Cropped Pants Are Out, Puddle Pants Are In—8 Celeb Looks That Prove It
Five years ago, if someone told me that cropped pants would be passé in just a few years, I don't know that I would have believed it. At 5'4", I'm used to spending a good amount of time and money at the tailor or shopping for pants with an inseam of 28" or less. But now the year is 2023 and cropped pants are feeling like more and more of a distant memory. In its place are puddle pants, and celebrities have been solidifying their importance more and more every day.
Puddle pants are pretty much exactly how they sound: ultra-long trousers (or jeans) that pool around the ankles, dragging on the floor. Pants dragging on the floor isn't really music to my ears, but a trend is a trend, and you can always wear heels to minimize the dragging. But some celebs, such as Zoë Kravitz, are embracing the puddle and even wearing flats with the trend. Others, such as Kate Middleton and Rihanna, are wearing them with their highest heels. Whatever your shoe preference, puddle pants are shaping up to be one of the biggest pant trends of 2023. Scroll on to see which stylish celebs are wearing them and shop my favorite puddly pairs.
Zoë Kravitz wore her puddle pants with flats (well, flatforms) to make them extra puddly.
On Zoë Kravitz: The Row Zipped Boot 1 Suede Boots ($1490)
Bella Hadid's jeans (which she also wears with flats) formed the perfect pool around her ankles.
On Bella Hadid: Vintage Prada bag
Kate Middleton has worn her share of cropped pants in the past, but she seems to have gotten the puddle pants memo.
On Kate Middleton: Jigsaw pants; Anderson's Leather Belt ($160); Emmy London Josie Pumps ($415)
Chrissy Teigen's chic jumpsuit shows plenty of skin, but not at the ankles.
On Chrissy Teigen: Alexis Lynette Jumpsuit ($595); Paco Rabanne Mini Sparkle Crossbody Bag ($880)
The coolest way to wear the cargo pants trend? An extra-long pair with sneakers.
On Jennifer Lopez: Oree New York sneakers
Rihanna's pink puddle pants went viral when she wore them last year.
On Rihanna: R13 Oversized Workwear Bomber Jacket ($695); Bottega Veneta Intreccio Bralette ($800); Vetements Flared Distressed Jeans ($1270); Amina Muaddi Ursina Snakeskin Crystal Ankle-Strap Pumps ($1345)
The suiting trend is still going strong, but the most 2023 way to wear it is with a pair of floor-grazing trousers.
WHO: Sydney Sweeney
Kaia Gerber is a puddle pants pro, often wearing them with polished pieces and sneakers.
On Kaia Gerber: Prada coat; Celine bag and sunglasses; Adidas sneakers
Shop the Internet's Best Puddle Pants
Next: The Easy 2-Piece Outfit I Wear Every September and October
This post was previously published and has since been updated.
Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.
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