If you're simultaneously obsessed with the latest micro-trends and too intimidated to test them out, you've come to the right place. This is Ways to Wear, a monthly series where editor Eliza Huber offers a dose of outfit inspiration centered around current trends that feel intriguing yet overwhelming at the same time. Consider it your guide to actually wearing the coolest items of the moment, no matter how puzzling they might appear at first.
Jeans for fall? Groundbreaking. Every time September rolls around, we all run to grab our denim that's been gathering dust in the heat of summer, replaced by cutoffs (or, if you're me, hot pants). This year, I've found myself only strolling over to my jeans, not sprinting like usual. Instead, I've been grabbing for another pant silhouette: track pants.
Following sightings in collections by Wales Bonner, Tibi, Miu Miu, and more designers that are all bringing a sense of chicness and stylization to the sporty aesthetic, track pants are quickly becoming the bottoms to wear when jeans just won't cut it. They're best when paired with unexpected tops and footwear, and the key to styling your pairs is doing so in an entirely non-fitness fashion and acting as if they were any other trousers that you'd style alongside kitten heels, statement handbags, and tops that don't include a built-in sports bra.
To help in the styling department, find a handful of ways to wear fashion's new favorite denim replacement below.
How I styled track pants during NYFW:
Wearing: Tibi Active Knit Scottie Striped Jogger ($445), top, and Croc Print Victor Slingback ($595); Prada Supernova Bag ($4100); Linda Farrow sunglasses
For day three of New York Fashion Week, I knew I wanted to wear Tibi track pants since the brand's show was that day, and its Active Scottie Joggers are one of my favorite items to come out of the NYC-based label in a few seasons now. I bought a pair in royal blue weeks before fashion week during the end-of-summer sales but opted for this striped pair since I love the homage to the classic Adidas track pants I grew up wearing. Instead of playing too far into the sporty aesthetic, I dressed up the trousers with what stylist Allison Bornstein refers to as the "wrong shoes," or footwear that would normally be considered a bad match for the rest of your outfit. Here, it just worked. I also added a Tibi bandana-tie strapless top, my green Prada Supernova bag for a pop of color, oval sunglasses, and silver jewelry.
Shop the look:
How other fashion people are styling them:
Elsewhere in NYC, Magasin founder and EIC Laura Reilly styled her Adidas wide-leg track pants with flat slides, a simple white tank, and a fitted gray blazer. Easy and chic yet completely unexpected, the look checks off every box on the checklist titled "How to put together a great outfit."
Shop the look:
When your pants are this cool, you don't need a whole lot else to craft a stellar outfit. That's the great thing about a statement piece like track pants. They speak for themselves. Just add a tank or tee, sneakers, and a bold handbag, and voilà! A look destined for compliments and praise.
Shop the look:
We can't talk about the track-pant trend without acknowledging Grace Wales Bonner and her beloved collaboration with Adidas, which these yellow-stripe trousers are from. Though it's the sneakers from the ongoing collections that get the most acclaim, don't sleep on the RTW. As these pants prove, it's definitely worth taking a look at.
Shop the look:
If you're one of the many people who trust whatever French women say about clothes, then it's time to buy some track pants and add them to your regular fall rotation, as one of Paris's biggest It girls has given the bottoms her stamp of approval. Anne-Laure Mais, the founder of the beloved label Musier, has been influencing trends for years, and now, her sights are set on track pants.
Shop the look:
Shop more track pants:
You can't go wrong with a classic pair from Adidas. Plus, the breakaway sides allow for interesting styling moments like split hems at the bottom of each leg.
I'll be stealing this styling ASAP.
Just be careful around red wine and red sauce. Otherwise, you're good to go.
I've been eyeing these for months.
These also come in black and burgundy. Take your pick.
Warning: This outfit will make you want to move to Martha's Vineyard.
Hailey Bieber wore these multiple times last winter.
I'm about a millisecond away from purchasing these.
I love how these are half formal trousers and half sports pants. It's really the best of both worlds.
In Tibi we trust.
When in doubt, pick Adidas.
But if bold is your goal, this patterned Wales Bonner pair will more than do the trick.
As someone who owns and is currently wearing green track pants, I say go for it.
This color just feels so luxurious and autumnal.
A smart person would buy these and then immediately buy the matching track jacket.
Shop the matching Eliot Striped Embroidered Jersey Track Jacket ($240).
I'm still not over this price drop.
These pants reside at the corner of comfort and style.
This post was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.