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What tops can you wear with wide leg trousers and wide leg pants work? Can you wear the same office tops you wore with skinnier ankle pants?
I’ve often said that workwear follows denim trends in large part because of the tops — when we switched from bootcuts to skinnies back about 15 years ago the workwear pants became shorter and skinnier, and the tops became more flowy and untucked (or, ha, French tucked). Now that wider legs (for both denim and work pants) are back, we’re going through yet another period of change — and a big part of that is changing up the blouses and sweaters we wear on top as well.
Readers had a great conversation on this, and I thought I’d add my own two cents as well… here are the best tips on what to wear with wide leg pants.
Our Latest Favorite Wide Leg Trousers
Before we get started, here are some of our latest favorite wide leg trousers:
Hunting for more wide-leg pants to wear to work? We just rounded some up, and general favorites include pleated pairs like Favorite Daughter, Everlane*, Reformation*, and Abercrombie*, with flat-front pairs from Good American,* M.M.LaFleur, and Ann Taylor. (* = plus sizes; see the post for notes on petites and talls). We’ve also shared our thoughts on what shoes to wear with wide-leg pants! Our latest favorite wide-leg pants include these (as of 2024):
What Tops to Wear with Wide Leg Trousers
Wear a Fitted Short-Sleeve Sweater with Wide Leg Trousers
Readers suggested this one, and I totally agree: a fitted short-sleeve sweater (aka a sweater tee) can be the perfect thing to wear with wide leg trousers.
Some of Our Latest Favorite Short-Sleeve Sweaters
Wear a Silk T-Shirt with Wide-Leg Pants
Some readers noted that they loved to wear silk t-shirts with wide leg pants.
Our Latest Favorite Silk T-Shirts
As of 2024, some of our favorite silky silk T-shirts include Quince, Cuyana, M.M.LaFleur, Amour Vert, and Brooks Brothers, and Reiss. Silk-blend knits are harder to find; LilySilk and J.Crew both have them. This Banana Republic Factory top is only polyester, but readers have been loving it!
Wear a Form-Fitting T-Shirt with Trousers
If you’re opposed to tucking things in, a fitted t-shirt can be great — they can either sit at the top of your pants, be folded underneath to hit at the perfect spot, or even tucked in.
Our Latest Favorite Form-Fitting Work T-Shirts
A number of our favorite work-appropriate T-shirts have a fitted, sleek look, particularly Everlane, J.Crew, and the double-layer lines at Boden, Express, Old Navy, and Hobbs. White House Black Market’s FORME line and New Day’s slim fit tees are also a good option if you want a sleek look.
Wear a Bodysuit with Wide Leg Trousers
Of course, if you really want the sleekest look, you can wear a bodysuit with trousers. Although you may be thinking these are club wear, there are actually a bunch that solid workwear brands are making — including bodysuit blouses.
Our Latest Favorite Bodysuits for Work Outfits
How to Wear Blazers with Wide Leg Pants
One of the easiest ways to make an outfit is to add a blazer, polished sweater, or other third piece… but knowing exactly which ones to pair with wide leg pants can be just as tricky as pairing tops with wide leg pants.
(Obviously, if your wide leg trousers have a matching blazer, buy that one — it will give you the option to wear it as a suit, and you’ll know that the pieces are designed to go together!)
Which Shrunken Blazers to Wear with Wide Leg Pants
A shrunken, fitted blazer keeps the idea of low volume on top mixed with higher volume on the bottom.
Our Latest Favorite Shrunken Blazers
A Cropped Lady Jacket Goes Well with Wide Leg Pants
Our Latest Favorite Chanel-Style Jackets
Some of our latest favorite Chanel-style jackets for work in 2024 include these, but in general check brands like Chanel, St. John, IRO, L’Agence, Sandro, ba&sh, and J.Crew. On the budget side of things, check out Mango and White House Black Market.
Readers, what tops are you wearing with wide leg pants?