The Unexpected Pant Trend All the Cool Girls Are Wearing Right Now

Three people have already complimented me on my pants today, and it’s not even 9 a.m. (I'll call that a fashion win!) I’m wearing a chic pair of black relaxed-fit faux-leather cropped trousers that fall a couple inches below the knee. I bought them for $40 from Zara, but they have major Celine and Bottega Veneta vibes that I'm definitely not mad about.

Whether you call them culottes, long Bermuda shorts, or simply cropped trousers—the short pants/long shorts hybrid has been having a major moment this year with fashion girls wearing them in full force with sneakers, knee-high boots, tank tops, and sweaters alike. The trend is sticking around next year too—the silhouette was spotted all over the spring 2020 runways, from Givenchy to Saint Laurent.

So how exactly do we pull off this modern style, especially in the midst of fall and winter? The easiest (and coolest) way is to pair them with knee-high leather boots (as seen at Celine) so that the pants lay over the boots just as you would wear them with a midi skirt. When the temps get warmer—pair them with flat slides, sneakers, or mules for a contemporary-cool look.

Want to give the trend a whirl? Scroll below as we show you some cool ways to wear them and shop the best on the market right now.

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On the runway:
(Image credit: Courtesy of Celine)

At Celine—it was all about the bourgeois trend where culottes were paired with chic over-the-knee leather boots, checked blazers, and high-neck collars.

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Bottega Veneta)

Wide-leg leather culottes were paired with mock-neck sweaters and mules at Bottega Veneta.

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Givenchy)

For S/S 20 Givenchy paired long Bermuda shorts with matching blazers for a casual yet polished tailored look.

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Celine)

Another Celine look we seriously can't wait to copy from its spring 2020 runway show. We predict these denim culottes will be all over our feeds next year.

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On the Street:
(Image credit: Edward Berthelot, Getty Images)

Culottes, boots, and a blazer is a fashion-forward outfit formula that's hard to beat.

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(Image credit: Edward Berthelot, Getty Images)

Play with fabrics and pair luxe-looking black leather culottes with a soft cashmere sweater and a statement jacket to finish the look.

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

If you're looking to update your jeans with a fresh and modern style, then look no further than these runway-approved denim culottes.

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(Image credit: Christian Vierig, Getty Images)

Cropped pants are perfect for a relaxed weekend look. A suede jacket will add interest and a sumptuous texture to a pair of simple neutral pants.

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(Image credit: Edward Berthelot, Getty Images)

Swap your skinny jeans with a cool pair of camel-hued culottes to wear with your cozy holiday sweater this season.

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On the market:

Up next, these are the jeans we'll all be wearing in 2020.

Judith Jones
Senior Fashion Market Editor

Judith is the senior fashion market editor at Who What Wear and has worked in fashion for nearly a decade. Judith started on the Shop Who What Wear team, creating content and managing a team of merchandisers for the Who What Wear shopping app. She later crossed over to the editorial team, where she shares the coolest, most desirable fashion market finds and brands in her shopping-focused stories and social takeovers. She has become one of the top affiliate earners during her six plus years at Who What Wear. Before working in fashion, Judith was a TV host on the PBS travel show Globe Trekker (airing on Netflix and Amazon Prime) and shared her passion for travel and food. She studied at the prestigious London Academy of Dramatic Arts as well as Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York. She later studied fashion merchandising and design, which laid the foundation for her career in fashion.


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