Thick-thighed guys, you can breathe easy: Pants are loosening up. Slim, tapered trousers have dominated runways and shop floors for most of the past decade—thanks to designers like Thom Browne, who made suits verging on too small the defining silhouette of fashion-forward menswear. But the pendulum has finally begun to swing in the other direction, ushering in a new era of roomy legs.
From fashion’s most agenda-setting labels to tailoring’s most traditional makers, brands across the spectrum are embracing wider cuts. In addition to the style’s unconstricted comfort, wide-leg trousers are in step with the casual ease running throughout menswear right now. From loosely draped dress pants in fine wool to knockabout chinos with ample proportions, a pair of wide-legged trousers is the smartest style upgrade to make this season. Here’s a few ideas on how to wear them.
-
Pleats, Please
Image Credit: Janelle Jones If you’ve sworn off pleated pants, it’s time to reconsider the objectively comfy design detail. Teamed with a turtleneck and suede jacket, the roomy cut looks decidedly streamlined.
Montedoro suede jacket, $1,865; Gabriela Hearst cashmere turtleneck, $1,090; Loro Piana cotton corduroy trousers, $1,050; Brioni acetate glasses, $785; Salvatore Ferragamo leather belt, $475; Crockett & Jones leather derbies, $670.
-
King-Sized
Image Credit: Janelle Jones Wider legs lend themselves to proportion play, such as this ensemble combining an oversized overshirt and boots with hefty Vibram soles with a bantamweight bag and knit cap.
Courrèges wool shirt jacket, $890; Officine Générale chambray shirt, $235; Lemaire cotton trousers, $610; Lock & Co. cashmere beanie, $190; Hermès calfskin bag, $6,750; Viberg suede boots, $825.
-
Get Waisted
Image Credit: Janelle Jones The volume of wide-legged trousers is best balanced by a well-defined waist, which makes a good belt essential. From braided to brass-buckled, here are some of the best this season.
From top left: Salvatore Ferragamo leather belt, $475; Tod’s suede belt, $495; Hermès calfskin belt, $1,050; Paul Stuart alligator belt, $625; Brunello Cucinelli braided leather belt, $575; Ralph Lauren alligator belt, $1,895; Maximum Henry leather belt, $115.
-
Silver Fox
Image Credit: Janelle Jones Channel 1940s stars such as Gary Cooper by pairing roomy flannel trousers with a tucked-in sweater—a classically elegant silhouette made modern in tonal shades of gray.
Brunello Cucinelli cashmere polo, $3,995; Budd shirt, $210; Ami Paris wool trousers, $660; Celine acetate sunglasses, $420; Husbands patent-leather belt, $215; Manolo Blahnik suede derbies, $895.
