Trend We Like: Leather Trousers

July 3, 2012

Pictured from left to right: Topshop Unique, Balmain Isabel Marant and Yves Saint Laurent

There was a time when leather was deemed wholly inappropriate for the workplace and was confined to rock concerts and cougars, but the likes of Isabel Marant and Balmain have made leather trousers a certified alternative to skinny jeans.

Autumn winter 12 saw designers shake off any ageing rocker connotations further by playing with fit, proportion and colour palettes. Take Proenza Schouler and Mulberry who went oversized with buttery soft wide-leg leather trousers. Yves Saint Laurent went high-waisted, while Alexander Wang went for a tapered, tailored cut. Balmain stuck to high-gloss skinnies, whereas Haider Ackermann injected his signature languid draping into what is typically a very structured garment.

Isabel Marant gave us cropped slim fit leathers, perfect for taking the look to a less formal affair. She then went one further, infusing her leather capris with a deep red colour and lace up details. Topshop Unique (pictured top left) hopped on the colour bandwagon with their wide-leg leathers in bottle green.

Thus, leather trousers it would appear have become the most unexpectedly versatile trend to hit this season and you’ll see them cropping up, not only in black but in maroon and bottle green.

How to wear leather trousers

Whether you work in fashion or just a particularly stylish office, leather can instantly turn a seemingly casual trousers-and-top-combo into something decidedly slicker.

Leather trousers can amp up a white cotton shirt, dress up a fine knit jumper and take you from the boardroom to the bar on a Friday.

Where to buy leather trousers

The highstreet has taken note and a variety of styles, shapes and colours are set to reach stores mid-July.

For a sneaky peek at what’s to come check out these perfect maroon pants from Penny’s/Primark, loose looks from By Malene Birger and Topshop Unique, plus an unusual but über-cool navy pair from L.K. Bennett’s new luxury label, Black Ribbon.