How to wear faux leather trousers, cut by cut
The faux leather trousers that came in for autumn are mostly brown and stone, not the shiny black the phrase tends to bring to mind. The teak brown has an olive cast to it, so it reads richer than black. The one black pair is a coated cotton.
Colour changes how you wear them. In brown or stone, faux leather behaves like a neutral, so it goes out in daylight with the knitwear and boots already in your wardrobe.
In brief:
- The Yaya carrot fit comes in teak brown and soft stone, with room through the hip and a narrow cropped ankle.
- Two wide legs, from Floor and Herzens. Look for the seam across the knee on the Herzens pair.
- Mac's Danni 2.3 is the straight black option, in a coated cotton rather than faux leather.
- On top, keep it soft: a fine knit, a silk blouse, or a chunky turtleneck half-tucked at the front.
- Bring the boots you will wear with them, since the cropped and full-length pairs finish at very different points.
- The carrot fit, in teak brown and stone
- Wide leg faux leather trousers
- A straight leg in coated cotton
- What to wear with faux leather trousers
- Trying them on
The carrot fit, in teak brown and stone
Yaya's carrot trousers arrived in two colours, and the teak brown is the pair we would try first. It is a deep brown with an olive cast, supple rather than stiff, finished with a low sheen.
The cut is the clever part. There is room through the hip, then the leg narrows to a cropped ankle, and a single seam down the front of each leg gives it a gentle curve. A high flat waistband keeps the front clean, with no fly break to interrupt a tucked-in knit.
The stone pair shares the shape, in a soft warm beige. Its faux leather has a light grain and a little give, so it moves rather than creaks. A curved yoke seam across the front decides exactly where the fullness sits. Of the two, it is the easier one to wear on a bright morning, and we like it with a fine cream knit and not much else.
Wide leg faux leather trousers
There are two wide legs this autumn. Floor's almond pair is fluid and moves easily as you walk, with a high rise that sits comfortably at the waist. They stop at the ankle, which makes them simple over a boot or with a heel. Seams down each leg keep the line from looking heavy.
The Herzens Hanna is the full-length choice, in a warm taupe the label calls falcon. Its leg is wide and straight and falls cleanly from the hip. The surface is matt, so you notice the texture before any shine.
Look for the seam running across the knee. It is small. It is also the reason a plain trouser stops looking plain, and it gives the Hanna a slightly technical finish that suits a chunky jumper.
A straight leg in coated cotton
The black pair in the edit is Mac's Danni 2.3, and strictly speaking it is not faux leather. It is a cotton and Tencel blend with a coated finish, which gives it a soft sheen and a slightly weighty drape.
Five-pocket styling makes it feel familiar, close to a good pair of jeans but dressier. The leg is slim and straight with a mid rise, falling to the ankle with a slight break over a low boot or a loafer. For anyone who likes the sheen of leather and not the look of it, this is where we would start.
What to wear with faux leather trousers
With brown faux leather trousers, we start with the Herzens bow blouse. Its cream spots sit on a deep coffee brown that picks up the teak and taupe pairs without matching either. Silk, with sleeves that gather into striped knit cuffs. Tuck it into the wide Hanna and let the bow sit just above your coat collar.
For weekends, we would pick Floor's vanilla turtleneck. It is oversized and ribbed, and the woven taffeta cuffs with their little button tab are what make it look dressed. The hem sits at the hip, so over the almond wide leg a half tuck at the front is all it needs.
Other combinations that work:
- Teak brown carrot trousers with a black polo neck.
- The stone pair with an oversized shirt worn loose.
- Mac's black Danni with a silk shirt and loafers, for an evening that starts straight from the office.
Trying them on
One honest fitting-room note. The Yaya carrot cut is roomy through the hip on purpose, and on the hanger that fullness can look like too much trouser. Put them on before deciding. The room is what stops the fabric pulling across the front, and that is where a closer cut shows every crease.
Sizing differs too. Floor is the only label here sized XS to L, so if you normally shop by number, try two sizes.
Every pair here sits in our trousers collection, and you can see more from each label in our Yaya, Herzens and Floor edits. They are in the shop in Wetherby and online. Ring us on 01937 585429 if you would like two sizes put by before you come in.
Frequently asked questions
Are faux leather trousers still in style?
They are, although the pairs that look right now have moved away from shiny black. The ones we bought for autumn come in teak brown, soft stone, warm taupe and almond, with a low or matt sheen. The cuts are relaxed too, with a carrot fit and two wide legs. Worn with a fine knit or a silk blouse, they look polished in daylight. For anyone who prefers black, the Mac Danni 2.3 has a soft sheen in a coated cotton.
What do you wear with brown faux leather trousers?
Soft textures and warm colours on top. Cream knitwear with a tan boot is the easiest version. For a little more edge, a black polo neck sharpens the teak brown pair right up. Dressier still, try a silk blouse that carries some brown in the print, such as the Herzens spot bow blouse in coffee and cream. If the jumper is chunky, half-tuck it at the front so the waistband still shows.
How do faux leather trousers fit?
The cut decides it more than the fabric. Our Yaya carrot fit has a high rise and room through the hip, then tapers to a narrow cropped ankle. The Floor wide leg is also high-rise but ankle length and fluid all the way down. The Herzens Hanna sits mid-high with a wide, straight, full-length leg. Floor is sized XS to L rather than by number, so trying two sizes is sensible. Ring us on 01937 585429 and we can put both aside.
Can you wear faux leather trousers to work?
Yes, and colour does most of the work. A stone, taupe or almond pair behaves like a neutral, so it sits comfortably with a fine knit or a silk blouse at a desk. The Herzens Hanna and the Floor wide leg both suit office days. The Hanna's flat waistband sits smoothly under a tucked-in knit. If faux leather still feels like too much for the office, Mac's Danni 2.3 is a black coated cotton trouser with five-pocket styling that goes from desk to dinner.
What shoes go with faux leather trousers?
Boots, mostly. The teak brown carrot pair is easiest with a tan boot. Floor's almond wide leg stops at the ankle, so an ankle boot or a heel sits neatly beneath it. The full-length Herzens Hanna is cut to break on a boot, though a clean trainer works at the weekend. With the black Mac Danni, keep to a low boot or a loafer so the straight leg falls cleanly. Bring the pair you wear most when you come in to try them.
Written by Jackie
Jackie is the owner of Olivia Grace in Wetherby, where she hand-picks every piece from European collections. She has spent years helping customers find clothes that actually get worn.
