Not Stovepipes—6 Pretty Summer Trouser Trends Every Fashion Person Is Wearing Instead

Look at the wardrobes of the most stylish women—Jane Birkin! Alexa Chung! Kendall Jenner!— and you’ll find a pair of jeans lurking about. Their proximity to the most tasteful dressers has made them a certified staple for those seeking the off-duty elegance innate to these style savants. But what does one wear during summer, when the scorching temperature renders wearing this polished staple near impossible? Enter: The stylish array of anti-jeans trends.

These trends could be seen as a call to abandon denim for good. But these key anti-jeans summer trends are more appropriately viewed as an extension of your trouser vocabulary; styles that achieve the same chic appearance, but won’t have you sacrificing the comfort and quality your favourite pair of stovepipes or barrel-legs provides. So, what to wear instead of jeans this season?

“People are looking for variety and ease,” explains Angela Gahng, the founder of sustainable minimalist brand Alimna Concept. “Denim shapes the body in a specific way and looks its best only after it's been lived in, whereas most trouser and short styles offer something different: a silhouette that feels effortless from the very first wear."

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Interestingly, for Gahng, denim is a category she’s never designed with, more so focusing on understated, Scandi-inspired shapes rendered in natural fibres. “We wanted to focus on the pieces that aren't being treated as core wardrobe staples but should be,” she says of her expertise in anti-jeans trends.

“Elastic wide-leg pants, for instance, when designed with intention, are quietly one of the chicest things a person can wear,” she says. “It’s comfortable and can be dressed up or down, which makes it a wardrobe staple.” Another anti-jeans trend of note? “Pedal pushers are resurfacing in a more refined way, alongside fluid tailoring and soft, draped trousers."

“People are gravitating toward pieces that feel intentional,” Gahng concludes. So, before you instinctively reach for a pair of loose-cut low-rises or sculpting straight-legs, remember that there are plenty of alternatives that can easily fill this gap. From tailored shorts to architectural trousers, uncover them all below.

1. Knee-Grazing Shorts

Style Notes: It's a silhouette that will make you look like you’ve taken a pair of shears to your favourite trousers, but one that will earn you countless compliments nonetheless. (And ensure that your preferred pants remain out of harm's way.) Fusing the sophistication of The Row tailoring with the casualness of a pair of Leset lounge pants, this style is both polished and relaxed.