How to wear menswear’s wide-leg trouser trend

They promise to become a wardrobe essential this season, kicking the skinnies into yesteryear

Sarah Jones
Friday 08 September 2017 18:57 BST
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Instead of going for an ultra-wide pair, give yourself a little room to breath so they can easily slot into your wardrobe
Instead of going for an ultra-wide pair, give yourself a little room to breath so they can easily slot into your wardrobe (AFP/Getty)

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After years of slim-fit stiff jeans, men can breathe a sartorial sigh of relief because skinny trousers have finally died a death.

Instead, this autumn is all about letting your legs roam free and giving your slacks a serious wide berth.

A look that’s been steadily infiltrating the catwalk for a few seasons now, wide-leg trousers have definitively moved beyond skater and raver circles to enter the mainstream.

The perfect antidote to the super-skinny tailoring etched by Hedi Slimane on men’s fashion for the last 15 years, when he departed from Louis Vuitton last year newly appointed Kim Jones set out to establish new proportions for the brand.

As such, this season Louis Vuitton created a new, looser, wider-legged and drop-crotched trouser silhouette, inspired by the glory days of New York artists in the Seventies, Eighties and Nineties like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol.

Similarly, British designer Craig Green looked to uniformed fisherman to inspire his wide-brimmed bottoms, that saw an army of mariners decked out in tonal pants and drawstring sailor smocks with hoods.

E.Tautz Autumn Winter 2017
E.Tautz Autumn Winter 2017

For Marni though, new creative director Francesco Risso cited the bridge between childhood and adulthood as his inspiration. The vision came to life through thrift store-style suits that looked at least two sizes too big, slouchy camel trousers and check paperbag styles cinched at the waist.

While for designers when it comes to what constitutes a wide leg, it’s definitely the wider the better, real-life wear is another story.


Stone Wide Leg Trousers, £24.99, New Look

 Stone Wide Leg Trousers, £24.99, New Look

Instead of going for an ultra-wide, billowing pair, give yourself a little more room to breath so they can easily slot into your everyday wardrobe.

The key really is to consider the silhouette you are creating, so make sure to balance out your bottom with an oversized, boxy jacket or shirt for a streetwear-inspired look.

Wide Linen Blend Trousers, £24.99, H&M
Wide Linen Blend Trousers, £24.99, H&M
Khaki Tencel Wide Leg Cropped Trousers, £35, Topman
Khaki Tencel Wide Leg Cropped Trousers, £35, Topman
Oliver Spencer, Judo Cotton-Twill Trousers, £135, Mr Porter
Oliver Spencer, Judo Cotton-Twill Trousers, £135, Mr Porter
Stone Wide Leg Cropped Trousers, £38, Topman
Stone Wide Leg Cropped Trousers, £38, Topman
Craig Green, Wide Leg Twill Trousers, £365, Mr Porter
Craig Green, Wide Leg Twill Trousers, £365, Mr Porter

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