Cargo & wide-leg trousers, styled 5 ways
The trouser that ate the skinny jean. Five outfits that take a pair of wide-legs from gym-run to going-out.
Skinny jeans had a good run. The wide-leg — and its cargo, parachute and barrel cousins — is the trouser now, because it’s genuinely comfortable and quietly flattering: the volume below balances you out and makes a leg look longer, not shorter. Here are five ways to wear one pair, from very off-duty to actually-dressed.
1. The clean errand fit
Wide-leg or barrel trousers, a fitted tank or vest, a trainer. The whole point of a big trouser is the contrast with a neat top — keep the volume on the bottom and the lines simple up top and you look put-together with zero effort.
Wide-leg & cargo trousers to build on
Start with the right base trouser.
Shopping links go out to the retailer — pettl may earn a commission. Prices shown in each store’s currency; confirm on site.
2. Tonal & tucked
Match your trouser and top into the same family — sage on sage, chocolate on tan — and tuck the top in to mark your waist. Tonal dressing is the cheat that makes separates look like an outfit you planned.
3. Crop + cover
A cropped knit or a halter with a high-waisted wide-leg shows a sliver of waist and keeps the proportions honest. Throw a knit jacket over the top for the walk and you’ve got a transitional look that handles a temperature swing.
Tops & knits to wear up top
Neat, fitted, cropped — the counterweight to the volume.
Shopping links go out to the retailer — pettl may earn a commission. Prices shown in each store’s currency; confirm on site.
4. Going-out wide-leg
Swap the trainer for a heel and the cotton trouser for a flared denim or a satin cargo, add a bustier or a lace top, and the same silhouette goes straight out for the night. A wide-leg with a heel underneath is a genuinely leg-lengthening alternative to a dress.
5. The denim version
A bootcut or barrel jean is the most wearable wide-leg of all. Tan boots underneath, a tucked top, a bit of gold — it’s the outfit you’ll reach for more than any other in this list.
Flared & bootcut denim
The everyday wide-leg you’ll wear to death.
Shopping links go out to the retailer — pettl may earn a commission. Prices shown in each store’s currency; confirm on site.
Build any of these five on pettl — drop the trouser on the board, layer the top and shoe, and shop the whole look across every store at once.
More from the edit
12 green dresses for wedding season
Sage, olive, tarragon, mint — the one colour that flatters everyone in the photos and still reads ‘guest’, not ‘bridesmaid’.
Read →
How to style tan shoes (with everything)
The most useful neutral you own isn’t black — it’s tan. Here’s how to build outfits around a cognac heel, a camel boot and a raffia sandal.
Read →
The going-out edit: White Fox vs Oh Polly
Two heavyweights of the Saturday-night wardrobe. We break down who does what best — so you spend the pre-drinks getting ready, not browsing.
Read →