The Culotte Is Taking Over Capri Pants for Spring – Here Are 29 Styles We Love

Fashion loves an optical illusion, and culottes might be one of the originals. Posing as a skirt, the sartorial trompe l’oeil helped break trousers into the mainstream for women in the 1970s, with messages like “a little deception can go a long way”, as the New York Times reported at the time.

Fifty years on, the style is making a comeback, though this time it’s less political statement, more cyclical trend. After the micro hemlines of the 2000s made their return a few years back, pant silhouettes have crept steadily the other way. First, skimpy, barely there styles lengthened into capri pants, gaining coverage without losing their tapered shape. From there, the cut started to widen, billowing out into breezy bermuda shorts.

The next evolution combines the latter two. Some labels call them culottes, others long shorts, wide-leg capris or cropped trousers. The name might change, but the sentiment stays the same: if it lands on a mid-calf cut with roomy sides, then it’s a match. Cavernous versions read closer to the original ’70s style, while straighter, more structured options offer a modernised alternative.

Along with volume, variety shows up in fabrication. There’s cotton for summer ease or stretchy athleisure blends for something sportier. Lustrous silk is tempting for nights out, giving way to tailored wool for smart workdays. There are plenty of options to shop this season, but these 29 are our favourites to shop right now.

Cotton culottes

Black culottes

Cargo culottes

Sporty culottes

Going-out culottes