Loose jeans, cargo pants, trousers, slacks and flares. All of these items have one thing in common: they’re baggy. Rather, they’re wide-legged pants.
But will wide-legged pants pass along just as easily as skinny jeans? Or will they become a timeless staple that will withstand the test of time?
Wide-legged pants have become part of many recent trends on social media. TikTok influencers such as Marlon Noah, Demetra Dias and Wisdom Kaye have praised them for being key ingredients in contemporary styles, from minimalistic to streetwear, just to name a few. With the recent opposition towards skinny jeans, many argue this latest infatuation with “wide-legged” pants is just an extremely polarized revolution against them.
Due to the physical makeup of baggy pants, they can be more conducive to runway shows, meaning these types of pants are much easier to work with. Bold colors, exaggerated proportions and modern fabrics are just a couple of ways that these types of pants can be manipulated to reflect modern aesthetics.
Despite their modern appeal, these pants date back as far as the 1920s as pajama pants and statements by icons such as Coco Chanel, further expanding their use to women 1930s when they were first posed as elegant alternatives to skirts for women. They were then tailored and “polished” in the 1940s to allow for better ease of work and then used throughout the decades, especially during the 1970s disco era where ideas of freedom were linked directly to looser-fitting clothes.
This style of pants is not new; they have just become more popular. Their use also extends beyond mere casual and fashion utility to include professional use. With a wide variety of neutral colors, they are staples in professional environments, offering a comfortable, affordable look that mimics high fashion but at an affordable price.
These pants have the quality of versatile utility that most other pieces can’t maintain, which will certainly make them timeless for many years to come.
Not only are wide-legged pants universally flattering, giving them a quality of longevity, but they can also be used in many different climates. The design allows for breathability which makes them perfect alternatives to shorts in the summer and their flowy character makes them the perfect top over many layers for the winter.
Their standard composition can be toyed with in different colors, shapes and materials, allowing them to cater to a variety of trends. These pants are not just used for daily wear to the office or a night out but are also important pieces in global cultures, some of which include the palazzo pants in Italy and the hakama in Japan.
Wide-legged pants have been reinterpreted and reinvented throughout many decades, transitioning from professional styles like trousers to everyday wear like baggy jeans.
In a way, their adaptability makes them trendy. Yet, their practicality and universality make them timeless. Looking at how communities worldwide have used these pants for almost 100 years, it is clear that they are timeless.
This article was edited by Maria Tedesco, Marina Zaczkiewicz and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks.
