7 Trouser Styles To Invest In This Summer



Summer brings with it a slower pace and more relaxed attitude to life - it must be all that Vitamin D topping up our dopamine levels. It’s the time restaurants arrange tables outside their doors, every square of sun-dappled grass in city parks is occupied by a picnic blanket and the smell of just-lit barbecues and the chatter of outdoor socialising wafts through the air. Sartorially speaking, it’s also the time simple, effortless cuts and relaxed silhouettes win favour over heavy tailoring, dense weaves and chunky knits.

It’s the time restaurants arrange tables outside their doors, every square of sun-dappled grass in city parks is occupied by a picnic blanket and the smell of just-lit barbecues and the chatter of outdoor socialising wafts through the air. Sartorially speaking, it’s also the time simple, effortless cuts and relaxed silhouettes win favour over heavy tailoring, dense weaves and chunky knits.


While shorts and skirts are as synonymous with summer as melting ice creams and striped parasols, trousers also have their part to play in the season’s outfitting. Summer trousers have a preference for cotton and linen, wide-leg silhouettes and cropped cuts. They have the same versatility as autumn and winter-appropriate ones in their ability to lend themselves to familiar and formal settings but ensure you won’t be fanning yourself throughout the day in an attempt to combat the climbing temperatures.


The trousers filling your wardrobe this season need to flatter and have forever appeal; fly-by trends have no place when choosing investment pieces, which is why we’ve narrowed down the list to seven styles that you’ll find yourself sporting for many summers to come.

COLOUR POP


If summer doesn’t provide the perfect excuse to champion colour what does? Brighter days emphasise saturated shades and bold colours pop in the sunshine - even when the day doesn’t bring with it a cloudless sky, colour acts as a metaphorical ray of sunshine.


Maybe it’s to do with our renewed zest for life after lockdowns and restrictions or because we grew tired of muted colours, but both SS21 and SS22 runways were awash with bold and bright colours, so much so that even the most colour shy started to consider introducing a flash of statement shades to their looks. 


The best place to start celebrating colour is with a pair of colour-pop trousers. Not only do they complement monochrome and pastel shades but also tailored shirting and simple basics that are already in your own collection, so there’s no need for a wardrobe overhaul. 


Squeezes of citrus shades are tempered by white camis or emphasised by black tank tops, while our mood-boosting Towelling Wide-Leg Trouser in lapis blue effortlessly complements our collection of prints featuring the same shade alongside earthy khakis and soft creams. Better yet, the elasticated waistband complete with a drawcord guarantees comfort through the warmer months.

CASUAL


Casual doesn’t always equate to slouchy. These versatile pieces marry relaxed fabrics and silhouettes with elements from structured tailoring.


The elusive sweet spot is the right combination of silhouette and fabric. Cropped wide-leg trousers with a soft sheen finish and clean cut might complement more casual pairings - think slogan tees and vest tops - but they also manage to maintain a considered air. Crafted from a combination of cotton and Tencel, our Satined Cotton Wide-Leg Culotte + Belt finds the balance between polished and pared back. Suspended from a high waist that acts as the perfect partner to summer’s cropped tops, its wide legs are pressed with pleats to ensure your frame isn’t overwhelmed and falls to hems that can be shortened easily without losing the style’s breezy silhouette.

TAILORED


Summer’s tailoring opts for a lighter colour palette and lustrous finishes that echo the season’s sunlit days and lingering evenings.


Forgo restrictive or stuffy silhouettes in favour of expertly crafted tapered-leg trousers. The benefit of these pairs is that they combine a fitted waist and cuffs with a wider leg that balloons out slightly. This flattering finish champions the breathability of cropped trousers suited to balmier temperatures. 


Detailed with soft pleats over the legs for definition, our Tailored Satin Barrel-Leg Trouser features tonal side stripes that help to create the illusion of a longer leg and adds a polished finish to casual staples when it’s not complementing tailored pieces. To bridge the gap between a day at the office and dinner or drinks alfresco after work, style it with a square-neck cami and tailored blazer. 


Nodding to more traditional tailored tropes, our Stripe Barrel-Leg Trouser features two iterations of a classic pinstripe; one vertical over the front and back of the legs, and another horizontal on the side panels that create a more defined finish, while its cream-and-black colourway lends the pair to the season’s prints and pastels. 

DRAMATIC


As opposed to slim trousers that can feel particularly restrictive when it’s hot, wide-leg styles guarantee comfort, whether you’re out in your own hometown or spending the day discovering a new city. 


We’re championing wide-leg trousers that feature legs so wide they touch, the ones that at first, you might mistake for a floor-grazing maxi. These pairs have the added benefit of unrestricted movement and more breathability than other trouser cuts, especially when they’re crafted from a lightweight fabric. 


Better yet, they keep you cool without revealing any skin which is perfect for holiday sightseeing (when the thought of constantly reapplying suncream is anything but appealing) and balmy evenings when you need a little more coverage that doesn’t lock in heat.

STRIPED


When life resumes and you return to the office, keep them in your rotation.


Thanks to the pleated details working their way down the legs, they can carry office-appropriate blazers and tailored shirts with just as much assertiveness as your holiday favourites, while keeping you cool and comfortable during those early morning commutes.

CO-ORD



I.e. anything that has a matching jacket, blazer or top and perfects a seamless head-to-toe look with little-to-no effort on your part - after all, when there’s even the slightest chance of sunshine, why spend even a second more than absolutely necessary in front of your open wardrobe?


Summer trousers defined by breathable fabrics and pastel shades play the part in warm-weather suiting that shores up your formal wardrobe so it’s occasion-ready. Opt for a cropped trouser that leaves a little more space at your ankles and creates the illusion of a longer leg when paired with a heel.


In contrast, a dramatic wide leg and coordinating top create the illusion of a jumpsuit that complements any setting - be it a summer cocktail soiree, garden party or barbecue. Add stacks of gold jewels and a polished crop jacket for the former and leave the extra embellishments at home for a more laid-back approach. 

NEUTRALS



Summer might equate to a brighter sartorial colour palette and an exuberant array of prints, but this necessitates separates than can hold these hues. Enter: white trousers - or cream ones if the brightness of a solid white feels just a little too statement.  


Wide leg and relaxed silhouettes in shades of white create a style that not only celebrates and can hold its own with a graphic floral or colour-pop pink, but also deflects the sun’s rays. Add this to a pure-cotton fabric and the result is summer trousers you’ll find yourself reaching for throughout the season, both at home and on holiday.


While we fawn over the styles’ ability to complement colour, they also lend themselves to tonal outfitting that further lifts your look into warmer months paired with everything from strappy sandals to low-top trainers. Look to white shirts for a polished aesthetic, T-shirts for a casual sign off, loose knits for the moment there’s a chill in the air, and a strap top when temperatures sustain their highs.