We know what you're thinking: Wide-leg pants and flats? No way. Most of us have been conditioned to believe that it's basically impossible to pull off a wide or billowing palazzo-style pant without a towering heel to go with it. Not so! Think of Katherine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story—she wore her menswear-inspired trousers with a pair of (equally menswear-inspired) brogues and looked incredibly elegant.
By pairing a sleek pair of navy pants from Opening Ceremony with, say, some pointed-toe Everlane loafers, you can easily achieve Hepburn-level cool at the office. For a more summer-y take, try a pair of breezy pajama-inspired silk trousers with your favorite metallic sandals. One of our favorite ways to wear this trend is with a pair of mules or "loafer slides."
The key to wearing wide leg pants with flats is to make sure your pants are tailored well. The hem of your pants should just barely skim the ground, allowing the toe of your shoes to be visible. (For an even more fashion-forward take, try hemming your pants about an inch above your ankle.)
Below, we shopped out seven different ways you can wear wide leg pants with flats this summer. Go ahead and try it—we dare you!
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Structure + Polish
Shop the look: Opening Ceremony pants, $375; net-a-porter.com. Everlane flats, $155; everlane.com.
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Breezy Black & White
Shop the look: H&M pants, $25; hm.com. Giuseppe Zanotti flats, $530; shopbop.com.
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Sophisticated Florals
Shop the look: Isabel Marant pants, $480; matchesfashion.com. Gucci x Net-a-Porter mules, $630; net-a-porter.com.
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Crisp Whites
Shop the look: Topshop pants, $125; asos.com. Manolo Blahnik sandals, $650; saksfifthavenue.com.
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Color Play
Shop the look: Gap pants, $60; gap.com. Mansur Gavriel sandals, $395; mansurgavriel.com.
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Mellow Yellow
Shop the look: Mango pants, now $23; mango.com. Alexandre Birman sandals, $550; intermixonline.com.
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Tropic Thunder
Shop the look: Dolce & Gabbana trousers, $1545; net-a-porter.com. Bottega Veneta sandals, $522; matchesfashion.com.