Why These Trousers Are a Stylish Alternative to Jeans This Fall

While corduroy will forever make us think of Mila Kunis in That ’70s Show, this year’s reworked cords have a more subtle nod to the decade. Instead of swinging bell-bottoms, the key is to opt for a loose, baggy fit similar to the denim shapes du jour. As Vogue’s Laura Hawkins wrote in January, this silhouette will stop your cords from looking like a ’70s Halloween costume: “Your muse of the season is more hippy music teacher on a hot date than bell bottom-clad rock star at Woodstock, more an older Jane Birkin in slouchy chocolate cords than her younger self in a three-piece white suit with skinny flares.”

The return of cords was solidified when The Row gave this tired wardrobe staple a new lease of life in its spring/summer 2024 collection, with baggy trousers in burnt orange and scarlet that artfully puddled at the ankles. Miu Miu has also played a significant role in the cord comeback, with pea coats, miniskirts, baseball caps and overskirts realised in digestive biscuit-hued tones. This has unsurprisingly translated into the high street’s current winter offering, as J.Crew, Madewell, and Banana Republic have all leaned into this trouser trend.

Dakota Johnson in New York in May 2024.

MEGA

Emily Ratajkowski in New York in December 2023.

Ignat/Bauer-Griffin

While the word corduroy might conjure images of ginger flares, lava lamps and homemade tie-dye, it actually has roots in ’90s minimalism, too. Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy had a soft spot for her cropped toffee cords, which she typically paired with a black rollneck and chocolate leather loafers. Also on our inspiration boards? Jane Birkin, who aligned cord trousers with the much-chronicled myth of French-girl style.

This year, there have been plenty of nods towards the ’70s, largely thanks to Chemena Kamali’s celebrated work at Chloé, although any archival mood board references are softened through a 2024 lens. So while we might all be wearing a lot of brown and buying a lot more suede protector, no one will think you are making a journey to Abba Voyage. When it comes to styling, you will want to simply substitute your baggy blue jeans for some baggy cords–they look best with your everyday basics, like the oversized tees at The Row. Dakota Johnson sums up the vibe perfectly in her cinnamon cords, which she paired with a white T-shirt, a red jumper looped around her shoulders, a baseball cap, and a pair of Adidas trainers.