These Are the Grown-Up, Polished Alternative to Leggings That Are Peak Fashion Girl

Slowly but surely, slimmer pant silhouettes are creeping their way back into the fashion zeitgeist. The latest trend? Cigarette pants. With super straight legs and tapered hems, the best way to describe them is as the dressed-up cousin of leggings. They hit either right at or just above the ankle and give off major 1950s nostalgia, especially when paired with ballet flats. Anytime Marilyn Monroe was photographed in pants, they were almost always cigarette pants.

Cigarette pants are form-fitting and usually found in a higher rise, and can easily take you from a day in the office to dinner with friends that night. They’re a welcome alternative to skinny jeans (I’m pretty sure no one wants to see the return of jeggings), and they especially shine when paired with a structured top, although they work well with just a T-shirt, too.