While corduroy trousers will forever make us think of Mila Kunis in That ’70s Show, this year’s reworked styles are 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 wide-leg jeans that are so popular right now.
As Vogue UK’s Laura Hawkins wrote earlier this year, this more relaxed silhouette will keep your corduroy pants 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,” she wrote, “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 corduroy trousers was solidified when The Row gave this tired wardrobe staple a new lease on life in its spring/summer 2024 collection, with baggy pants 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, yes, pants—in neutral tones. This has unsurprisingly trickled down to many retailer’s current winter offerings, with Cos, Free People, and others all leaning into the trouser trend.
While the word corduroy might conjure images of 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 turtleneck and chocolate leather loafers. Also on our inspiration boards? Jane Birkin, who aligned her corduroy pants with the much-chronicled myth of French-girl style.
This year there have been plenty of nods towards the ’70s in fashion, largely thanks to Chemena Kamali’s celebrated work at Chloé—though any mood boards have obviously been softened through a 2024 lens. So while we might all be wearing a lot of brown and buying more suede protector, no one will think you are making a journey to Abba Voyage.
