Linen Trousers and How to Wear Them

Thought to be the antithesis of versatility and famously hard to pull off, these breezy summer styles are proving popular. - Financial Times, Style.

Christy Turlington walking a dog while wearing a crisp Michael Kors suit and moccasins in New York in 1992.

Faye Dunaway holding a bunch of onions at Boston’s North End Greenmarket in 1968, sporting cropped trousers, a three-button jacket and light-blue headscarf.

Renée Perle posing on a windowsill in the French Riviera in the 1930s, pairing high-waisted, wide-leg trousers with a tank top and court shoes (pic below).

White linen trousers are “an obvious choice” for shoppers looking for laid-back elegance, natural fibres, clean tailoring and easy silhouettes. For a holiday look that feels “uncomplicated and chic”, we suggest picking an oversized linen shirt and leather thong sandals, while in the city reach for a tailored blazer with a silk cami top and tie a scarf around the waist. The idea behind all of them is the same: timeless, versatile pieces in beautiful natural fabrics that can be styled up or down with ease. I wear them to work with a shirt tucked in — so chic — or with a little vest top at the weekend, for an easy look.

Linen trousers are of course a summer staple, but this season they are proving particularly popular. Searches are up 56 per cent year on year according to fashion shopping search engine Lyst, while at luxury retailer Net-a-Porter they shot up 179 per cent in the past three months.

Linen trousers can be fully lined, or made of thicker linen, say 44 LEA or less, to be completely see-through-proof and chic. The sheer effect is summery and the trousers would have work well for a day spent at an Ibiza beach club.

Style them with a un-dyed t-shirt for a casual look, or a midi tunic for a elevated look. See options from HEY POLKA below along with our moodboard.