The *One* Summer Pant Trend French and Italian Women Swear By

how-to-style-white-pants-307768-1686912990610-main

(Image credit: @elizagracehuber)

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.

If I had to pinpoint one item on my Instagram feed that I've spotted the most thus far this summer, I'd name white trousers without a second of hesitation. For reference, the people I follow are primarily involved in the fashion world or the industries surrounding it and mostly live in Europe—specifically France and Italy. Their outfits are, therefore, quintessentially French and Italian, and in the summer, that means they wear low-key yet dangerously chic ensembles that, nine times out of 10, involve white pants.

Despite how laissez-faire their looks appear online, they tend to be harder to re-create than you expect. It's probably because of that whole je ne sais quoi thing that comes naturally to people born there but not so much for those who aren't. Driven by my own frustration, I decided to put my white-trouser selection to the test, using my skills in the styling department as well as my Instagram-induced knowledge of French and Italian fashion. The result? Seven summer outfits that are centered around the warm-weather bottoms that would fit right into either country between June and August. Below, see how I did and shop the pant trend that French and Italian women swear by during the summer months.

High-Neck Tank + Wide-Leg Linen Trousers + Ballet Flats 

how-to-style-white-pants-307768-1686607563797-image

(Image credit: @elizagracehuber)

The easiest and most European way to wear white trousers is to stick with an all-white color palette. It looks elegant every single time and allows for whatever accessories you wear to pop. For this take on the monochromatic look, I paired a high-neck ribbed tank from Dissh with wide-leg trousers also from the Australian brand, brown ballet flats, gold drop earrings, and my new favorite Bottega Veneta Sardine bag, which has gold hardware that matches my earrings.

how-to-style-white-pants-307768-1686607568832-image

(Image credit: @elizagracehuber)

Shop the look:

White Halter Top + Matching Drawstring Pants + Sneakers

how-to-style-white-pants-307768-1686607534863-image

(Image credit: @elizagracehuber)

Keeping on with the monochromatic looks, this matching Zara set feels very Mediterranean. I recently wore it all around Italy, from Milan to Imola, and have gotten dozens of compliments on its effortless qualities. I love it styled like this with Adidas Sambas, but it could easily be dressed up with kitten-heel sandals, a chic cuff, and some stellar earrings.

how-to-style-white-pants-307768-1686607540477-image

(Image credit: @elizagracehuber)

Shop the look:

Striped Poplin Shirt + White Tank + Linen Trousers + Clogs

how-to-style-white-pants-307768-1686607546110-image

(Image credit: @elizagracehuber)

Of all the ways that white trousers are styled on Instagram, this is probably the general combination I spot most often. Super casual and comfortable yet put-together, this copy-worthy ensemble—a striped button-down shirt, a white tank, baggy linen pants, and clogs—defies the odds in more ways than one.

how-to-style-white-pants-307768-1686607552048-image

(Image credit: @elizagracehuber)

Shop the look:

White Waistcoat + Matching Trousers + Thong Sandals + Shoulder Bag

how-to-style-white-pants-307768-1686607518167-image

(Image credit: @elizagracehuber)

Gray and black waistcoat suits are all I saw anyone in Europe wearing in the winter months, but in the summer, it's all about white alternatives to the trendy, tailored combo. To stylize the duo, I always add bold earrings and a contrasting handbag, which, in this case, are both by Bottega Veneta. After all, just like anything else, there is a such thing as wearing too much white. For even more color, I slid on a pair of green thong-style sandals from Zara.

how-to-style-white-pants-307768-1686607512388-image

(Image credit: @elizagracehuber)

Shop the look:

Sporty Vest + Lightweight White Trousers + Sneakers

how-to-style-white-pants-307768-1686607574567-image

(Image credit: @elizagracehuber)

I'd usually credit Londoners for coming up with fresh, cool ways to make sporty look chic, but when it comes to athletic vests, Prada Sport is always the brand I think of. For one time only, I'm giving credence to the Italians. Here, I took a pair of super-lightweight COS trousers and styled them with a navy-blue Adidas vest from the '90s, Adidas x Wales Bonner Japan sneakers, and my favorite Prada 1995 Re-Edition bag. Comfortable, nostalgic, and smart, this outfit—if I dare say so myself—checks off every summer box.

how-to-style-white-pants-307768-1686607579380-image

(Image credit: @elizagracehuber)

Shop the look:

White Button-Down Shirt + White Pull-On Pants + Ballet Flats 

how-to-style-white-pants-307768-1686607501125-image

(Image credit: @elizagracehuber)

If you're going on vacation this summer, this white-pant outfit should 1000% be in your carry-on. A simple white button-down shirt, white pull-on trousers, ballet flats, and a great bag will pair perfectly with any travel destination. Plus, each item can be worn separately as well, so you really get multiple outfits in one.

how-to-style-white-pants-307768-1686607506862-image

(Image credit: @elizagracehuber)

Shop the look:

White Tank Top + Matching Low-Rise Trousers + Mules + Scarf

how-to-style-white-pants-307768-1686607523787-image

(Image credit: @elizagracehuber)

I know it's risky, but I personally love an all-white going-out look in the summer. The color scheme is too often reserved for daytime activities only, but if you own a chic monochromatic top-and-bottom duo like this one from Buci, it simply must be shown off during the latter hours of the night. Just don't forget to put a Tide stick in your purse in case of spill-related emergencies as well as a napkin on your lap at dinner.

how-to-style-white-pants-307768-1686607529336-image

(Image credit: @elizagracehuber)

Shop the look:

This story was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

Senior Fashion Editor

Eliza Huber is a New York City–based fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and celebrity style. She joined Who What Wear in 2021 after almost four years on the fashion editorial team at Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a marketing degree from the University of Iowa. She has since launched two monthly columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled the likes of Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, and Sabrina Carpenter for WWW's monthly cover features; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top trends from fashion month, season after season. Eliza now lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, running in Central Park, and scouring eBay for '90s Prada and '80s Yves Saint Laurent.