I love khakis, but sometimes they feel a bit fussy or formal for non-office life. Not when you wear them like this: slouchy with the cuffs rolled up, fun accessories, and a tailored black blazer to add some polish to the whole thing. These are cool khakis.
Khakis always make me remember doing back-to-school shopping for my school uniform. Well, not this kind of khaki. These khakis are cool, these khakis are grown-up. These khakis are classic cool. Just look at the barrel shape of this Gap pair, the horseshoe silhouette of these cult-favorite NIli Lotans, the timeless effortlessness of these Ralph Lauren pants. Look at the audacity of the wide-leg on these Frame chinos! These are the pants of stylish, confident women.
Part of the reason those khakis work so well right now is they suggest fall, but you can feel summer on them. A black blazer really weighs down the pants – in a good way! You want clean lines, something sleek to contrast the volume of the pants. I love J.Crew’s blazer with a slight bit of stretch, Rag & Bone’s military-inspired number, or Banana Republic’s slightly oversized version if that’s what you prefer (like me).
There are two more minor, but nonetheless essential, pieces: a good v-neck t-shirt to break u the lines of the outfit with some skin, and a black belt with a little shine in the form of a gold belt buckle.
Finally, my favorite fun little detail: a pair of leopard shoes. Something low-profile and comfortable, like a retro-shaped sneaker from M.Gemi. Or, if you’re looking for something with a little more sartorial weight, a loafer for fall. I like Golden Goose’s version, but I love M.Gemi’s driving shoe version in suede.
Shop the rest of our cool khakis outfit below:
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