Better in Leather: Top 10 Leather Pants Outfit Ideas

Sometimes, it's important to give in to the forces of fashion and buy a statement piece before you're completely sure how to style it. A tricky piece can become one of the most stylish in your closet, be it an oversized velvet blazer, a Gaga-esque heel or the classic what-exactly-do-I-wear-with-this item: leather pants.

The scope of a leather pants outfit keeps growing as this fall and winter staple remains firmly in fashion. While you used to see mostly black leather leggings, today, there are wide-legged leather pants, leather bell bottoms and colorful pants in browns, taupes and a rainbow of options.

10 Stylish Leather Pants Outfit Ideas

Everyone knows leather pants are perfect for stepping out at night looking like a rock star, but they can also be styled for a casual or professional look during the day. Here are 10 versatile ways to style the many types of leather pants out there.

1. Extra Texture

The shiny, buttery look of leather pants begs for additional texture to push the outfit further. Since leather pants are so smooth, pair them with a choppier contrasting texture in the shirt, accessories, shoes or jacket to instantly turn leather pants into a front-page-worthy look. Some of the best loud textures for a leather pants outfit are:

Fringe
Faux sheepskin
Chunky knits
Tweed
Puffy coats

Since leather pants will naturally bring attention to the overall outfit's textures and weights, it's a great time to bring out your sheerest, blousiest silks or your fuzziest camel textured coats. To highlight a standout texture piece, keep the rest of the outfit simple, like when supermodel Miranda Kerr paired a cowboy fringe suede jacket with leather pants and a simple black crop top.

2. '70s Glam

Leather pants — especially the trendy chocolate brown version — can quickly skew "Disco Inferno." Use this association to craft the perfect update to a 1970s leather look. Style icon Zendaya pulled from all corners of 1970s style with a beautifully puffy and printed mustard blouse, loose leather pants and simple pointed-toe shoes.

Choose a chocolate brown or caramel brown pair of leather pants for the strongest style statement. Then, pair them with a vintage glam pair of faux-croc or snakeskin shoes and a bag. Ultra-warm tones in your top, jacket, accessory or lipstick set off this look and keep it cohesive. The 1970s were the peak of over-the-top styling, so loud pieces like a leopard snakeskin blazer will fit right into a retro-inspired leather pants outfit.

3. Big Jacket

Leather pants and oversized duster jackets are two fashion trends that aren't going anywhere, and as luck would have it, they work perfectly together. The sleek lines of any pair of leather pants benefit from the volume of an oversized, long jacket. Add some interesting textures, like those on a newsprint and mesh kimono, and complete the look with a chunky and comfortable black boot.

4. Neon Dream Top

Pairing leather pants with a loud and unusual color is a style power move. Don't be afraid to blend multiple neon colors on top and in shoes and accessories to create a kaleidoscopic outfit with black or brown leather pants.

5. Blazer and Boots

Leather pants have a visual weight that can make them office-appropriate with the right styling. Pairing leather pants with a smart textured blazer elevates this look for a work outfit, a lunch with clients or a casual business function.

Oversized blazers are the perfect way to play with volume in a leather pants outfit, and knee-high or ankle boots add edge to this professional look. Kerry Washington's all-black outfit with motocross-style pants, a plunging oversized blazer and out-of-this-world boots is definitely in the top ten blazer outfits of all time.

6. Giving Nooch

"Nooch," or neutral, is one of the coolest and most effortless style statements. The key to making neutrals interesting is texture and visual weight; leather pants deliver both. Stick to a black, brown, taupe and cream color palette with luxurious textures to make leather pants look professional and glamorous.

7. Leather and a Sweater

Everyday style is all about contrast, and you can breathe life into your favorite sweater by pairing it with unexpected leather pants. Chunky knits in bold colors are perfect choices in fall and winter. As a bonus, you'll be warm and stylish wherever you go.

8. Sub for Jeans

What's the best-kept secret about styling leather pants outfits? A pair of leather pants is an easy level-up for what you'd typically wear with jeans. Crop tops, corset tops, puff-sleeve blouses or any fashionable top that is a little too dressy for jeans is an excellent pairing for leather pants. Swapping flat sneakers for platform flats or combat boots ties any casual ensemble together.

9. Crop Sweatshirt

Take the leather pants and casual outfit contrast one step further by pulling out a cropped sweatshirt. Styling one of these sweatshirts with sweatpants or jeans is the more expected look, while the shiny-but-neutral appeal of leather pants pushes it into more stylish territory. Dua Lipa's destroyed crop sweatshirt is a pitch-perfect counterpoint to the cleaner lines of a pair of loose black leather pants, a plain black bag and pointy black heels.

10. Go Full Underworld

Leather pants can fit right into a casual wardrobe, but a chunky knit sweater or a cropped sweatshirt isn't ideal for fighting subway vampires. For that, you need to go full "Underworld" with a leather coat and top to match.

This look was a serve when Kate Beckinsale first shimmied into it in 2003. It remains fashionable today, as evidenced when Bella Hadid stunned New York City in an all-brown-leather outfit.

Shop the Latest Pieces That Can Elevate Any Leather Pants Outfit

Leather pants may seem loud initially, but once you style them, they'll become all-purpose closet superheroes. At Kate Hewko, we believe in elevating everyday looks, office looks and party outfits alike, so we love every variety of leather pants outfit. Browse our clothing picks for style inspiration.

Sources:

https://editorialist.com/fashion/how-to-wear-leather-pants/

https://www.thezoereport.com/p/how-8-celebrities-style-leather-pants-so-differently-44332978

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124623114666810093/

https://media.ourfashionpassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/17075326/27fb88bf439c90b3a384dbf9ea6f89b8.jpg

https://www.instyle.com/thmb/AY1UtQgtDZcYa0uoRkaI-Ip60qo=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/101220-LOTD-Dua-Lipa-embedd-504a55b5efdf4ee3b654618175ca8b31.jpg

https://hollywoodlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/celebs-wearing-leather-pants-11.jpg?w=680