The Classy Pants Trend I'm Seeing All Over Paris, Lisbon, and Copenhagen

What's more polished than your favorite pair of jeans but just as comfortable? Wool trousers; no joke. Our most stylish muses across the pond are already well aware. Lately, we've spotted folks wearing gray wool trousers throughout Europe, particularly in the fashionable cities of Paris, Lisbon, and Copenhagen.

Whether you plan on wearing them with flats, boots, or pumps, trousers look especially polished when tailored to fit. And, as an added benefit, wool is much warmer than denim, making it a perfect choice for the blustery winter weather right around the corner. But the key to making wool trousers work for your wardrobe is choosing the most versatile color, which, in our opinion, is gray. Smoky charcoal, slate, or stone, several shades can be seamlessly integrated into a weekly rotation.

Keep scrolling to see how to style the classy trouser trend, then shop for the perfect pair of pants or two to try out this winter. Pick a pull-on style, or choose a pair that is part of a suit set. Either way, adding a belt is optional.

In Lisbon:

A woman wears a white button up shirt with gray trousers and black loafers on the sidewalk.

(Image credit: @tamaramory)

In Paris:

A woman wears gray trousers with a leather jacket on a sidewalk in Paris.

(Image credit: @slipintostyle)

In Copenhagen:

A woman takes a mirror selfie wearing a beige wool overcoat with gray trousers.

(Image credit: @_jeanettemadsen_)

Shop Gray Wool Trousers

Freelance Writer

Drew Elovitz is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but has spent the last decade living and working in New York City. She earned a master's degree in media and popular culture from New York University, then began her career on the internet as the Twitter voice of Barbie. She worked previously at Who What Wear as the director of content strategy and also spent several years leading the social media teams at Teen Vogue and Entertainment Weekly. You'll find her byline on the site around topics such as celebrity fashion, must-have basics, beauty favorites (particularly nail polish), and wellness tips and tricks. Her personal style tends to favor the classics: She loves crisp white button-downs, sneakers, and skinny jeans—and no look is complete without a great pair of oversize sunglasses and a trusty leather jacket. After she finishes reading the entire internet every day, she can be found dining out at her favorite restaurants, trying new beauty treatments, or indulging her historical-fiction habit.