If you’re simultaneously obsessed with the latest micro-trends and too intimidated to test them out, you’ve come to the right place. This is Ways to Wear, a monthly series where editor Eliza Huber offers a dose of outfit inspiration centered around current trends that feel intriguing yet overwhelming at the same time. Consider it your guide to actually wearing the coolest items of the moment, no matter how puzzling they might appear at first.
Jeans for fall? Groundbreaking. Every time September rolls around, we all run to grab our denim that’s been gathering dust in the heat of summer, replaced by cutoffs (or, if you’re me, hot pants). This year, I’ve found myself only strolling over to my jeans, not sprinting like usual. Instead, I’ve been grabbing for another pant silhouette: track pants.
Following sightings in collections by Wales Bonner, Tibi, Miu Miu, and more designers that are all bringing a sense of chicness and stylization to the sporty aesthetic, track pants are quickly becoming the bottoms to wear when jeans just won’t cut it. They’re best when paired with unexpected tops and footwear, and the key to styling your pairs is doing so in an entirely non-fitness fashion and acting as if they were any other trousers that you’d style alongside kitten heels, statement handbags, and tops that don’t include a built-in sports bra.
To help in the styling department, find a handful of ways to wear fashion’s new favorite denim replacement below.
