I wore capri pants for a week straight - here's what I thought

H! Fashion's Tania Leslau tested out the latest Gen Z-approved trouser trend

Fashion features writer

Updated: September 3, 2024Sep 3, 2024, 3:53 PM GMT+1

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Without meaning to sound like a major 'pick me,' I’ll admit that I don't usually follow trends.

Most of the pieces housed in my wardrobe are preloved, plucked from a cluttered thrift store rail or unearthed from the depths of a Portobello vintage shop.

Capris are a Noughties relic. Worn by Boden models and It-girls alike, the shin-caressing silhouettes first sashayed onto the scene in the late 1940s, courtesy of European designer Sonja de Lennart. Inspired by the effortless elegance of the Italian island of Capri, these cropped wonders quickly became the uniform of vacationing elites and Hollywood starlets.

Audrey Hepburn immortalised the distinctive design in Funny Face, pairing them with ballet flats and a demure glance. Suddenly, everyone wanted to show a bit of ankle. The trousers made their way through the Swinging Sixties, took a hiatus in the power-suited Eighties, and then made a glorious return with the rise of the Nineties minimalism.

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The Noughties bestowed upon the trousers a new sartorial cachet. Disney stars such as Ashley Tisdale and Miley Cyrus hit the red carpet in below-the-knee pedal pushers, typically layered under lace-trimmed denim rara skirts and graphic slogan trees.

Paired with a vintage tank top, vintage suede Tod's flats and an Acne Studios tote

Hence why today, capris teeter between chic and questionable. Part nostalgia, part practical (no flashing on the underground here), they're perfect for in-office wear.

So, when Mango kindly sent me some capris, I took full advantage. The pair in question were charming. Vertically striped in pastel hues of candy pink, cream, caramel and lilac with a lightweight stretch fabric and silver hardware.

They fit like a glove, framing the figure to curvalicious perfection. Immediately, I could understand why the likes of Emily Ratajkowski, Devon Carlson and Elsa Hosk all gravitated towards the form-enhancing silhouette. They were modest, playful and chic wrapped up in a three-quarter design.

The shin-grazers have become a Gen Z staple

I compelted the look with an Hermès leather belt in chocolate leather

I paired mine with some vintage chocolate suede Tod’s pumps, a brown Hermès leather belt, a simple black vintage tank top and my beloved Acne Studios tote.

I was also sent the matching corset top which I wore on one occasion, but I found myself enjoying the process of mix and matching the Mango capris with my own pieces as a challenge.

“They’re so cute!” was the collective message received from colleagues as I confidently waltzed into the office in my covetable capris. Although I felt a touch out of my comfort zone as I tend to stick with denim or all-black trouser staples, I felt fabulously cute 'n' kitsch.

Admittedly, capris can be a tad restrictive when it comes to self-styling. Shoe-wise, you’re pretty much stuck with ballet flats or kitten heels, which may not appease sneaker-lovers or biker boot aficionados.

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However, this gave me the kick I needed to momentarily shelve my cherished cowboy boots in favour or something a touch less, well, stomp-worthy.

My new capris filled a hole in my wardrobe, which often favours pizzaz over practicality. Ideal for days when effortless sophistication is on the agenda, yet I'd still appreciate the odd compliment, the stylish shin grazers will be the first thing I reach for.