TOthe words “2024 capri pants are back in fashion” there are those who tremble and those who rejoice. This garment so rich in history boasts a fluctuating fame: from synonymous with emancipation to nightmare for every woman’s silhouette. In Spring Summer 2024 they return more glamorous than everfrom the catwalks to the celebrity wardrobes, are preparing to (re)conquer the scene.
The nostalgia of the simple but elegant outfits of Audrey Hepburn plays in favor of a highly divisive trend, which reappears with caution, betting everything on perfect proportions and studied styling in detail. Who are they good for? What is their story? How to wear and match them? The icons of yesterday and today answer style questions with their outfits.
When it all began
Presented for the first time in 1948 by the German designer Sonja de Lennarti Capri pants (so called in homage to the island in the Gulf of Naples which inspired the collection of the year) clearly differed from the male models, representing a head symbol of female emancipation. High waist and hem below the knees: their popularity exploded when Audrey Hepburn he wears them in iconic films like Roman holidays And Sabrina, replacing corset dresses with a more natural and comfortable look. Under the wise creative vision of Hollywood’s most popular costume designer in the 1950s, Edith Headthis garment soon becomes an emblem of casual elegance and freedom.
Audrey Hepburn in a promotional shot for Billy Wilder’s film Sabrina. (Photo by Paramount Pictures/Getty Images)
The trend is catching on, yesterday as today
Replacing dizzying heels with practical ballet flats and structured corsets with practical tops, all designed and curated by Hubert de Givenchy, the Audrey Hepburn capri pants look soon became highly sought after. From Marilyn Monroewho wore them on the cover of Life in 1953 (a look later also taken up by Ana de Arma in the 2022 film Blonde) to the multifaceted Doris Daypassing through the French actress Brigitte Bardot and the popular Elizabeth Taylor.
Blonde. Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe for the 2022 film produced by Netflix.
If no one could resist this design, the natural question arises as to how they became a bad memory for many women. The answer lies in the looks of the 90s and especially those of the early 2000s, where a myth was demolished with cropped tops, low waists and looser fits. History teaches, yesterday as today, that 2024 capri pants can be glamorous, but It all depends on the proportions.
Bella Hadid wears capri pants for a total white look.
The SS24 catwalks speak clearly, capri pants are back
The designers who decided to propose them in the Spring Summer 2024 collections started from here: masterful symmetries and enhancing combinations. Capri pants appeared on the catwalks of Ferragamowith a decidedly nostalgic but also practical total black look thanks to the matching cropped bomber jacket. Coperni imagines them for the evening, with silver ruffles on the hem and oversized blazers, while Casablanca it is inspired by the racing world with a cropped leather jacket and elastic band at the waist. N21 chooses silk for an ultra classy set with a Milanese aesthetic, in strong contrast to the Parisian-inspired looks of Mirror Palaiswith side slit and combined with short jackets.
Ferragamo Spring Summer 2024.
How to wear and match them
Even on the scene Street Style the 2024 capri pants are a success. Outside the recently concluded fashion shows, different outfits were spotted experimenting with it versatility, some of which are worn by some of the most spied on celebrities in the fashion system. The best way to approach the trend is to focus on total black, as Gilda Ambrosio does with a silk blouse and pumps with metallic details. As the difficulty increases you can experiment with a monochrome outfit by the large volume in the upper part, given by a statement outerwear, copying the outfit of Cristiana Capotondi at the Philosophy By Lorenzo Serafini fashion show at MFW. More complex, because it is partly inspired by Y2K fashion it is instead that of Beautiful Hadidwith white capri pants, tank top, matching ballet flats and oversized striped shirt.
There are those who rely on the practicality of jeans like Gigi Hadid and those who test its formality, combining it with a blazer and sheer stockings as seen in Street Style. With parka or leather jackets and slingback inspired by the it-girl Pernille Teisbaek or bralettes and mules like Emily Ratajkowski: There are more options than you might expect.
Jumping from one era to another and taking everything good that each of them has to offer, Capri pants are here to stay.
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