5 Patterned or Striped Pants to Spice Up Your Wardrobe
Pants are often one of the most underutilized parts of an outfit, and although you can never go wrong with a clean pair of jeans or chinos, a little extra detail can really help elevate your fit to a whole new level. There are tons of patterns and designs out there to choose from, so here is a list of a few of my favorites.
Houndstooth
The earliest example of this pattern comes from around 100 BCE, and has continued its popularity in the fashion scene for a reason: this simple tessellation that vaguely resembles hounds’ teeth is an elegant yet flashy design that can really pull together an outfit. Houndstooth pants look great in all black and white outfits because they look gray from afar, but show more detail and separation of color as you get closer. This helps balance the black and white in the rest of your outfit. A simple way to style these is with a mostly black top and some white shoes. You can get Houndstooth pants in a suit pants style from stores like Target, or a more casual fit from stores like PacSun or even ChefUniforms.
Plaid
Plaid is already a staple for flannel shirts, but can also look great on pants. There are so many options when it comes to plaid: type of colors, amount of colors, amount of lines, width of lines, etc. The choices for colors are quite open, and can range from subdued browns to bright reds. But when it comes to styling, there are a few things to keep in mind: since plaid can usually look very busy, try not to wear tops that have busy patterns or designs, unless you have a plaid that is very low key and neutral, or if you’re just feeling bold. It is good to ground the pants with a solid, foundational color such as black, grey, or other darker colors, to help balance the overall look of the outfit. Otherwise, there are endless opportunities to make exciting and fire fits. Here are a few places you can go to get some for yourself: Asos, Gap, Brooks Brothers, Etsy (Link 2), Urban Outfitters.
Side Stripe
Because of the pop of color that a side stripe can add to an outfit, side stripe pants have become very popular over the last year, and the extra contrasting color allows for new ways to match and style an outfit. When styling side stripe pants, it’s hard to go wrong. However, one thing to think about is the style of your pants -- many side stripe pants have a baggier, more athletic and comfortable look to them, which means it is good to match the rest of your outfit with equally baggier tops and bulkier shoes to maintain the casual air that side stripe pants exude. Since this trend has been so big, there are many places to look, but a few places you can start with include Urban Outfitters, Asos, and HighSnobiety. These stores have arranged great lists that encompass side stripe pants within all price ranges.
Pinstripe
Pinstripe pants have been a commonplace for suits for quite some time, but can also look great in everyday outfits. They go with mostly everything since they mostly come in more neutral colors that work for suits. You can wear them with a button down for a more formal look, or can go for a more comfortable look when paired with a hoodie. Here are a few options to look at if you want to buy your own: JCPenny, Topman, Asos, Stan Ray, ChefUniforms.
Checkered
Although checkered pants may be a bold risk, they can look great if done right. Since these pants are so loud, it is important to wear more neutral and pleasing pieces in the rest of your outfit, unless you desire an extremely bold look. A clean way to rock these is with a dark, solid colored hoodie or tee with a simple graphic on it. A few places you can get checkered pants include Urban Outfitters and Loudmouth, or for a more subdued version, check out Enslaved or Pleasures.
Hopefully some of these pants have piqued your interest and inspired some new outfits of your own. Having patterns or stripes added to your pants, either colorful and eye-catching or more neutral and muted, can do wonders in taking your simple outfit to the next level.
Words By Andrew Powers