I love that wide leg pants are making a comeback, but I think in some ways the styling can be tricky. I picked these up at Madewell a few weeks ago and I (wrongly) assumed I would just throw on some chunky loafers with them and go. Nope! After playing around with the proportions a little bit I think I’ve figured it out. I’m in my larger size (10) in these pants and the fit is perfect. Here are a few different ways I would style them and my thoughts about what works and what doesn’t.

I love these particular pants from Madewell for a lot of reasons, but the detail of the clasp at the waist really sealed the deal for me. One thing to take note of, these are described on the madewell website as “full length”, with a 29 inch inseam. Unfortunately, they are not available in petite or tall. I’m 5’8, so these pants will work as full length pants for me with flats but not with heels. I wish they offered these in different lengths because on someone a few inches taller than me a 29 inch inseam will be too short. I like my wide leg and flare pants to be either intentionally cropped above the ankle or almost skimming the ground.

I love these with a tank and sneakers, for the weekend. Because of the waist detail, you can just skip the belt, which I love because it’s one less decision to make. You can probably tell from the picture that I’m a fan of pink and red together even if its not Valentines day. Try it, I bet you’ll love it too.

Honestly, It’s hard for me to find a situation where I don’t like a striped t-shirt. This one works well here because it’s quite fitted and I like the juxtaposition of the fitted shirt with the volume of the pants. One thing that I noticed with these pants as I was styling them, is that I prefer them with a pointed toe flat or a slim sneaker. I tried them repeatedly with a chunky loafer and I just never loved it.

What are your thoughts on the wide leg pants trend? Love it or hate it? Have you tried styling pants similar to these? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!