I would avoid linen, it's nice and comfortable but I don't think it'll be good for work wear, you'll probably have durability issues. If I were you I'd look into a sturdy twill fabric, it's a nice looking weave and is pretty common for work pants. 100% cotton is fine if you're getting something 8oz or heavier (they'll wear like jeans basically) but if you want a bit more durability, I think the sweet spot is 70% cotton / 30% polyester blend. This is a pretty common one, I have quite a few pairs of pants like this and it's a great balance. They still feel and breathe just like cotton (I can't notice a difference, at least) but the polyester will make them much more durable, and it's a fairly inexpensive material. If you're OK with synthetics, there are some other nice options out there. I've made hiking pants out of these stretch woven fabrics from Discover Fabrics. They're breathable, very durable, have some stretch so they're better to move in than a cotton or poly/cotton blend, they dry quickly, they're water resistant. Just great all around. Some people prefer more natural fibers though so it may not be for you. Hope you find something you like! More on reddit.com

There are several types of garments that quilting cotton can work for, but for me, traditional pants/trousers aren't one of them. Quilting cotton isn't light or drapey enough to pull off a flowy, unstructured pant. It also isn't heavy enough, nor does it have the heft to pull off a more structured trouser like a twill or true bottom weight fabric. And when it wrinkles, it tends to take on a more crumpled look...it's hard to explain, but even linen just looks better wrinkled in a pant than quilting cotton. It also tends to lend a pajama pant vibe to pants when it does work with a pattern on some level. All that being said, I'm sure there are examples out there of quilting cotton pants that someone could show me that would make me eat my words. However, I still personally wouldn't pick quilting cotton because, if nothing else, I probably wouldn't be confident wearing unpressed quilting cotton pants out and about because it really does get crumpled and rumpled coming out of the wash. With something like a chino or twill, or even a linen, I can yank that bad boy out of a hot dryer, give it a good shake, and the pants will look presentable enough to wear without being ironed. But ultimately, there is no sewing police, so if you find a quilting cotton and a pattern to pair with it that you really feel strongly could work, I promise that no one will come for you! And you may just prove some people like myself wrong! More on reddit.com

How much spandex would you say? Is a small percentage (less than 5%) enough to offset the lack of shape from 100% cotton? Should I look for an even higher percentage if what I want is stretch? What percentage of polyester would you say is too high, to the point where it's going to cause a lot of heat-insulation? Sorry for so many questions!

Viscose and rayon are wonderful fibers for summer, but watch out for shrinkage.

I wasn't aware that viscose shrinks. Is it as bad as rayon? I've religiously avoided rayon because of the shrinkage, but I did buy a pair of joggers made with 40% rayon recently and they're extremely comfortable, although washing them is a pain. Shrinkage in length is a big deal to me, since I fall awkwardly in the middle of the average-height and tall spectrum, to the point where I usually have to buy pants that are either a bit too long or a bit too short. What do you think of the other pair with viscose in it? (The 67% Cotton, 17% Viscose, 14% Polyester, 2% Elastane blend)

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Cotton is a fiber - it can range in weight from light (lawn) to heavy (denim). Stretch is often achieved with knits - think leggings. Watch this video regarding fabric 101. More on reddit.com