How To Wear Relaxed-Fit Trousers

It’s not hard to remember a time when wide-leg trousers were considered one of those beyond-the-pale pieces that fashion designers periodically tried to foist on sceptical menfolk, perhaps out of boredom, or “for banter”.

Sure, wide-leg trousers made an impact on the runway. Okay, so they created a striking silhouette. And yes, they had swagger. But off the runway? They were an unacceptable breach of breeches conduct. Sheer pantaloon-acy, to be given an equally wide berth.

But as you perform your umpteenth series of pulse squats to squeeze into your skinny-fit jeans, or dislocate your ankle to get your foot through that drainpipe leg opening, do you ever stop to think that there might be another way? That it might be time to broaden your horizons?

Menswear’s brains trust certainly thinks there’s room for a roomier trouser style. Many of today’s biggest trends prefer a wider leg: street-friendly skatewear, pleated mid-century styles and voluminous tailoring are all generous and flattering below the belt.

The Rise Of Wide-Leg Trousers

Revolutionary though they may seem, wide-leg trousers are not exactly a novel concept. ‘Oxford bags’ as they became known date back to the 1920s, when stunting undergrads at the eponymous university wore trousers with hems of up to 40 inches in circumference – and looked like dons. Frank Sinatra did wide-leg trousers his way in the 1950s, as did Marlon Brando. And David Bowie did frankly whatever the hell he wanted in the 1970s – which included wide-leg trousers.

“Yes, but Bowie was a sartorial extraterrestrial,” you cry. True, but even for us style earthlings, wide-leg trousers are more wearable than you probably imagine. They are undoubtedly a statement – but that means you don’t really need to try that hard.

Thankfully, fashion is cyclical, and wide-leg trousers are getting another long-overdue play. After years of spray-on oppression, high-end fashion houses and streetwear labels alike are freeing men from their stonewash straightjacket. And crucially, dissenting designers challenging the constricting doctrine are practising what they preach by wearing them, proving that they look unusually good in real life too.

Marlon Brando

4 Ways To Wear Wide-Leg Trousers

None of this is to say that to be fashion-forward, you need to run a belt through two tents. Yes, the runway end of the trouser fit spectrum has lurched dramatically flappier. But that means that, for those who’ve spent the last decade peeling their trousers off every evening, it’s time to inch up into something roomier. Here are four ways to pump up the volume.

Casual

For those new to the relaxed-leg fit, casual looks are the easiest way to experiment. “Start off with a classic colour or fabric, such as navy or black in cotton or a wool-blend,” says Mr Porter style director Olie Arnold. “Denim is also an easy way into the trend.”

To balance out all that extra down below, think simple. “Wear with a well-fitting crew-neck T-shirt or Henley. Many wider trousers have traditional front pleats and a higher waist; tuck the top in to highlight this feature.” It’s a move approved by Jude Law, back in his Dickie Greenleaf days.

Smart-Casual

It’s not just the cut of clothes that has been gradually relaxing over the last few years. Dress codes have also loosened up, making relaxed-leg trousers an excellent way to nail everyday smart-casual.

The trick here is to keep everything else simple so that the trousers are the only wild card in the deck. Think tonal shirts, roll necks and muted bombers. Not only will you feel confident enough to wear them that way, but you’ll also be doing ‘a thing’ without really doing all that much.

Smart

All that extra material necessitates a nipped-in waist, whether in the form of a cropped jacket or a tailored one, to prevent you ballooning. Luckily, looser-fitting trousers can work in business-casual offices, provided you make up for the more relaxed fit by dialling up the styling. “A well-cut pair of pleated trousers can bring a rakish touch to a formal look by pairing with a deconstructed blazer, a crisp shirt and some polished Derby shoes,” says Arnold.

When wearing a blazer with relaxed-fit trousers, you can also alleviate the impact by rolling the hems, so the trousers swing, rather than puddle. “A slightly shorter pair of wide-leg trousers in black can be ideal for the office when worn with a tucked in slim shirt, to balance the voluminous shape.”