Wide Leg Pants & How To Wear Them Well in 2018

Wide leg pants for women are an awesome silhouette that was popularized in the 60’s & 70’s.

But in 2018 they’re making quite a comeback–

I already have 3 pairs in my closet!

What Are Wide Leg Pants?

Wide leg pants in 2018 come in a few different styles and might go by different names depending on who you ask.

This post will cover the following:

High Waisted Wide Leg Pants
Wide Leg Trousers aka Flared Pants
Palazzo Pants
Culottes

Still, for the most part, wide leg pants are exactly what they sound like–

Roomy, flowy pants that wear more like a maxi skirt than a pair of fitted trousers.

And thank god for that, ’cause I for one am tired of squeezing my womanly hips and thighs into unforgiving denim!

High Waisted Wide Leg Pants

In my opinion, wide pants are most flattering when they highlight the narrowest part of your waist.

High waisted wide leg pants do exactly that!

Plus, the black and white striped pants I’m wearing here have a compounded slimming effect with vertical lines.

Wide Leg Trousers

Wide leg trousers, or flared pants, tend to refer to dress pants with the wide leg silhouette–

Great for professional wear or a modest, polished look with a button-down shirt tucked in.

Take the opportunity to showcase a statement belt and you’ll surely be the best dressed at the office.

Palazzo Pants

Palazzo pants, sometimes called party pants, are another popular variation of the wide leg silhouette, but they’re often worn casually.

Think boho fashion, hippie pants, and loungewear in colorful patterns and sheer fabrics–

The stuff that West coast beach dreams are made of.

Culottes

Culottes are a distinctive style that hit about mid-calf, and they’re much easier to spot.

Perhaps the least common of all the wide leg pant trends in circulation, culottes are a tough trend to wear–

I still haven’t quite nailed it yet myself.

One blogger I’ve seen that always pulls of culottes like a true boss is Delirium Style, so I’d defer to her for your culottes outfit inspiration.

What To Wear With Wide Leg Pants

Women might shy away from wide leg pants for fear of getting lost in all that fabric, and that is a legitimate concern.

However, when worn well, wide pants can be just as sexy and twice as comfortable as your favorite pair of jeans.

How to Wear ‘Em

First off, don’t limit yourself to the ideas I have here.

Take an afternoon, sip some wine, and try on some different flare pants to find what works best for your style and your body type!

I recommend taking some mirror selfies of your favorite looks so it’s super easy to figure out what to wear with your wide pants when the occasion calls for them.

With that being said, there are a few rules I stick to when wearing wide leg pants:

DO wear them with heels, especially strappy sandals
DO wear them with a crop top, a onesie, or a slim-fitted shirt tucked in
DO wear them with a belt (mine came with a matching strip of fabric that I like to wear as a scarf sometimes!)
DON’T wear them with a loose flow shirt – this is how feminine figures get lost visually!
DON’T wear them with a jacket, unless maybe it’s cropped at the waistline

Beyond these guidelines, the sky’s the limit!

Wide Leg Pants Outfit Inspiration

Check out these wide leg pants:

Black with white stripes via Amazon
White with black stripes via Amazon
Animal Print wide leg trousers via Stylebop
Silk Wide leg trousers via Stylebop
Red wide leg pants via Stylebop
Cheap palazzo pants via Romwe

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