Pedal pushers, or capri pants, are back for summer. Is there an alluring way to wear them in 2024? Sarah Macken raises the question – and reluctantly raises her hemlines …
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The phrase ‘pedal pushers are back’ should be followed by a pre-requisite ‘and, deep breath’, such are the feelings of horror they evoke in women who are old enough to remember them first time around and consider their association with the Olsen twins to be more New York Minute (the 2004 film that is now noughties pop culture canon) than The Row. Pedal pushers, capri pants, 7/8s, three-quarter lengths: whatever moniker you use, the style of cropped trousers are a divisive look. They’re categorised by their short length – it’s the length, really, that takes them from an Audrey Hepburn-appropriate cigarette trouser to capri pants that suddenly transport you to past family holiday photos (namely: Mallorca, 1997) – slim fit, cuffed or slit hems but mainly by being very … of a time. Which is why seeing them return for 2024 is an intriguing, but not wholly unfathomable, proposition.
How do you wear them now? One of the first questions that springs to mind is what goes with pedal pushers? My immediate note on the trend was a frantically scrawled ‘Shoes???’. However, from observing some stylish dressers on Instagram the edict seems clear and is one I’ll happily stick too – when it comes to trialling trends like this I’m happy to sing from the same hymn sheet as others: I’m out of my comfort zone and need guidance. What’s trending now is a streamlined look that hinges (phew) on staples of modern dressing. We’re seeing pedal pushers paired with blazers, ballet flats or Mary Janes, and elevated basics like tank tops and capped sleeve T-shirts. It makes sense: when trying a new shape or style why not pair with some of your most worn wardrobe pieces to imbue the look with a sense of familiarity. This new look transforms them: dare I say it, they are chic.
Next, a note about length. The main thing is that if in doubt, stick to a pair of pedal pushers that stop a few inches below the knee. At one end of the scale, there are high-waisted stretch trousers that cut off around the calf, at the other end there are those that linger around the knee, their shortness made all the more obvious by a slit in the hemline. Such lengths are notoriously unflattering – no wonder Carrie Bradshaw paired hers with vertiginous Manolo Blahniks – so the one you choose should suit your legs. Then there is the volume brigade: short length, balloon-like legs with a cuffed band at the bottom, always best worn with a heel of some kind. At the most sedate end of things, you’ll find The Row’s stretch scuba trousers with split cuffs, which are more like casual three-quarter length trousers, best worn, naturally, as part of an all black outfit with a trusty pair of leather slip ons. However, if your budget doesn’t quite stretch to that (we hear you), there are some alternatives below.
Fashion writer Monia Ainley wears hemmed trousers by Musier on the streets of Paris. While a slit hem feels very nostalgic, Ainley keeps things contemporary in a workwear jacket and a white T-shirt.
An all black look is this writer’s favourite approach to the trend. The streamlined colours automatically erase any fussy Y2K connotations, plus the addition of a cinched-waist blazer creates a flattering silhouette.
Denim is an approachable entry point into the capris trend, notes style influencer Leandra Medine Cohen who wears Rouje’s Rivoli jeans that boast a 7/8 length and slit hems.
Trousers or workout pants? In 2024, we’re perhaps more comfortable with pedal pushers in an athleisure context. Play up to the look by adding ballet inspired shoes as seen above.
Grey ribbed capri leggings, €14.99, at H&M.
Black capri leggings, €25.99, at Mango.
Black Thilde stretch scuba slim-leg trousers, The Row, €600; www.net-a-porter.com.
Indigo Rivoli 7/8 stretch jeans, €125; www.rouje.com.
Black high-waisted capri pants with slits, €22.95, at Zara.
Red Miah cropped trousers, Phase Eight, €79, at Brown Thomas.
