Prints charming: patterned trousers for summer

Refuseniks who think printed trousers are scary should take stock. They are actually super-friendly — and they come in every possible pattern from polka-dot to tropical florals
1/7
Karen Dacre24 May 2012

In the bedroom of every style-conscious London woman lies a pile of discarded clothes. They are the debris — or collateral damage, if you like — of the daily battle that is our morning dressing regime. An activity that, in most households, is punctuated with expletives and wails of “How the hell are we supposed to dress in this weather?”

But all that could change with the following solution: a pair of printed trousers.

While printed or so-called “statement” trousers may initially seem like the most terrifying thing to come into your life since time began, I’d like to argue that they — like Alice Cooper — are much friendlier than they appear. Namely, because the perfect pair of printed trousers are surprisingly low maintenance. While wearing an A-line skirt or print-free pair of jeans requires time spent ensuring that the top half of your outfit is suitable for the day ahead, with a pair of hibiscus-print pants or polka-dot jeans, all that is needed is a classically cut T-shirt in a neutral shade. The same low-key rule can be applied to selecting appropriate footwear to team with your trousers: simply slip on the chicest pair of ballet pumps you own, et voilà — you’re good to go.

Available in a multitude of prints from swirling florals resembling Nana’s carpet circa 1975 to subtle check motifs, there truly is a loud trouser for everyone. But this terrifying trend is best approached with baby steps.

A pair of ankle-length paisley print pants in a dark shade will make a good starting point — particularly if you track down a style that works for your body shape. Similarly, a pair of trousers which are detailed with a small polka-dot print are also a nice option for printed trouser virgins.

On the catwalk, Stella McCartney claimed ownership of this season’s printed pants by detailing almost every pair in her spring/summer collection with striking paisley motifs, while voluminous peg-legs baring oversized orchids were among the highlights at Jason Wu’s latest offering. Middle-market labels Sea-ny, Sandro and See by Chloe are also home to a variety of printed trouser styles this summer.

When shopping for this trend on the high street, avoid budget-priced stores such as Primark and H&M, where the prints on offer are often ubiquitous. Instead, head to the likes of Topshop, House of Fraser and Reiss, which are all stocking quality interpretations. Warehouse has a lovely pair of tropical print high-waist slouch pants in store at the moment, while Reiss has a pair of snakeskin print evening trousers that look stunning with a crisp white shirt.

So, are you ready to try a printed pair on for size? Trust me, you’ll be thankful for them in the morning.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in