Princess Diana
She shows how capri pants look cool in summer
© Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images
Princess Diana already knew in the 80s: Capri pants are certainly not easy. And yet, in summer 2024, three-quarter length pants are definitely no longer a relic of the past, but one of the must-haves of the season. Why? Diana is leading the way.
If we had known the term “toxic relationship” as teenagers and were looking for a suitable fashion partner for it, capri pants would have been a hot contender for the title. One year you love them and feel fashionable like Carrie Bradshaw, who made pants the it-piece of the moment in the late 1990s, the next year you only look at them with disdain. For years we couldn’t really live with them, but we couldn’t live without them either. And now? Things are getting hot again: three-quarter pants are making a comeback. In 2024, pants will leave their “granny” era and move into their “we can’t live without them” era. And they could stay there, because we know how cool they can look.
Capri pants will make their comeback in summer 2024
The history of capri pants began in the hands of a German. Sonja de Lennart designed the “Capri collection” in 1948, in which the medium-length trouser model was first shown. The pants with their characteristic 3/4 cut then delighted different generations over the decades. But they never managed to stay on the trend lists. The tiny problem: a leg length that offers little scope for cool styling. Until now. The cult pants that only cover three quarters of the leg are coming back – and more stylish than ever, exactly like this.
Princess Diana set the trend in the 80s
The list of famous fans of shorts is long! Actress Audrey Hepburn also loved capri pants. In the 80s, all-time style icon Princess Diana picked up the pants trend and made it a trend for all times. The former Princess of Wales showed back then that capri pants can look ultra cool, the only thing that matters is the right length. What does that look like? Mid-calf – be careful, no shorter and no longer. Combined with a sleeveless top, which can also be cut a little tighter, the pants can shine.
In the 80s and 90s, Diana regularly wore shortened trousers.
© Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images
How to wear three-quarter pants to make them look cool
Various street style professionals and fashionistas such as Bella Hadid and Victoria Beckham are currently proving that capri pants are back in fashion. All that matters in 2024 is a modern and cool combination that looks like a grown-up business lady and not a “teenager in floral pants.” How best to achieve this? We have three examples for you.
Bella Hadid shows how capri pants can look cool.
© Gotham/GC Images / Getty Images
1. The color: Capri pants + black
When you think of capri pants, do you immediately conjure up images of your teenage self in colorful pants, floral crop top and sneakers? We can all safely forget about this look of bare shins. Instead, the controversial cult pants are now given a Parisian elegance and are therefore mainly used in one look in the street style cosmos: all-black. In plain black, the symbol of comfort quickly becomes a compromise for elegance. Because one no longer excludes the other in 2024. The dark tone makes the pants look simple but practical and forms the ideal basis for a chic top and special shoes to shine. See for yourself…
2. The top: Capri pants + oversized blazer
Thanks to the sporty style – we are even daring to wear leggings in the office this season – the capri pants go perfectly with classy pieces. And how! In spring and summer 2024, the 00s star will be interpreted in a less retro and more chic and modern way and with Blazers taken to a new level. Models with shoulder pads add class, tailored blazers provide a feminine break in style. Simple office looks are definitely a thing of the past. If you want something even classier, choose one of the short trousers with pleats – with this look, all your colleagues are guaranteed to look at you.
3. The shoes: Capri pants + ballerinas
Not only the top, but also the matching bottom is crucial when it comes to styling capri pants in a cool way. We’re talking about shoes! To visually lengthen the silhouette, you should definitely choose a model for the shortened pants in which the instep – the upper part of the foot – is visible. The maximum amount of bare skin this creates up to the hem of the pants makes the leg appear optically longer. Bring on the mules, sling-backs or ballerinas! They are the perfect choice here. By the way, your capri look will be particularly cool and trendy if you choose net or mesh ballerinas. These make the shorties look as elegant as possible and the calves as elongated as possible.