15 Tips For Styling Wide-Leg Pants

In case you missed it, wide-leg pants are everywhere right now. The versatile style can be worn in a number of ways, and can be easily dressed up for date night or work or dressed down for a casual lunch with friends.

As Today points out, wide-leg pants are popular among celebrities including Sandra Oh and Avril Lavigne. In fact, stylist Stacee Michelle tells the publication that wide-leg pants are both accessible and glamorous, making them a style that everyone can wear. Michelle explains, "From denim jeans to high waist trousers, the trend has had a massive resurgence. And it's available at every price point, so you're seeing some celebrities wearing the trend."

There are four main types of wide-leg pants: denim, jumpsuits, dress pants, and loungewear (via MasterClass). Each can be worn in a mulititude of ways; the styling of wide-leg pants is just as diverse as each of the people who love to wear them. Here are 15 ways you can wear wide-leg pants.

Something that really makes wide-leg pants work as a style choice is that they can be dressed up or down — like way down. As style website Putting Me Together notes, one way to keep your overall look casual is to pair your wide-leg pants with a t-shirt that isn't particularly elaborate, like in the above photo from Instagram.

Adding a black tee on top of wide-leg pants will almost immediately elevate the entire look to something that can be worn to a meeting at work or to a dinner with friends. As Outfit Trends notes, the same vibe can be achieved by pairing wide-leg pants with a white tee, too.

One way to balance out wide-leg pants with a beautiful print is by pairing the pants with a classic button-up shirt on top. This will pull the entire look, from color pairing to silhouette, together in a way that a more casual shirt never could. 

As the U.K.'s You Magazine notes, when it comes to styling wide-leg pants, color blocking is your best friend. Choosing one statement color to pair with neutral wide-leg pants will keep the focus of the outfit on where you want it without too many discordant style sand colors vying for attention.

While many wide-leg pants styling options are either business-friendly or casual, you can also wear the look out on a date, especially if you pair the pants with a lacy or patterned bralette. As Stitch Fix notes, wide-leg pants are versatile that it allows the wearer to dress their look up for a date easily.

One way to make wide-leg jeans more fun is to pair the denim with a pattern with a sweet top, such as the above look from Instagram. Stitch Fix recommends the same, noting that wide-leg pants go particularly well with tie-dye and floral tops, making for a look that is sunny and optimistic.

Making your look monochrome is an easy and quick way to elevate the entire vibe, and pairing white-on-white is a sleek, sophisticated option that is truly for the daring. NET-A-PORTER recommends using a simple accessory to complete the look, adding that looks of one color truly pop when accomplished with wide-leg pants. This allows you to get creative with your hoes, including sandals, flats, and more.

If you want to immediately add fire to your wide-leg pants, pair them with accessories that only bring the heat. As Outfit Trends notes, the right accessories, such as bold sunglasses and a magnificent bag, will take your look to the next level.

If you're emerging into summer ready to beat back the winter blues once and for all, Stitch Fix writes that wearing wide-leg pants that boast a bright and bold pattern might be the way. The above look from Instagram is a great balance of bold and bright with a little business casual on top, making the look one that is an instant mood-booster and that is versatile all at the same time.

If you're hoping to make a statement while rocking your wide-leg jeans, adding a denim jacket up top could be the finish touch you didn't know you were looking for. As MasterClass points out, a denim jacket will keep the look more on the casual side, but you can still have a lot of fun with it.

Wide-leg pants can be dressed up or down, and they can also be more sporty than you might realize. Hello! Magazine writes that happily, you can definitely wear sneakers with wide-leg pants as long as you follow a general rule of thumb: make sure your pants aren't dragging on the floor behind your shoes.

One thing that makes wide-leg pants so appealing is that there's a lot of potential for versatility. Stylist Stacee Michelle tells Today that the patterns available with wide-leg pants offer a lot of potential — and the above photo from Instagram proves that matching your wide-leg pants with a top in the same pattern can definitely be an incredible look.

Choosing wide-leg pants in a neutral color (like black, as seen in the above photo on Instagram) gives the wearer the opportunity to match their shirt and shoes, which can be a great style move. As Style Rave explains, pairing your wide-leg pants with the right accessory, such as heels that perfectly match your top, can make all the difference.

One surefire way to wear wide-leg pants is to choose pants that are part of a two-piece or three-piece set. As Style Rave points out, this particular style is especially nice because it takes off the pressure of coming up with a perfect outfit made up of different pieces. Moreover, the publication explains that co-ord sets offer reprieve for their wearers since they come stylized already.

There are plenty of bohemian styles of wide-leg pants out there that perfectly align with what Stitch Fix describes as the "desert daze" trend. To achieve your own version of the look, pair soft, billowy wide-leg pants with a cropped top in a floral pattern, just like in the above photo from Instagram.