Skip to main content
Madonna at the Met Gala in stunning fashion.
Taylor Swift boarding a private jet in 2024.
Woman experiencing fatigue from lack of sleep.

Shop

How To Wear Tapered Trousers The Right Way

March 29, 2013 by Justine Schwartz
shefinds | Shop
Featured image
house unit img
Women Are Swapping Their Boring Water For This Ice Pop Electrolyte Mix!

Tapered trousers, harem pants, drop-waist pants – whatever you call them, this pants trend is giving skinny jeans a run for their money. This spring, this hard-to-style trouser is set to be the runner-up pant (skinnies still reign supreme!), so you better figure out how to wear them–fast. We stalked some of our all-time favorite style blogs – Lee Oliveira, The Fancy Pants Report (how appropriate!) and Gal Meets Glam for inspiration on how to pull off these tricky bottoms. Here’s the deal:

You’ve got to start with a good tuck. If you don’t normally tuck your shirt, now’s the time to start. If you’ve always wondered how to do the perfect tuck – one that’s loose enough without billowing too much or coming undone – then it’s time to watch this video. You cannot wear a long shirt over harem pants–it looks sloppy. K?

Next step is to wear something structured to balance out the “I Dream Of Jeanie” quality of the pants. Most of the street style stars go for a structured blazer in a neutral color like black or white, which is perfect since you already own one. Moving on.

Shoe choice: Pointy-toed pumps are the best way to go. Sandals or ankle-strap heels will work, too. Avoid booties – they just don’t look good with the tapered pant leg. Trust us.

Image from SHEfinds

Look 1: We copied this gorgeous street style look from Lee Oliveira using floral pants from ASOS ($37.30), a Topshop black blazer ($80), Zara T-shirt ($25.90) and Nicholas Ajax Suede Pumps ($299).

Image from SHEfinds

Look 2: You can get the exact pair of Forever21 harem pants that blogger The Fancy Pants Report wears above. Did we mention that they are $15? Yes. Pair them with a lace bomber jacket ($334.63, down from $557.73), a white tank (tucked in!!!!), and ankle-strap Jeffrey Campbell sandals ($125).

Image from SHEfinds

Look 3: We love Gal Meets Glam. Not only did she style this look perfectly, but you can get her exact Theory blazer (on sale!!), Joie polka dot pants ($248), lace t-shirt ($155) and BaubleBar necklace ($46). We took out the booties (you know why) and replaced them with suede d’Orsay pumps from Vincent. We also found a cheaper look-alike of her polka dot harem pants from Forever21. They’re just $19.

 

Tags:

pants, trends

Author:

Editorial Director

Justine Schwartz is a veteran women's lifestyle editor; she's written extensively about style & beauty tips, health advice and wedding planning. Her work has appeared in New York Magazine, Huffington Post and New York Weddings. Justine has been with SheFinds since 2010; you can reach her via email at Justine@shefinds.com.

Best summer scents and fragrances of 2026 as per beauty editors.
Car Pro Smart Fragrance Diffuser Cloud 6 sneaker display.
Image from SHEfinds
Image from SHEfinds
Image from SHEfinds
Image from SHEfinds
Image from SHEfinds
Image from SHEfinds
Image from SHEfinds
Image from SHEfinds
Image from SHEfinds
Image from SHEfinds
Image from SHEfinds
Image from SHEfinds
Image from SHEfinds
Image from SHEfinds
Image from SHEfinds
Image from SHEfinds
Madonna's bold blue mini dress at Paris event.
Taylor Swift's private jet amid environmental controversy.
Madonna in blue mini dress and metallic boots in Paris