Don't Call Them Yoga Pants: Here's What To Wear With Flare Leggings

Flare leggings are officially the newest trend in street style. Legend has it that a certain influencer was bemoaning that stretchy, soft pants with flared legs were comfy but not in fashion. Her fans reminded her that with enough confidence and clout, she would wear anything and it would become fashion. Bring that same energy to your wardrobe by learning what to wear with flare leggings.

Comfortable, flattering and versatile, these wardrobe staples feature a comfy stretch fabric and plenty of room around the calf and ankle. Seeing this trend everywhere might make you ask: Wait, aren't these just yoga pants? Don't they pair best with a frappuccino, Uggs and a time machine set to the year 2005? Not necessarily! Flared leggings (note the rebrand) have dozens of contemporary styling options.

How Do You Decide What To Wear With Flare Leggings?

Flare leggings can go in so many directions style-wise, it can be tough to decide on a starting point. First, choose one word to sum up the appeal of your specific pair of flare leggings and the overall direction of the outfit. "Comfy" and "casual" both play to the strengths of flared leggings. In heavier fabrics like denim or suede, "vintage" works as well.

1. Pair the Leggings With a Top

Choose your top based on the word that summed up the appeal of the leggings and the outfit. A comfy outfit would pair well with a simple sweatshirt or soft t-shirt, while a vintage outfit would suit a standout animal print tight top.

Before you go any further, let's talk about the proportions of your top and bottom combo. Since flared leggings add a lot of volume on the very bottom of the look, you'll want to reduce volume somewhere up top for maximum visual balance.

A crop top is one great way to reduce volume, and its contemporary silhouette instantly brings flared pants into the present day. Another option is a tight top without a lot of volume, keeping all of the drama around ankle-height. Sweatshirts and flared pants are a perfect match, whether you go with an oversized college sweatshirt or a sleek and cropped athletic number. A gauzy knit with a large weave can add transparency and space to the top of a flared leggings outfit, similar to a crop top effect.

An oversized jacket or blazer adds presence, especially paired with a small crop or bra top to bring negative space back into the outfit. Even a slinky neckline on a sweatshirt or blouse works as a welcome burst of negative space that improves the outfit's visual rhythm. Make sure at least one element up top is sparse or fitted to counter the flare, and your proportions will be on point.

2. Match the Vibe With Shoes

Shoes are another place to modernize the flared legging trend. There isn't really a wrong answer for what shoes to wear with flared leggings (except a certain chunky Australian sheepskin boot.) The entire flared leggings trend is a way to inject street style with comfort.

Hailey Bieber paired her tan flared leggings with some very fluffy slippers, a move we heartily approve of. In the spirit of the flared leggings revival, wear your cutest pair of slippers in a well-balanced outfit and single-handedly make them fashion. Instead of calling them "slippers," make up a new fashion name like "spun fleece slides."

For a more glam take, Rihanna went with a spindly black heeled boot with flared leggings. The thin heel and the drapey neckline on her sophisticated blouse make for a balanced overall look.

Sneakers or running shoes share the same style energy as flared leggings. Both items are streetwear staples because, with how comfortable and versatile they are, it would be wild for them not to be in fashion. Pick a pair of crisp running shoes with a cropped sweatshirt and flared leggings to complete a stylish athletic look. Sneakers with interesting textures, such as velvet or knits, add a dash of extra style to any casual outfit.

3. Complete the Look With a Belt

The main challenge of picking what to wear with flare leggings is keeping the look current and swerving away from the basic. Some flared leggings feature hip cutouts, side ties and other design fripperies not seen on the OG yoga pant, but you can go a step further. Add style to even the most casual flared leggings outfit with an eye-catching belt.

A chain belt adds edge to any outfit and is the perfect finishing touch for a vintage flared leggings look. Go for even more of a 1970s deep cut by choosing a chain belt that sits low on the hips. A metallic waist belt is another way to dress up a flared legging. The shine at the waist becomes a focal point, downplaying the flare at the bottom of the pants.

A sash-type fabric belt at the waist, secured with an over-the-top buckle, is a fun twist that moves the flared legging firmly out of the early 2000s. Depending on the glitter factor of the chosen buckle, this belt option can nudge flared leggings into the Y2K revival trend.

Leather belts are a bold statement, but with a piece as simple as flared leggings, it's important to take some fashion risks. A leather belt with flared leggings says: I dare you to claim that these aren't real pants. Instead of tucking the remainder of the belt into loops, let it hang to evoke an intentionally disheveled style.

Where Can You Find the Latest Fashions and More Style Tips Like What To Wear With Flare Leggings?

There are benefits to keeping some pieces around in the back of your closet, as fashion always has a way of coming back around. With an eye for proportions and an overall concept, it's easy to pick what to wear with flared leggings.

At Kate Hewko, we believe in confident and eye-catching fashion for everyone. Flared leggings can sometimes need a little extra push to look runway-ready, so don't be afraid to accessorize with a belt, a loud top or a bold shoe. Browse our collection to find the perfect match for the comfiest trend in fashion.

Sources:

https://raydarmagazine.com/how-to-style-flared-leggings-outfits/

https://gabriellearruda.com/flare-leggings-outfits/

https://www.whowhatwear.com/emma-chamberlain-flared-leggings

https://www.popsugar.com/fashion/flared-yoga-pants-trend-48140031

https://www.vogue.com/article/flare-leggings

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ckm3h74OHX7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading