variety than what we have. And the fact all three are basically the same model with minimal adjustments at the waist is the problem here that shows how little effort goes into that sort of thing in the first place. If they had made a new model from scratch per pants, chances are they wouldn't have looked that similar just by virtue of being put together every time, but they can't even put that much effort into it. On one hand, I get why, on the other hand, that's the thing at the root of the problem here.
I wish I had it on hand but just recently I saw an amazing tumblr post about how dreary most men's outfits are in red carpets and award shows and what not... until they looked at the men of color and the suits they rock. Suits being so dreary in design is a white man's myth in and out of the game.

three sets of equivalent male and female equipment where the female version is interesting and the male version is plain pants again.

These sets actually still fall squarely under that, though? Butler, Best Man's, and Groom are all, like you said, variants of the same suit. Meanwhile ladies got a maid's outfit, the bride dress, and the bridesmaid's dress, all of which are heavily different.
And the Best Man's outfit is gender unlocked to boot.

What do you think they should have done differently with these three specific pairs of pants, while still keeping them looking like formal suit pants?

Different textures. Different heights. Put the buttons on the front instead of on the side... if they're even there at all. Patterns on the legs. Different length of pants even if minimal cuz right now it's about all the same. And give them shoes that would be different enough.